Shan Masood deserves a minimum of two-year stint as captain

By Ahad Masood ‘Bobby’ in USA

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The newly appointed captain of the national Test team, Shan Masood, should not be dumped even if Pakistan gets whitewashed in the upcoming three-match series in Australia. The world champions are overwhelming favourites to make a clean sweep in view of their own strength as well as the dismal Test record which Pakistan has had in Australia. 

Blooding Shan directly as a captain for such a demanding tour seems to be a hasty decision. Hopefully he would not be assessed on the basis of just one series and the decision-makers will be acting in national interest if let him lead the team until the end of the current cycle of World Test Championship which will continue for another two years. He could be given a longer stint, depending on performance.

Despite the criticism over Babar Azam’s captaincy, following the debacle in the Asia Cup followed by the World Cup, he could have been asked to skipper the team for Test series in Australia and also the T20I series in New Zealand. 

Alternatively, when they have brought Sarfaraz Ahmed back in their frame, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should have reappointed him as the captain in all three formats for at least next one year. Ideally, Shan should have been posted as vice-captain to either Babar or Sarfaraz before taking up the national captaincy. 

But, as we have often witnessed in the past, authorities pressed the panic button after the recently concluded World Cup just as they have done four years ago when Sarfaraz was removed unceremoniously. 

It’s a pity that captains are deposed in such haste. Pakistan, in the recent past in particular, has lacked in initiating the process of grooming captains by picking up the potential candidates as captains. 

Misbah-ul-Haq, the most successful Test captain, had innumerable vice-captains during his tenure while there was none when Sarfaraz was leading the side. There was no clarity of thought even in the era of Babar when sometimes Mohammad Rizwan was given the job before passing on the baton to Shadab Khan. 

Shan also had a brief stint as vice-captain during the home series against New Zealand but Babar, for reasons best known to himself, was not prepared to pick his deputy in the playing eleven which was indeed well and truly disrespectful. 

Shan is an educated youngster who has the experience of leading Multan Sultan in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) besides captaining the county of Yorkshire in England. A prolific left-handed opening batsman, who can shift gears whenever needed. He seems to be having the capacity to lead by example. 

The PCB would have been better off handing over captaincy across formats to him instead of just Test matches. He may still be asked to lead the ODI side as they haven’t made the announcement in this regard yet. 

The enigmatic Pakistan squad, short of confidence, will be tested on both the tours of Australia as well as New Zealand where the conditions would be entirely different to what these guys encountered at home. They didn’t perform consistently against these two sides even in own backyard last season. Hopefully they would do better this time to pose serious challenge to the hosts Down Under.

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Marathon runner Yousuf on course of breaking Guiness record

By Syed Khalid Mahmood 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Marathon runner, Muhammad Yousuf Malik, is on course of breaking a record to enter the famed Guiness Book of World Records. He informed PNFS in Karachi on December 5 that he has been running 21.1 kilometres daily for the last five days. He is set to become the highest-ever half marathon distance runner (male). 

“I have a plan to continue running 21.1 kilometres daily until December 31 to create a new world record for the most consecutive day run for Pakistan. Presently the record is for 22 days but I have set my goal of raising the bar substantially by running for 31 days so that it could not be easily broken in near future,” Yousuf Malik revealed. 

A resident of Karachi, he has chosen the route between Zamzama Park and Sea View in Defence Housing Authority (DHA), which is relatively peaceful and free from pollution, which otherwise is a big factor elsewhere in the metropolis. The finishing venue is McDonalds in Clifton. Yousuf Malik is an enthusiastic marathon runner and he has got himself registered with Guiness already whose officials are monitoring his progress digitally.

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Controversies galore in Cricket World Cup 2023

By Naeem-ul-Haq in USA 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Having followed closely each and every single edition of the Cricket World Cup (CWC) since its inception in 1975, I have very little doubt in mind that the recently concluded 13th edition in India was the most controversial of them all, on and off the field. The hosts could not win the trophy despite all odds being stacked in their favour. 

It was a marquee event of the International Cricket Council (ICC) but the governing body of the game came under heavy criticism as did the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the hosts. They were accused of actions and inactions which didn’t go well with the cricket followers across countries.

The insistence of the hosts to play the final on a wearing track instead of the originally chosen fresh strip backfired and loss of toss proved to be the last nail in their coffin. Despite being on top of the game for 10 matches on a trot, the Indians fumbled in the final at Ahmedabad and the robotic Australians capitalized with hints of conviction to capture the crown for a record sixth time. 

India, whose all three fast bowlers, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj, were firing on all cylinders as they also extracted extra yard of swing than their competitors, would have been much better off taking on the Aussies on a newly laid surface instead of battling it on a slower pitch which didn’t aid the spinners either. 

While the majority of close umpiring decisions seemed to have favoured the home team, it proved to be a different ball game in the final where rub of the green titled Australia’s way. The umpires call saved the visitors much to the disapproval and annoyance of the huge crowd which became silent as the match slipped out of India’s hands. 

It was really chocking not to have found the World Cup winning Indian captains of the past, Kapil Dev and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, in the prize distribution ceremony from which Sourav Ganguly, who led India to the final in 2003, was also absent. Reportedly the trio seemed to have some ‘political’ difference with the hosts who probably didn’t invite them. 

The Indian authorities didn’t appear to have allowed visas to the media corps or even supporters of other participating countries, a move which was also widely criticized. The wisdom behind preventing foreign fans from attending World Cup matches could not be understood. 

Another mind-boggling move was the skipping of an inauguration ceremony before the start of the championship. The Indians have had the reputation of organizing the most colorful of ceremonies but they chose to remain silent this time and the World Cup got off to a muted start directly with the opening match between England and New Zealand. 

It’s a common knowledge that the Indians are well versed in arranging mega events and high-profile ceremonies but they didn’t deem it proper to let the CWC 2023 gain the hype it deserved. The dates of the event were altered and it were finalized at the eleventh hour. There were numerous factors which made it a forgettable outing. 

Toss was another cause of controversy as Rohit Sharma came under fire for throwing the coin upward far too wide. The ICC will now be advised to exercise control in this matter too in order to make it transparent and fair to all contestants. Technology should come in and it could be monitored with the help of a camera.

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Biased selection, mismanagement, player power, inept captaincy cost Pakistan Cricket World Cup 2023

By Naeem-ul-Haq in USA

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Biased selection, mismanagement, player power and inept captaincy were the major causes of Pakistan’s flop show in the Cricket World Cup 2023 as the returning national team faces a barrage of criticism. Dishonesty was also an obvious factor which created rifts and tension among the cricketers leading to chaos and dismal performance.

The quartet Babar Azam, Shaheen Khan Afridi, Muhammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan had been running the show for the past three years. These four guys were observed working in unison as they pursued identical goals of controlling the affairs of the game. 

There was a change of guard at the headquarters of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) more than one time during this period but the unity between these four didn’t let any helmsman to implement his own vision. Different chief selectors also came and went without having the guts to contain players’ power. 

The Babar-led Pakistan outfit managed to accumulate ranking points by whipping soft opponents. The skipper himself and Rizwan scored heavily in these matches while Shaheen also performed exceptionally well with the ball. Shadab, however, was unable to deliver the goods even against these sides and fingers were being pointed at him all along. 

Yet neither the PCB Chairman nor the chief selector could do anything to displace Shadab, who form as a bowler had dipped considerably as he failed to come to terms with the demands of one-day cricket. 

Everybody knew that he didn’t deserve a place in the World Cup squad as a bowling all-rounder but nobody could throw him out because of his bonding with Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen. 

Imad Wasim was much better choice as a spinning all-rounder but it’s a common knowledge that Babar didn’t like him. Muhammad Nawaz, despite his inconsistency with bat and ball, was the preferred option and the whole world saw the humiliation caused by him at crunch moments. The decision of ignoring mystery spinner Abrar Ahmad and choosing Usama Mir was mind-boggling as well. 

What was the logic of having a reserve wicketkeeper-batter in the shape of Muhammad Haris whereas the presence of Sarfaraz Ahmed would have proved much more beneficial for the squad? But the interests of the team were compromised and the former Pakistan captain was purposely dropped as the ruling elite of four men possibly felt uncomfortable. 

Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha were drafted in the contingent at the eleventh hour. While Saud justified his selection by chipping in with little contributions there was not much opportunity for Salman to showcase his skills. Even Saud needs to learn about converting those starts into something substantial if he is to become a regular member of Pakistan’s ODI playing eleven. 

With the Pakistani batsmen, barring a couple of occasions, failing to get big scores the pressure mounted on their own bowlers who were then taken to the cleaners by the opposing power-hitters. The policy of not allowing Haris Rauf to operate with new ball didn’t make sense and heavy price was paid for it. 

The captaincy of Babar was far from impressive during the course of the tournament. He was supposed to be the pivot of the team but he disappointed all his fans as runs didn’t flow from his bat and there was hardly any element of surprise at his resignation following the debacle in India.

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Yousuf Malik, Mona Khan to represent Pakistan in Athens Marathon 2023

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Long distance runners Mohammad Yousuf Malik and Mona Khan will represent Pakistan in the upcoming 50th edition of the famous Athens Marathon 2023 due to be organized in the capital of Greece on November 11 and 12. The event is being organized by Hellenic Athletics Association (SEGAS) with Hellenic Republic Region of Attica being the co-organizers. 

The marathon races, held in the cities of New York, Boston, Berlin, Chicago and Tokyo are among the most sought-after ones but the Athens Marathon is acclaimed as the most prestigious annual event of its kind which was launched in 1972. It could not be organized in 2020 due to the pandemic of Covid-19 and now its Golden Jubilee edition is being staged this year with great fanfare. 

A record number of more than 70,000 runners from 140 countries are expected to take part in the Athens Marathon, which is traditionally held on second Sunday of every November. The participation of Pakistani marathon runners in the event augurs well for future of athletics in the country.

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Pakistan’s Shahram Changezi wins Texas Open Snooker Championship 2023

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Shahram Changezi, one of the most accomplished all-round cueists of Pakistan, added another feather to his cap by winning the recently concluded Texas Open Snooker Championship 2023 held in Houston, USA. 

The highly gifted decorated snooker, billiards and pool player once again made the nation in general and his institution National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) in particular proud by clinching the trophy in Texas. 

The event took place at the Q Billiards Hall in Houston and some of the top players from USA and other countries participated in it. 

Shahram overwhelmed Raed Shabib of Iraq in quarter-final before toppling Joey Torres of USA in semifinal and then outwitting India’s Ahmed Rauf 3-1 in the title clash to capture the trophy. 

Besides winning the championship, the Islamabad-based Shahram also earned the distinction of registering the highest break (89) of the keenly contested competition. 

On his same tour of USA, he also participated in the American 9-Ball Pool League in which 128 cueists from different parts of the world entered to showcase their skills and obtain a share in the prizemoney. He successfully demonstrated his skillset in 9-Ball Pool as well to secure third position.

Shahram's brilliant performance during his recent trip to USA should serve as a morale-booster for the talented Pakistani cueists who have the eagerness to compete in international competitions. 

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Shan best bet to replace Babar: Anwar-ul-Haq

Pakistan News & Features Services

Anwar-ul-Haq, a former cricketer turned commentator, seems absolutely clear in his mind that Babar Azam, following inconsistency and incompetence, should be removed from national captaincy across formats and the baton should be passed on to none other Shan Masood, the prolific opening batsman.

“I had been advocating for the removal of Babar long before this World Cup had started. It would be in the interest of the team if he is relieved of the leadership role and be allowed to focus on his batting which has obviously slumped in the recent past. He has been unable to do justice to his talents as a batter, having caused immeasurable harm to the Pakistan side,” Anwar, respected for his candid thoughts, remarked in a conversation with PNFS soon after Pakistan suffered an embarrassing loss against hosts India at Ahmedabad on October 14. 

“Irrespective of the fate of upcoming matches, Babar, unquestionably a world-class batsman, should be allowed to do his primary job of hitting centuries instead of dragging him in a role which doesn’t belong to him. The administrators of the game have already done great disservice to the country by having him lead the national team despite his unsuitability for the job,” the former cricketer reflected. 

“I think it’s about time to take decisions in the national interest instead of personal whims. Babar’s tactics as a captain have often been under the scanner and his insistence on shielding players of his own camp has led to chaos to numerous occasions,” Anwar felt. 

When questioned about the possible replacement for Babar, he didn’t mince words in asserting that Shan, the tall left-handed opening batsman, looked the best candidate to take over the captaincy in all three formats on the basis of his talents and record.

“In the limited opportunities having come his way over the years, Shan has proved himself to be a capable leader who is blessed with the desired qualities to take fight to the opposition. We need a captain like him who could lead from the front,” the former opening batsman emphasized. 

“I firmly believe that Shan has been victimized by people with vested interests. On the basis of his strengths, he certainly deserved to play more often for the national but he was discarded once too often after a brief dip in performance which was certainly unfair to him in particular and to the country in general,” Anwar added.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had installed him as vice-captain for the ODI home series against New Zealand but the evil forces within the team conspired to keep him out of the playing eleven. The conspirators prevailed and Shan was not allowed the space to perform,” he recalled. 

Anwar, who is credited to have mentored quite a few illustrious cricketers like the great Younis Khan, urged the PCB to appoint Shan as the captain of Pakistan team in the larger national interest as he possessed the rare potential to extract the best out of his teammates, both seniors and juniors.

"We have had enough for Babar as a captain. His record is far from satisfactory and he has to be sidelined without further delay," Anwar concluded.

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Inaugural MCW Over 40s Cricket Global Cup signs off with impressive closing ceremony

Pakistan News & Features Services

The curtain fell on the inaugural MCW Over 40s Cricket Global Cup, after a couple of weeks of fun and excitement, with an impressive closing ceremony at Hotel Pearl Continental, Karachi, on October 2. Nadeem Omar, owner of Quetta Gladiators, was the chief guest on the occasion. The tournament, contested by eight countries, had kicked off on September 19. 

Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), in his welcome address, observed that, having participated in all four previous editions of World Cup, Pakistan got the opportunity to host the Global Cup for the first time and we tried our level best to excel in every single organizational aspect to make it a memorable event for all participants and stakeholders.

“We had to change name from World Cup to Global Cup at the eleventh hour because of a special request received from the International Cricket Council (ICC). Moving forward, the ICC will not allow use of word World Cup in any future Veteran Tournaments,” he shared.

The PVCA Chairman congratulated the Pakistan team on winning the tournament, making special of five Test cricketers, Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Muhammad Sami and Hassan Raza for being part of the home squad. 

 He thanked his colleagues at the PVCA as well as the support staff for having worked tirelessly to make the tournament a success story. He acknowledged the contribution of the sponsors, the government officials and the ground authorities in making the arduous task of hosting an event of this magnitude possible despite the numerous challenges. 

Earlier in the day, the prize distribution ceremony was conducted at National Bank Stadium soon after the conclusion of the final in which Pakistan defeated West Indies by 152 runs to be crowned as world champions. Australia took third position while United States of America (USA) finished fourth. United Arab Emirates (UAE), unable to qualify for semifinals, emerged the plate champions with Hong Kong taking sixth position. Canada and Nepal ended seventh and eighth respectively. 

Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, PVCA, presented the winners’ trophy to the Pakistan skipper, Misbah-ul-Haq, who was adjudged Player of the Match in the final for his brilliant century. Muhammad Farrukh, who captained United States of America (USA), was declared Player of the tournament for his consistent all-round performance. 

Among other individual awards, Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Abdul Qadir was chosen as the best bowler of the tournament and Nepal’s opening batter Rabin Joshi was adjudged the best batsman of the tournament. Steve Paulsen of Australia and Randy Thomas of West Indies were voted as the best fielder and the best wicketkeeper of the tournament respectively. 

Pakistan’s chief selector, Ajaz Faqueih, announced a team of the tournament on the occasion which comprised of Abdul Razzaq (Pakistan), Amjad Ali (Pakistan), Rabin Joshi (Nepal), Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan), Narsingh Deonarine (West Indies), Muhammad Farrukh (USA), Randy Thomas (West Indies), Tassawar Abbas (Pakistan), Ankur Vasishta (Hong Kong), Ajay Sharma (USA), Mark Leard (Australia) and Abdul Qadir (Pakistan). Abdul Razzaq was chosen as captain with Muhammad Farrukh being his deputy. 

Nadeem Omar, owner of Quetta Gladiators, and Sameet of MCW Sports, were also present in the presentation party alongwith the PVCA functionaries Fawad Ijaz Khan (Chairman), Amer Ilyas Butt (CEO), and Amir Sarfaraz (Secretary) besides its Directors Alamgir Ahmed, Fazal Jilani, Haji Ashraf, Dr Asjad Ali and Amjad Islam.

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‘Flying Horse’ Samiullah symbolizes Pakistan’s golden era in hockey

By Syed Khalid Mahmood 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

It’s time for Samiullah Khan, the living legend of field hockey, to light another candle on his birthday cake. His name has become synonymous with Pakistan’s golden era in the national sport. The Flying Horse, most appropriately titled for his incredible speed, is always found full of energy which he has successfully retained because of his healthy habits and excellent work ethics. 

Samiullah’s mention takes us back to the 1970s and early 1980s when Pakistan ruled the hockey world. Those were the times when all other teams, including Europeans, were under the awe of the green-shirted Pakistanis for whom sky seemed to be the limit. Such was the dominance of the star-studded Pakistan outfits that they were household names wherever the sport was played. 

The team was packed with superstars but left-winger Samiullah stood out because of sheer brilliance. His lightening crosses paralyzed the most formidable of defence lines and he was simply unstoppable even when confronted by the tightest of markings. 

His remarkable ball control with enormous speed was a rare and lethal combination which allowed him to penetrate the defenders at will. With his thrilling runs, body dodges and large leaps he posed the toughest challenge for the opponents. There was indeed something magical about him which made him the most valuable player of his generation. 

Having represented the country in 155 matches, he scored 55 international goals but what the statisticians won’t be able to tell you is the fact that he was instrumental in the scoring of many more goals through his fellow forwards. He was the architect of many famous victories to leave an indelible mark on the sport. 

Irrespective of the number of medals and trophies he earned, it was his impact which created numerous scoring opportunities and paved the way for the country to register victories with unmatchable frequency. It was a pity that his solitary appearance in Olympic Games came at Montreal in 1976 as Pakistan boycotted the 1980 Olympic Games at Moscow and he was forced to hang his boots before the 1984 Olympic Games which took place at Los Angeles. 

He, however, featured in three editions of the World Cup, starting from Kuala Lumpur in 1975 where he hit headlines as Pakistan won silver medal. He continued to star in the next couple of World Cups at Buenos Aires (1978) and Bombay (1982) where Pakistan clinched gold medals. 

He enjoyed even better record in Asian Games, as the country won gold medals on all three occasions, Tehran (1974), Bangkok (1978) and New Delhi (1982). Pakistan also captured gold medal in the 1980 Champions Trophy at Karachi in his presence. 

Rather interestingly, the Indian audience in particular saw him at his very best when he was in the leadership role in two successive events. He was the vice-captain of the Pakistan team which won the World Cup at Bombay in 1982 while he was the captain of the team which annexed the Asian Games at New Delhi later the same year.

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Prokhrov pledges support to MSAP in chess promotion

By Ehsan Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Director of the Russian Centre of Science & Culture (RCSC) in Karachi, R M Prokhrov, has reiterated continued support to the mind sport of chess by hosting its various events besides providing other facilities to the participants and organizers. 

He also announced the famous Grand Master, an ex-world champion and a prolific trainer from Russia, Anatoly Karpov, will be training the Pakistan’s national masters of chess. He made these remarks while inaugurating Engro Women Training Programme being held at the RCSC, also known as Friendship House, on September 3. 

The event is being organized by the Mind Sports Association of Pakistan (MSAP) as part of its women empowerment initiatives. Around 25 women, including students from some of the prestigious educational institutions of Karachi, have enrolled for the programme. 

Tariq Rasheed Khan, CEO of MSAP, complimented Prokhrov for his support for this program and plans for arranging the Russian chess star Anatoly Karpov for training Pakistan chess masters.

Pakistan's chess star apparent, Grand Master Mahmood Lodhi, is the chief instructor with FIDE Master Omer Khan and Muhammad Waqar are both qualified trainer and coaches. The MSAP's Syed Akhtar Sami is supervising overall programme.

The MSAP, it may be recalled, was founded in 2008 for the promotion of bridge, chess and scrabble, three of the most popular mind sports in the country. The Association has held a number of events over the last 15 years beside facilitating the participation of the players in international events. 

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Younis, Sarfaraz face discrimination from PCB once more

By Naeem-ul-Haq in USA 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), seemingly as a part of its promotions ahead of the upcoming Cricket World Cup 2023, compiled and released a video, showcasing the high moments in history on the eve of the 76th Independence Day celebrations. Its contents have already resulted in causing lots of resentment and controversies. 

Initially the PCB was slammed for ignoring Imran Khan, the triumphant skipper of the World Cup 1992. Since he is a former Prime Minister besides being one of the greatest-ever all-rounders of the game, with a huge fan following globally, there was uproar and criticism from every nook and corner of the world. 

Omitting the World Cup winning captain on political grounds was indeed shameful and the PCB was forced to edit the video and release a new one which included his images. But a couple of more glaring omissions have not been rectified yet, which is very disappointing for those who love the game the most earnestly. 

How could the history of Pakistan cricket remain complete without mentioning the accomplishments of Younis Khan and Sarfaraz Ahmed? Yet they have been deprived of this honour of featuring in the video highlighting Pakistan’s conquests in the cricket field. Younis, as we all know, is the only other World Cup winning captain of Pakistan.

If Imran was the skipper of the team which brought home the title in 1992 it was Younis, under whose leadership, Pakistan had won the World Twenty20 Championship in 2009. Isn’t it strange that one World Cup winner becomes the Prime Minister of the country and the other one is denied the kind of respect and recognition he deserves?

Younis holds national records for the highest number of Test runs as well as centuries. He won numerous matches for the country. He led the team with distinction. But he was victimized in his playing days and the same trend has continued all along. Since he is brutally honest and straightforward, who always believed in let his bat to do all the talking, he has often been sidelined from limelight. Those in the corridors of power have generally been reluctant to interact with him because he takes pride in calling a spade a spade. 

Sarfaraz has also been meted out step-motherly treatment all along despite having exceptional record both as a player and as a captain of the national team. He had led the country to title victory in the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017. Earlier he was also the captain of the Pakistan team which annexed the ICC Youth World Cup. 

Pakistan remained the top ranked team in T20 rankings for two and a half years when Sarfaraz, an enterprising wicketkeeper-batsman, was at the helm of the affairs. He is credited to have blooded and groomed the youngsters like Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Khan Afridi and Fakhar Zaman who have gone on to become world-class performers. 

Both Younis and Sarfaraz have done wonders for the country, Any documentary of Pakistan cricket will be deemed incomplete without their mention. The PCB must re-edit the video to include both of them because they deserve to be there. The heroes are meant to be respected and admired, not humiliated or insulted.

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Controversial ball change spoils Ashes finale: Is this cricket?

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Ashes 2023 produced high quality entertainment for the cricket fans as all five Test matches between England and Australia witnessed fierce battles for supremacy and probably it was in the fitness of things that the series was drawn in the end although the home fans were left to rue the rain-affected fourth Test in which the visitors were fighting hard to avoid a crushing defeat. 

There were a lot of headliners in the decisive fifth and final Test at the Kia Oval but the on-field umpires Joel Wilson of the West Indies and Kumar Dharmasena became the centre of controversy for their decision of changing the ball in the 37th over of Australia’s second innings. 

The replacement ball brought about a dramatic change in England’s fortunes and the struggling bowlers soon became lethal to alter complexion of the game. It became obvious that the changed ball was significantly harder and newer than the ball that had been used previously. The vastly experienced English bowlers, hungry for success, fully exploited the situation and Australia, until then firmly in control, lost their 10 wickets in 58.3 overs after the ball change. England managed to win the game after being in serious danger of losing it for all money. 

Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain, who was watching the action from the commentators’ box, could not hide his displeasure and shock even on camera. "The biggest concern I have is the big discrepancy in the condition of the ball that was chosen to replace the one that had gone out of shape. There's no way in the world you can even look at those two balls there and say in any way are they comparable,” he complained in a live television interview. 

"At the end of the day, if you are going to change the ball, you want to make sure that you get it right, so you make it as close as you possibly can to the one that you're changing it from. Now if you have a look in that box, there weren't too many older-condition balls in there. There were some older ones that were picked up, the umpires looked at that and threw them back,” he pointed out. 

"I just cannot fathom how two international umpires that have done that a lot of times before can get that so wrong. That is a huge moment in this game, potentially a huge moment in the Test match, and something I think actually has to be investigated: whether there was the right condition of balls in the box, or the umpires have just, blasé, picked one out of there that they think will be okay to use," Ponting lashed out.

"The conditions were perfect for bowling this morning, let's say that. The conditions were better for bowling this morning. But what I saw last night, that ball there, I'll put my hand up and say I've got absolutely no doubt at all that that ball would not have done anywhere near as much as what that one did this morning. Double the amount of movement this morning from yesterday afternoon, seam movement and swing. I think it's a huge blunder that needs to be investigated," he elaborated.

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Syed Foundation, R & D Foundation join hands for sports promotion

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Syed Foundation and Research & Development Foundation have joined hands for sports promotion and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this this regard was inked between their top officials at Hotel Mehran, Karachi, on June 18. 

Syed Wasim Hashmi, President, Syed Foundation, and Ashfaq Ahmad Soomro, Director, Research & Development Foundation, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organizations in a simple but graceful ceremony. 

Wasim Hashmi, in his introductory address, briefed the audience about the aims and objectives of Syed Foundation which was established three years ago with initial activities revolving around arranging food and shelter for handicapped and less privileged persons. 

He recalled that Syed Foundation, with the collaboration of Research & Development Foundation and Alamgir Welfare Trust, had reached out the masses in the flood affected areas of interior of Sindh to provide ration of food, drinking water and medicine. 

Ashfaq Soomro, in his speech, revealed that Research & Development Foundation had facilitated nearly three and a half lacs persons in 10 districts of Sindh during their flood relief initiatives. 

He felt that the activities of Research & Development Foundation and Syed Foundation, besides other non-governmental organizations, helped the flood affected people enormously in moving them to safer places where they were looked after in the best possible manner. 

Ashfaq Soomro was of the opinion that the joint venture of Research & Development Foundation and Syed Foundation will bring smiles faces on the faces of many people who deserve assistance and support in their rehabilitation after having endured traumas. 

Shaikh Nisar Ahmad, Chairman, Alamgir Welfare Trust, expressed similar sentiments and urged the like-minded NGOs to engage into such kind of activities to reach wider audience and bring about positive changes in their lives. 

The other speakers, sharing their thoughts on the occasion, also reflected on multiple benefits of working jointly to achieve bigger goals.

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Cricket statistician Aziz Rehmatullah’s demise signals end of an era

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The death of Aziz Rehmatullah, a veteran cricket statistician, on June 16 has found marginal space in a few national dailies of Pakistan. He certainly merited better sendoff at the strength of his overwhelming contributions to the game which is loved by millions in the country. 

The 81-year-old Aziz Bhai, as he was popularly known in the cricket circles, indeed remained one of the unsung heroes whose love affair with the sport lasted lifetime. His statistical pieces, which he compiled with incredible passion, caught the imagination of a large number of readers besides having inspired budding writers immensely. 

His compilations had started seeing light of the day in the 1970s as his statistical works got published in various national and international magazines and periodicals. He rose around the same time when Gul Hameed Bhatti was making his mark from the platform of The Cricketer Pakistan which joined soon after its launch in 1972. 

Gul Hameed Bhatti and Aziz Rehmatullah could be described as the pioneers of cricket statistics in Pakistan. While Aziz Rehmatullah pursued a full-time job as accountant at a private company to make his ends meet for nearly quarter of a century, Gul Hameed Bhatti had the opportunity of earning his entire livelihood by writing and editing cricket literature. 

Despite limited time at his disposal, Aziz Rehmatullah wrote, compiled and produced books regularly. In the company of his friend Haji Abdul Razzaque, also a cricket enthusiast who had great love for collecting books and magazines, he brought out a quarterly magazine by the name of Cricket World. The magazine was rich in content but it couldn’t become a successful business model and was closed down after just a few years despite promising much. 

Aziz Rehmatullah, who never looked short of energy, re-entered magazine publishing in 1986 when he launched Cricket Herald with the legendary Javed Miandad being its Chief Editor. Their partnership couldn’t last long with the batting maestro choosing to part ways early. Then he tied knock with the Original 'Little Master' Hanif Mohammad but this marriage of convenience also failed. 

Taking a leaf out of books of Hanif Mohammad and Javed Miandad, both of whom were known and respected the world over for their gritty batting against the deadliest of bowling attacks, Aziz Rehmatullah showed tremendous resilience by continuing the publication of Cricket Herald whose subsequent Urdu edition brought greater financial rewards. 

The hurricane which followed Pakistan’s tame surrender in the 1999 World Cup final at Lord’s also blew away Cricket Herald and even the great Aziz Rehmatullah was unable to put the pieces together despite his numerous attempts. The abrupt closure of the magazine was obviously a massive shock for the ageing statistician. 

His books also stopped coming as the years took its toll and he preferred to work from home much earlier than the world in general was forced to do it with the outbreak of Covid-19. On the basis of his accomplishments, he deserved far greater recognition than what came his way in his lifetime. Hopefully he would be compensated posthumously with an award at the national level as we have had numerous such precedents.

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Sarfaraz Ahmed merits ODI selection after phenomenal Test comeback

By Naeem-ul-Haq in USA 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

It’s an open secret that Sarfaraz Ahmed has had to battle harder than normal cricketers in any part of the world to retain his place in the national team across formats. Despite having exceptional track record he has been forced to prove his worth time and again. This boy of steely nerves from Karachi deserves to be praised lavishly for having silenced his critics with performances more than once in his international career. 

After his fairytale comeback in the Test arena only a few months ago it was logical to have him in the limited overs matches as well, particularly One-day Internationals where accomplished batsmen like him are more likely to deliver than dashers or power hitters. Not surprisingly, he is being treated harshly once more. 

It’s mind-boggling to find his name still missing in the scheme of things for the ODI line-up. The kind of awesome form and fitness he displayed in the Test series against New Zealand had made him an automatic choice for the ODIs but for some strange reasons, which include petty politics, he was been kept on the sidelines once more. 

It will be fair to say that Sarfaraz, having the scores of 86, 53, 78 and 118 in four successive innings, was chiefly responsible for saving the two-Test home series against New Zealand. He was adjudged Man of the Match in the second Test and was also the unanimous choice for Man of the Series award. What more could have he done in his comeback series? 

He was scoring consistently in first-class cricket all along and yet he was kept out of the Test side for four years which can only be described as madness and nothing else. Quite remarkably Waqar Younis, as evidenced by his comments on air, was still not impressed with the accomplishments of the guy he had tormented or even victimized when he was the national coach. 

He was the man, alongwith skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, to have prevented him from playing in the early part of the 2015 World Cup. Sarfaraz was kept out of the playing eleven and it had needed the intervention of the then PCB chief, Shaharyar Khan, to get him in. The rest is history as we all know. 

Now another lobby with vested interests seems proactive in creating more hurdles for Sarfaraz to demoralize him. With the 2023 World Cup not very far away, these elements will be eager to keep him away from the squad. It is upto the PCB top brass to ensure fair chance to the man who made them proud with outstanding performance on Test return not very long ago. 

With Micky Arthur returning, there’s greater hope of justice being done with Sarfaraz as he definitely merits selection in the ODI outfit and should be a part and parcel of the squad for the next couple of years at least. His expertise and experience are too precious to be ignored. 

It’s a sheer nonsense to suggest that only one wicketkeeper-batsman can be a part of the playing eleven. Many teams are having more than one such all-rounder and they are getting the results. Therefore keeping Sarfaraz out of the team on the pretext of having someone else around for the same role makes no sense. He should be in the ODI team. No question about it.

Sarfaraz is very much needed in the Pakistan XI because he has mastered the art of accumulating runs. He remains an exceptional wicketkeeper whose batting prowess is the much-needed insurance for the national team which has often struggled in putting runs on the board.

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Draws of KG Ramazan Cricket Tournament 2023 taken out

Pakistan News & Features Services

The draws for the upcoming 36th edition of the Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Cricket Tournament 2023, due to commence on the first day of the holy month, were taken out in the presence of the representatives of the participating teams on March 15. 

The simple but graceful ceremony of taking out draws was held at the cricket ground of the Gymkhana with its Convenor Sports, Rizwan Umer, who is also the Tournament Director, conducting the session. The club’s Secretary Cricket, Muhammad Hussain, and cricket captain, Taha Zindani, were also present on the occasion alongwith Athar Khan, Omair Shaikh, Syed Khalid Mahmood, Masood Ahmed and Rashid Aslam who attended as observers. 

The 12 participating teams have been divided equally in three groups for the preliminary rounds. At the end of the league matches the two teams from each of three groups will advance to the knockout phase, alongwith the two of the third placed teams with higher net run rates. 

According to the draws, Karachi Gymkhana Whites and Karachi Gymkhana Blues have been penciled in the Group A alongwith Ashfaq Memorial Club and N N Strikers while the Group B features Quetta Cricket Club, Rangoonwala Cricket Club, Chaudhary Sports and Greeno. The Group C comprises of Omar Associates, Sony Associates, Faizan Steel and Heroes Cricket Club. 

Although the details about the event are set to be unveiled in a media briefing next week, it was confirmed that the cricket sub-committee of the club has decided to offer a handsome prize money of over Rupees two million in the upcoming event. The total cash prizes are expected to exceed Rupees two million which will be disbursed among the outstanding performers which includes cash bonus for winning teams as well attractive cash awards for individual high-achievers. 

Launched in the mid-1980s, the KG Ramazan Festival has gone on to become the leading cricket tournament of the country to be held during the holy month as lots of leading cricketers of the day have been participating in it from time to time. 

“The KG Ramazan Festival has been our marquee event for more than three and a half decades now and we will continue trying our level best to keep adding value to it to maintain the high standards we have set for it,” Rizwan Umer, Convenor Sports and Tournament Director, remarked in a brief chat. 

The tournament has an added personal significance to Rizwan Umer because his father, Iqbal Umer, who holds the unique distinction of getting elected unopposed as the Gymkhana’s President, was one of the founders the Ramazan Festival Cricket Tournament.

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Pakistan’s runners shine in Dubai Marathon

Pakistan News & Features Services

A bunch of marathoner teams from Pakistan prominently the Wednesday Night Pacer (WNP) group from Karachi and Born2run-Pakistan team members stole the limelight in the recently held Dubai Marathon 2023 held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on February 12. 

Amin Mukaty, Abdul Rahman and Danish Raza, Founder of WNP, stood at the top by showing outstanding performance while Born2Run-Pakistan which was spearheaded by Marathon Man ‘Muhammad Yousuf’ won the medal by completing the race in four hours and 15 minutes. 

The enthusiastic marathon runner Yousuf was thrilled by his own performance and those of his teammates and other compatriots who came good in the desert.

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Syed Khalid Mahmood’s enlightening author session at Habib Public School

Pakistan News & Features Services

It was in the fitness of things that Habib Public School (HPS), one of the iconic educational institutions of the country, chose to invite Syed Khalid Mahmood, who holds the record of penning the highest number of sports books in Pakistan, for the Author Session during their recently concluded Library Week. 

The school Principal, Minhas Tejani, summed up the session most appropriately by complimenting the author to have kept the students and teachers totally involved and absorbed in the proceedings which lasted just an hour. 

The author, after being presented souvenir and certificate on behalf of the school, was showered with praise for having enlightened the audience by sharing his invaluable thoughts, anecdotes and experiences in an impressive manner. 

“We had known Syed Khalid Mahmood as an eminent journalist and author, having read his numerous articles and books but today we discovered him as a versatile speaker too. I am confident that everyone having attended this session got an opportunity to learn through his expertise,” the HPS Principal acknowledged. 

The session began at the auditorium of HPS with the recitation of Holy Quran. A documentary, prepared under the supervision of the school’s Library Manager, Rubina Merchant, highlighting the accomplishments of the author in brief, was shown at the beginning before his formal introduction with the audience. 

Syed Khalid Mahmood, in an effort to keep the interest of the students alive throughout the session, kept moving and engaged the students frequently in his talk on the subject of benefits of reading sports books. 

The half an hour speech was followed by an interactive session of almost the same length of time. Both the segments drew warm applause from those in attendance. The author made special mention of the high-achievers of HPS, particular in the field of sports. He talked about Test cricketer Shoaib Muhammad and hockey greats Sohail Abbas and Safdar Abbas besides others. 

The students impressed the author with their knowledge about sports in particular while he was thrilled to come across the high level of their awareness about the latest events. The active involvement of the participants also reflected their desire to learn new things in life.

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PVCA assured PCB support for staging inaugural Over-40 World Cup

Pakistan News & Features Services

The Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) has been assured total support by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in holding the inaugural Over-40 World Cup Cricket Tournament in Karachi later this year. 

The assurance was given by Najam Sethi, Chairman, PCB Management Committee, during his one-to-one meeting with the PVCA Chairman, Fawad Ijaz Khan, which was held in Karachi on February 16. The PVCA helmsman expressed his pleasure at having held what he considered to be a fruitful meeting with the high-profile PCB chief.

“I shared with him the details of the Over-40 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Karachi September 23 to October 8 this years in which a total of 14 countries will be participating with 56 matches to be played at eight different grounds of the city,” Fawad Ijaz disclosed in a brief chat with PNFS.

“After going through our plans and seeking details on some organizational aspects, the PCB Chairman was kind enough to appreciate the efforts of our body and he agreed in principle to fully support the event,” the PVCA Chairman added. 

He explained the various points of this year’s Over-40 World Cup, in which many star players have confirmed participation, as well as the other activities of the PVCA both at the domestic as well international levels in a meeting that lasted around one hour. The PCB chief was also briefed about the preparations for team which will be traveling to Cape Town, South Africa, next month to participate in the Over-50 World Cup 2023. 

Najam Sethi, known for his proactive approach, commended the initiatives of the PVCA for efficiently conducting a broad array of activities, including organizing the Inter-School Cricket Tournaments. He applauded the World Cup winning Pakistan Over-60 team which lifted the trophy in Brisbane in September 2022.

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National Bank’s support revives Pakistan snooker

By Syed Khalid Mahmood 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Although the top officials of the sports division of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) were unable to respond to the queries concerning their high-profile consultant, Wasim Akram, a former Pakistan cricket captain, they came to the rescue of the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) by sponsoring the latest edition of the Nationals which was organized at the NBP Sports Complex in Karachi from December 28 to January 3. 

In the question-answer session during its media briefing held at the Karachi Club Annexe on December 24, the NBP functionaries had politely regretted the query regarding Wasim Akram who has been associated with the bank’s sports division as consultant for the last few years with his terms and conditions or job description having been kept as ‘secrets’ by their management.

The financial support to the tune of Rupees four million provided by the bank, however, to the cash-starved PBSA enabled the cue sports body to revive their domestic events and the NBP 47th National Snooker Championship 2023 was held successfully. 

The duo of Arif Taherbhoy and Naved Kapadia once more met the challenge of managing the event at skillfully and diligently. They were duly recognized for their organizational efforts. 

Mudassir Inamullah Khan, SVP/Divisional Head, NBP, and Kamran Khalid, SVP/Wing Head NBP, had done the honours on behalf of the bank by presenting the sponsorship cheque of Rupees four million to Jawed Karim, President, PBSA, at the end of the media briefing. Ali Asghar Valika, Patron-in-Chief of PBSA, alongwith other office-bearers of the association were also present on the occasion. 

Meanwhile Rehmat Ali Hasnie, President, NBP, was the chief guest in the prsentation ceremony in which a record prizemoney of Rs 525,000 was disbursed among the top performers. He presented a handsome purse of Rs two lacs to Sultan Muhammad with the winner’s trophy while runner-up Shan Naimat was awarded Rs one lac. Shahid Aftab collected a cash award of Rs 25,000 for registering the highest break (141) of the championship. 

Alamgir Anwar Shaikh, Chairman, PBSA, in his welcome address, acknowledged the support of all the stakeholders in promoting cue sports despite the crunch situation. The top officials of the PBSA as well as the NBP sports division were in attendance during the prize distribution ceremony. 

The one-week event witnessed plethora of upsets leading to the elimination of all eight seeded cueists before the title clash in which unseeded Sultan Muhammad, belonging to Sindh, emerged triumphant over Shah Naimat, a qualifier from Islamabad, in the final. 

With the fancied cueists have exited earlier, a new national champion was set to be crowned on January 3 as both the combatants were making their maiden appearance in the final of the National Snooker Championship. 

It turned out to be a fiercely fought duel and the 40-year old Sultan Muhammad won it 7-5 with the frame scores of 69-58, 16-105, 86-24, 4-85, 21-72, 32-70, 69-30, 61-39, 56-21, 62-41, 53-66, 69-0. 

Unsurprisingly both the finalists were engaged in safety first approach for the most part of an encounter lasting nearly seven and a half hours. The 28-year-old Shan Naimat broke the shackles occasionally with a break of 95 in the second frame and then chalking up another classy break of 85 a couple of frames later.

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