9th PVCA/EBM Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2018 starts from October 11

By Syed Khalid Mahmood 
(Pakistan News &  Features Services) 

 A total of 32 teams, including eight government schools, will be participating in the 9th PVCA/EBM Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2018 being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) and sponsored by English Biscuit Manufacturers (Pvt) Ltd (EBM), the manufacturers of Peek Freans Biscuits. 

The details about the tournament, to be spread over a couple of months during which a total 55 matches are scheduled to be held, were unveiled in a media briefing by Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, PVCA, Nadeem Omar, President, Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), and Shahzain Munir, Director, New Product Development, EBM, at the Karachi Gymkhana on October 9.

Ijaz Faqih and Sadiq Mohammad were the Test cricketers present on the occasion alongwith officials of the PVCA, functionaries of the sponsors and representatives of the participating schools.

It was announced that the tournament will be inaugurated by Younis Khan, a former Pakistan captain, in a colourful ceremony at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on October 11 and it will be followed by the opening match between Falconhouse Grammar School and St Paul School. 

Fawad Ijaz Khan, in his speech, shared the role of the PVCA in the promotion of cricket at the grassroots level, as the association was now holding ninth edition of the Inter-School Tournament in Karachi, having launched it in 1999. 

“We had conceived the Inter-School tournament on the pattern of the Ruby Shield, which used to be the premier tournament of its kind and it’s still talked about with great awe. We have been successfully holding it after every two years but now it’s our goal to organize every year,” the PVCA Chairman stated. 

He noted with satisfaction that the present Pakistan captain, Sarfraz Ahmed, and the current internationals like Asad Shafiq and Anwar Ali were products of the Inter-School Tournament, launched by the PVCA. 

He complimented Khawar Masood Butt, Chairman of EBM’s Board of Directors and a former cricketer, for having joined hands with the PVCA and assuring long-term support to school cricket. 

Fawad Ijaz Khan hoped that both the semifinals as well as the final of the 9th PVCA/EBM Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2018, to be telecast live nationally and internationally, will be staged at the National Stadium, Karachi, as was done previously. 

 “We have an understanding with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that the National Stadium will be made available to us if the ongoing maintenance work for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was completed earlier,” he added. 

Meanwhile the PVCA, with an eye on promoting the game in every segment of the society, has made greater efforts to facilitate the government schools. 

“We have not only ensured the participation of eight schools in the tournament but we have also arranged for them kits and gears free of cost,” the PVCA Chairman disclosed. 

Nadeem Omar, President, KCCA, paid glowing tribute to the functionaries of the PVCA on organizing the Inter-Schools Tournament in Karachi for the ninth time in 18 years. 

“It’s quite an extraordinary achievement by all standards. Full credit is due to Fawad Ijaz Khan and his team for having worked with missionary zeal over the years. They have performed momentous task,” the KCCA President applauded. 

Nadeem Omar didn’t mince words in stating that the PCB, utilizing its resources and outreach, should take the responsibility of organizing Inter-School tournaments all over the country on a regular basis. 

“The youth of the country needs to be motivated towards cricket and other sports. More playgrounds are needed to be developed on an urgent basis and sports must be developed from the grassroots level,” he reckoned. 

Shahzain Munir, Director, New Product Development, EBM, welcomed the initiative of the PVCA of holding Inter-School Cricket Tournament, indicating that his company would be willing to sponsor it in future as well. 

“EBM, founded in 1966, has been supportive of sports and other healthy activities since its inception. We have been promoted cricket at all levels over the years and we are prepared to extend the sporting legacy of its founder Khawar Masood Butt, who had played for Pakistan Eaglets against England in 1954,” he declared. 

Meanwhile the participating teams of the 9th PVCA/EBM Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2018 have been divided equally in eight groups. 

The Group A comprises of Falconhouse Grammar School, St Paul School, Aga Khan Secondary School and Major Ziauddin Secondary School while the Group B contains Kamran Public School, Nasra Secondary School, Superior Educational academy and GBSS Mumtaz Firdaus Colony. 

The Group C features New Standard Secondary School, Hira Foundation School, Zeeshan secondary School and GBSS Korangi No 3 while the Group D is composed of Fahad Academy, CAA School, Fahim School Systed and GBSS Bilal Colony. 

The quartet of Qamar Bin Hashim School, Oasis English Secondary School, Oxford Grammar School and Ibrahim Ali Bhai Secondary School constitute the Group E while the Group F has the presence of Happy Palace School, Beaconhouse School System, Behbud Secondary School and GBSS Anglo Oriental. 

The Group G includes Al Fatima School, City School Network, Happy Home School and GBSS Shoaib Muhammadi while the four teams in the Group H are St Patrick’s High School, Foundation Public School, FF Public School and Zaheer Public School. 

At the end of the league matches, the leaders of all the eight groups will be advancing to the knockout stage of the competition, starting with the quarter-finals on November 26. The semifinals on December 14 and 15 will be followed by the final on December 16.

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Asghar Valika praises Muhammad Bilal for winning Asian 10-Red snooker

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Chairman of the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), Ali Asghar Valika, has felicitated Pakistan’s Muhammad Bilal on emerging triumphant in the inaugural ACBS Asian Tour 10-Red Snooker Tournament in Doha, Qatar.

Having himself headed the Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (ACBS) for two successive terms, Valika also congratulated the present office-bearers of the continental body to have launched the Asian Ranking Tour 10-Red Snooker Championship. 

“It’s really heartening to have a Pakistani cueist winning such a prestigious tournament. It augurs well for the future of cue sports in Pakistan and here is another opportunity for the PBSA to move on with renewed enthusiasm,” he observed in a brief chat at the Karachi Club. 

After successful launch of World Team Cup of Snooker, the International Billiards & Snooker Federation (IBSF) and the ACBS have jointly introduced the new format of 10-Reds Snooker. The new format is being played in a series of three championships during September-October 2018.

The first event in this regard was staged at the QBSF Snooker Academy in Doha, Qatar, from September 26 to 29 and it was clinched by one of Pakistan’s premier cueists, Muhammad Bilal, who earned a handsome purse of US$12,000 with the trophy. 

The Pakistani cueist was absolutely brilliant in the final as he outplayed Brendan O'Donoghue of Ireland 6-1 with the frame scores of 46-42, 36-48, 47-1, 67-1, 54-23, 55-0, 59-4. 

Bilal has remained one of the top cueists of the country, having impressed with his potting and break-building abilities in particular.

A total of 24 cueists were invited for this year’s Ranking Tour with six of them belonging to Asia, two each from Europe, Africa and Oceania and two cueists from each host countries. 

The total prize money in each championship will be U$$40,000 with the winner to receive US$12,000 and the runner-up to get US$6,000.

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Younis Khan feted by Global Sports

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Younis Khan, one of the greatest-ever batsman to be produced by Pakistan, was feted recently by the Global Sports, a non-profit organization incorporated in the US, for having reached the milestone of 10,000 runs in Test cricket.

Although the batting maestro had retired from international cricket soon after having attained the unique honour in the Caribbean last year, Younis was belatedly honoured by the US-based entity in his hometown, Karachi. 

Naeem-ul-Haq, a former cricketer and now a qualified coach, having relocated to the US, presented the award to Younis on behalf of the Global Sports in a simple but graceful ceremony during his current visit to Karachi. 

“We had originally planned presenting this award to the great Younis Khan in the West Indies when he had earned the coveted distinction of becoming the first Pakistani to get to the magical figure of 10,000 Test runs. Better late than never and we have finally done it,” Naeem remarked on the occasion. 

Naeem, who happens to be one of the ardent supporters of Younis, described him as a living legend.

“For some reason or the other, he didn’t get the recognition he so richly deserved. Throughout his career he silenced his critics with his bat. He was a man of few words but he scored heavily most of the times to prove his critics wrong time and again,” Naeem complimented. 

“The records of Younis speak for themselves. He scored no less than 10,099 runs in 118 Test matches which include as many as 34 centuries. His career batting average of 52.05 was phenomenal. In fact he remains the highest runs-getter as well as the scorer of the highest number of Test centuries for Pakistan. Yet he was subjected to undue pressure which ultimately motivated him to perform even better,” he added. 

Younis, in his brief remarks, thanked the Global Sports for having recognized his efforts by presenting him an award. He lauded the role of the Michigan-based organization in promoting cricket in US and he also expressed the desire to participate in the next year’s Diversity Cup Cricket Tournament.

“Every single effort made for the promotion of cricket in any part of the world has to be commended. It’s very encouraging to find dedicated cricket lovers taking the time out for the game that’s so dear to their heart,” Younis stated. 

Anwar-ul-Haq, who mentored Younis in the early part of his career, was also present in the ceremony. 

“Younis has been a quick learner from the outset. He always took his lessons very seriously and he was never afraid of working hard. That’s why he went from strength to strength in international cricket, overcoming all the challenges with his will power allied with sound technique,” Anwar, who coached Younis at the Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) where both of them were employed together, observed. 

Younis has continued to hold Anwar in high esteem, recalling with affection their companionship at the MCB, an institution which used to take pride in nurturing young talent.

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Asghar Valika advocates for raise in snooker rewards

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The man chiefly responsible for taking snooker to its present day status in Pakistan, Ali Asghar Valika, has advocated for raise in the rewards for the high achievers of cue sports.

The Chairman of the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), Asghar Valika, has not minced words in stating that a modest sum of Rupees five thousand was too meager for the highest break of a national ranking event involving the participation of the top cueists of the country. 

He was referring to the recently concluded Jubilee Insurance Ranking Snooker Championship 2018 in which all Muhammad Majid Ali received was a paltry amount of Rs five thousand for his efforts of chalking up the highest break of the one-week event. 

“In my opinion the highest break award of a national ranking tournament should not be less than Rs 20,000 in the current scenario,” he reckoned. Asghar Valika also advised the Executive Committee of the PBSA to consider raising the prize money and other incentives for the cueists starting from the coming year (2019).

“I will propose the PBSA to submit new proposals to the sponsors whereby the amount of prize money may be segregated. We must realize that with the rising inflation we need to keep increasing the rewards for our cueists in order to boost their spirits,” he added. 

Having headed the PBSA with distinction for a couple of decades, Asghar Valika also expected the present government to be more sports friendly as it’s being headed by a former Pakistan cricket captain, Imran Khan. 

“The government support is essential for sports like snooker which has been bringing laurels for the country from time to time. Further there should be a consistency in the policy towards the reimbursement of award money and the deserving athletes, earning glories, should not be made to run from pillar to post to receive them,” he observed. 

“The Prime Minister, being a sportsman himself, will be advised to announce a clear-cut policy for the rewards for winning the various medals and the concerned Ministry may be directed to comply it in letter and spirit,” the PBSA Chairman concluded.

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Asif, Babar to represent Pakistan in IBSF World Snooker Championship 2018

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The duo of Babar Masih and Muhammad Asif, by virtue of being the top two cueists of the country in the latest national ranking chart, will be representing Pakistan in the IBSF World Snooker Championship 2018 due to be staged at Yangon, Myanmar, from November 18 to 26. 

The confirmation was made by Munawwar Hussain Shaikh, President, Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), during his speech in the prize distribution ceremony of the Jubilee Insurance Ranking Snooker Championship 2018 at the Karachi Gymkhana on September 17. 

Babar, who also became the top ranked cueist of Pakistan, by winning the Jubilee event, will be making his second appearance in the World Snooker Championship while Asif, only the second Pakistani to have annexed the world crown, gets yet another opportunity to have a crack at the showpiece event. 

It may be recalled that together Babar and Asif had won Pakistan the IBSF World Team Championship 2017 at Hurghada, Egypt, last year. Playing as Pakistan-2, they had overcome compatriots Pakistan-1, comprising of Asjad Iqbal and Muhammad Sajjad, in the epic all-Pakistan final. 

Babar and Asif have been the most prolific cueists on Pakistan during the current year in a period where the likes of Sajjad, Asjad and Muhammad Bilal have endured lean patch.

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Unbeaten Babar Masih regains Jubilee Ranking snooker title

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Second seed Babar Masih regained the title by toppling unseeded Asif Toba in the all-Punjab final of the Jubilee Insurance Ranking Snooker Championship 2018 at the Karachi Gymkhana on September 17. The Rawalpindi-based Babar overpowered Asif, coming from the city of Toba Tek Singh, 8-5 in the best of 15-frame final with the scores being 44-82, 51-69, 63-48, 114-16, 102-19, 65-20, 9-98, 16-60, 111-8, 26-88, 107-27, 62-35, 52-7.

Babar extended his awesome form to regain the title he had first annexed in 2016. He remained undefeated in the week-long event, contested by 24 top cueists of the country. He notched up a couple of century breaks and missed one narrowly in the final which demonstrated him being on top of his game. 

It was Toba, however, who drew the first blood in the final. In fact he managed to double his lead with an impressive break of 63 in the second frame. 

Unperturbed at being 0-2 down, Babar entered the third frame in the typically calm manner of his and won it after a close fight. He bamboozled his opponent with a sizzling break of 100 in the fourth frame which restored parity in the game. 

Another cracking break of 91 in the very next frame saw him go 3-2 up. Toba was unable to come to terms with the rampaging Babar in the sixth frame either but delivered the goods in the next couple of frame to reduce the deficit to just frame. 

Once again Babar retaliated with a big break of 111 which put him back to two-frame lead. Toba refused to give up, chalking up a fluent break of 73 to keep the contest alive. But Babar was not frightened and he didn’t let his rival come close again. Starting with a break of 86 in the 11th frame, he also pocketed the next two frames to seal the fate of the match.

The mercurial Babar, who looked a picture of confidence all along, had emerged triumphant in all those matches of his which went to full distance. He wasn’t stretched that much in the final though. 

Earlier Babar had staged a magnificent comeback to overcome holder Muhammad Asif 6-5 in the all-Punjab semifinal with the frame scores of 55-14, 27-73, 57-61, 8-75, 1-70, 24-76, 59-47, 65-45, 88-31, 80-14, 74-1 while Toba, from Punjab, knocked over Sharjeel of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 43-57, 61-54, 87-13, 28-90, 26-60, 46-66, 80-0, 57-14, 77-49. 

Babar became richer by Rs one lac as he collected the winner’s trophy alongwith the six-digit purse from Tahir Ahmed, Managing Director, Jubilee General Insurance, who was the chief guest in the prize distribution ceremony which was also telecast live.

Runner-up Toba received a sum of Rs forty thousand with the runner-up trophy while the losing semifinalists, Muhammad Asif and Sharjeel Mahmood, got Rs 20,000 each and Muhammad Majid Ali was awarded a cash prize of Rs 5,000 for registering the highest break (118) of the championship. 

Tahir Ahmed, representing the sponsors, expressed the delight at the rising standard of snooker in the country and he hoped that greater efforts will be made in future to attract the teenagers as well as the women to cue sports. 

The top officials of the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), Munawwar Hussain and Alamgir Anwar Shaikh, and the President of Karachi Gymkhana, Akbar Iqbal Puri, also spoke on the occasion.

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Asghar Valika desires Asif to perform well in Jubilee Insurance Ranking Snooker

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Chairman of the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), Ali Asghar Valika, has desired title winning performance from ace cueist in the ongoing Jubilee Insurance Ranking Snooker Championship 2018 to let him have another go in the IBSF World Snooker 2018 to be held in Myanmar later this year. 

With the PBSA having decided to send the top two cueists in the national ranking chart, to be issued after this event, in the World Championship, Asghar Vailka felt that it was in Pakistan’s interest to have Asif in the team. 

“Asif is currently the top ranked cueist of the country as well as the defending champion in the ongoing tourney at the Karachi Gymkhana. Although he may still make it to the World Championship by securing a place in the semifinals, it would be an icing on the cake if he retains the title. That's why I wish him all the best in this particular national tournament” the PBSA Chairman stated.

“Asif, who is only 36, stands a very good chance of capturing the world title for the second time. He had done it in style in 2012 and there’s no reason why he can’t do it again. He seems to be in possession of all the ingredients of becoming the world champion once more,” Asghar Valika, who headed the PBSA with distinction for a couple of decades, reckoned. 

“During the last six years he has had his share of ups and downs but as they say form is temporary and class is permanent. He has come close to winning the World Championship a second time in the past as well but he has looked in the form of his life which makes me believe that he could do it this time,” he added. 

“It’s indeed a blessing to have a crop of youngsters seriously challenging Asif in the national tournaments but personally I feel that he among all our present day cueists he stands the best chance of bringing home the world crown,” the PBSA Chairman concluded.

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Najam Sethi should have been allowed to continue helming PCB; Arif Abbasi better choice than Ehsan Mani

By Syed Khalid Mahmood 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The challenges to Imran Khan, the Prime Minister, may be far too many. As he has been quoted as admitting repeatedly and publicly that he has fast becoming sick of the problems coming to his knowledge during the presentations he has had from the various Ministries and departments after assuming office with full of promises. 

The one area where Prime Minister Imran being expected to deliver is cricket, the game which has earned him fame and fortune. Arguably the greatest and the most gifted cricketer ever to have played for Pakistan, his passion for cricket is known to everyone. 

Najam Sethi, instead of going to courts, chose to resign as Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as Imran prepared to take oath as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. 

It is a common knowledge that he deemed it proper to quit himself instead of waiting to be sidelined. The political differences between the two high-profile personalities are known to everyone but for the sake of Pakistan cricket, Najam should have been allowed to continue helming the PCB. 

But Imran, despite his preoccupations and innumerable challenges at the highest office of the country, opted to poke his nose in the cricket affairs by accepting the resignation and started hunting for a successor. 

After being sworn in as the Prime Minister, he did get the constitutional right to nominate the Chairman of the PCB. 

He settled for Ehsan Mani, who has also been a former President of the International Cricket Council (ICC) besides having represented the country in the game’s governing body for a number of years. 

Ehsan is being considered as a controversial choice and, given the current situation, it would have been advisable to have retained Najam instead, if the idea was to continue recovering the lost ground and conquer new frontiers. 

Najam, a go-getter in the truest sense of the word,  had looked as the most suitable person to lead the revival of Pakistan cricket in the current scenario when a lot of additional qualities are required besides mere experience of handling the affairs of the game. 

Having proven track record and possessing the contacts in the concerned international circles, Najam would have stood much better chance of further improving the image of Pakistan cricket, which was severely dented during the tenure of Ijaz Butt in particular. 

The name of veteran administrator Arif Ali Khan Abbasi was also doing rounds as a successor to Najam. He had played the pivotal role in having Imran installed as the captain of the Pakistan cricket team in 1982, which was a bold move, paid immediate dividends. Imran, it may be recalled, was handed over the captaincy when many of the senior members of the team had revolted against Javed Miandad. 

The Pakistan cricket was facing a crisis those days but it went to the credit of Arif the then Honorary Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan (BCCP) to have converted the problem into an opportunity and the rest is history. 

Bigger challenges were faced in the era of match-fixing in the 1990s and Arif, as CEO, was believed to have handled the situations shrewdly. Arif could have been a more appropriate choice to head Ehsan, even if Imran had made up his mind to settle his political scores with Najam. 

It is really shameful that the charismatic Najam, who had settled into his groove, had to leave the scene because he had rightly assessed that the new government was not going to see him in office at any cost. It would have been in Pakistan cricket’s interest to have been in the leadership role but that is not to be, for the time being.

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