POA chief regrets inadequate preparation for South Asian Games

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The top functionary of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) has regretted inadequate training and international exposure to the athletes ahead of the 11th South Asian Games scheduled to commence in Dhaka later this month.

General Syed Arif Hasan, President, POA, in a recent chat, observed that Pakistan would have stood a chance of claiming many more medals if the athletes were provided the desired training and exposure at the international level.

“For reasons beyond our control we were unable to execute the plan that would have helped improve our record in the upcoming regional Games in which our athletes had fared rather well in the past,” he stated.

He described the current year (2010) as one of the most important ones for Pakistan during which the country has to participate in as many as three multi-sports events are to be held. The South Asian Games would be followed by the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games.

When inquired about the problems, the POA chief singled out the lack of funds as the biggest obstacle in carrying out their plans.

“Obviously we are not in a position to implement our plans in the desired manner due to scarcity of funds. We have had to contain our activities that didn’t help in making advancement in the field of sports,” he said.

He looked forward to the governmental support in future in order to accomplish the cherished goals of the national Olympic body.

“Making the use of the available resources we are putting together our strongest possible squad for the upcoming South Asian Games and we are hoping that our athletes will come up with encouraging performance in Dhaka,” the POA chief added.

The 2010 South Asian Games is scheduled to take place from January 29 to February 8. This will be the third time that the Bangladeshi capital hosts the Games, thus becoming the fourth city to host the Games multiple times after Colombo, Kathmandu and Islamabad.

Besides Pakistan and hosts Bangladesh the athletes from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives and Bhutan would be taking part in the 11-day extravaganza.

It’s indeed a pity that Pakistan’s athletes have been denied the opportunity of gearing up for the mega events. Whether it’s the lack of coordination between the concerned bodies or any politics involved between them it’s the country that’s going to suffer more likely than not.

The Federal Ministry of Sports and the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) have their own set of priorities and for the time being at least they don’t seem to be in any mood to proactively make things happen.

The Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) on their part should also shoulder the blame for not having taken the measures to arrest the decline in standard of sports in the recent past. They were not short of funds until their marketing arm, the Pakistan Sports Trust (PST), was feeding the federations.

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Jalaluddin being victimized by PCB once more

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Former Test fast bowler, Jalaluddin, is not new to victimization or injustices. He and his department, Pakistan Customs, have been at the receiving end on the numerous occasions in the past as well.

Jalaluddin’s career as a fast bowler was cut short due to non-cricketing reasons. He wasn’t provided the opportunity to do justice to his talents even after having stolen the limelight by becoming the first bowler to perform a hat-trick in One-day Internationals.

He has learnt to live the hard way. Instead of feeling disheartened or demoralized he has continued to work with fierce determination. Despite the obstacles he has been in the thick of things. His Customs Cricket Academy (CCA) is a living example of his dedication and commitment.

By sheer hard work he has managed to become the most sought after cricket coach of the country. He has been given odd assignments but he has not yet been granted the recognition he deserves.

Lately he is crossing swords with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over the issue of departmental representation. He has accused the PCB officials of wrongdoings while blocking his election in their Governing Board.

Speaking in a hurriedly called press conference at Karachi’s Days Inn Hotel on January 14, Jalaluddin alleged that his department, Pakistan Customs, as well as Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL), were intentionally kept out of the PCB to be held in Lahore the following day (January 15).

He produced the letter of the PCB’s Election Commissioner, Abdul Sami Khan, in which only seven departments, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Habib Bank Limited (HBL), National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), have been extended the invitation to attend today’s meeting to elect one representative of the departments.

Jalaluddin, verifying his claims by documentary evidence, asserted that he had already been elected as the representative of the departments to the Governing Board of the PCB, following the expiry of the tenure of the previous member, Abdul Raqeeb of HBL, who is currently accompanying the national cricket team as manager on the tour of Australia.

“There were nine departments who held the voting rights. Five of them, NBP, SNGPL, Pakistan Customs, SSGCL and KRL, issued letters to vote for me. Therefore I was elected to be the representative of the departments in the Governing Board of the PCB by virtue of having the support of the majority of them,” Jalaluddin stated while circulating the copies of the letters of the concerned departments to this effect.

“Instead of accepting the verdict of the departments, some elements in the PCB began conspiring against me for reasons not known to me yet. Even members of the Governing Board, whose tenure has already expired last November, started played dirty game with me and they also persuaded the Chairman of the PCB, Ijaz Butt, to be a part of this campaign,” he contended.

“When I was already nominated as their representative by the majority of the nine departments there was no logic whatsoever in convening a meeting to hold the elections in which my own department has not even be invited,” he complained.

Jalaluddin has approached the Federal Secretary of Sports, Anis-ul-Hasnain Musavi and the Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports, Jamshed Dastti, to intervene in the matter and ensure justice with him.

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Prof Ejaz Farooqui crowned as Super Chairman

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

In recognition of his momentous services to the game of cricket, the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) proudly declared Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, Chairman Zone II, as the Super Chairman.

Prof Siraj-ul-Islam Bokhari, Honorary Secretary, KCCA, minced no words in stating that Prof Ejaz Farooqui has turned out to be the standout chairman as far as the seven zones of the Association were concerned.

Speaking in the reception held in the honour of Prof Ejaz Farooqui on his recent election as the Vice President of the Arts Council of Pakistan, Prof Siraj Bokhari recognized the most significant contribution towards the cause of cricket at the grassroots level made by the KCCA Zone II during the past three years.

“It’s very gladdening to note that the KCCA Zone II has been the hub of cricket activities in the city eversince Prof Ejaz Farooqui was elected as their chairman. His outstanding leadership skills have brought about a distinct change and there have been more tournaments in their zone than anywhere else,” the KCCA Secretary noted.

The founder of Urdu cricket commentary and a former President of the KCCA, Munir Hussain, also paid glowing tributes to Prof Ejaz Farooqui, describing him as the man of the moment.

He acknowledged that the club cricket, having remained alive in Karachi over the years, has graduated to another level with the proactive approach of devoted personalities like Prof Ejaz Farooqui.

Munir Hussain backed Prof Ejaz Farooqui for the post of the Vice President of the KCCA urging its council to incorporate the necessary changes in their constitution to get him on board without wasting any more time.

The other speakers who showered Prof Ejaz Farooqui with praise in the reception held at the KDA Officers Club on January 12 were Mahboob Shah, a former international umpire who stood in the final of the 1987 World Cup, Senator Prof Saeed Siddiqui, Chairman, Sindh Board of Technical Education, and Mohammad Ahmed Shah, Honorary Secretary, Arts Council of Pakistan.

It was only three years ago when Prof Ejaz Farooqui had been elected as the Chairman of the Zone II of the KCCA in the elections held under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

He has been chiefly responsible for bringing the Zone II to life during the last three years.

What he has done for the zone in particular and for the cause of cricket in general is truly exemplary. He has led the zone admirably and his great personal interest in promoting the game has brought about a revolution of sorts at the club level.

He had had a vision to carry out development work in every nook and corner of the zone. He has been concentrating for creating more facilities in Surjani Town and Khuda Ki Basti.

The good work carried out by the zone during the past three years has been yielding results and they continue to be motivated by their chairman who urges the need to work with greater zeal to accomplish more success.

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Record participation expected in Dreamworld Car Rally on Jaunary 17

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Over three hundred entries are expected in the tenth edition of the Dreamworld Treasure Hunt Car Rally 2010 to be held in Karachi on January 17.

The car rally is being organized by the Team Dreamworld for the tenth year running in what has gone on to become one of the most sought after annual events of the metropolis in which over 1800 cars have participated in its decade-long history.

The rally comprises of a 70-kilometer lap crossing almost all popular locations of Karachi, one of the largest cities of the world, and the lap is distributed among eight check points to let vehicles follow the concept of safety through limited speed.

The time check points are established at different locations in the city with each check point providing the contestants with a clue or a puzzle which should be solved in order to discover the next checkpoint for ultimately reaching the fortune at the Dreamworld resort. Each check point registers the time for each car in for which the points are awarded to the contestants for efficient time management.

The final destination of this treasure hunt would be the Dreamworld Resort where, after a ceremony of fun and entertainment, the final winner would be announced on the basis of the time management points awarded with dozens of prizes.

Handsome cash rewards to the tune of Rs 150,000 await the outstanding performers while there would be consolation prizes for every participant of the car rally.

The best driver award carries a purse of Rs 50,000 while the runner-up would be becoming richer by Rs.25, 000. The best lady driver will be presented Rs 15,000 while there would be a cash award of Rs 15,000 for the youngest driver.

The oldest model as well as the latest model cars will be given Rs 15,000 each with another Rs 15,000 purse reserved for the best decorated car.

Every participant would be getting a share in the numerous discount vouchers on offer while complimentary meals, soft drinks and energy drinks will also be arranged for the participants besides gift hampers containing various items for every car.

It may be recalled that a record number of 254 families had participated in the Dreamworld Treasure Hunt Car Rally 2009 that was hailed as one of the most memorable sporting extravaganza in town. The event was aired on ATV in 2 episodes of 40 minutes each.

Dreamworld Resort has emerged as one of the leading sports clubs of the country besides offering numerous other facilities to its members. It’s located adjacent to Gulshan-e-Maymar, off Super Highway. It is indeed accessible from all parts of the city and the driving time has reduced substantially with the construction of so many flyovers and underpasses of late.

It’s very heartening indeed to find so many sporting events being held at the Dreamworld Resort from time to time. From car rally to cricket and from cue sports to mind sports they remain on the lookout for bringing in more life at the resort. Their golf course is also a centre of attraction.

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Spirit moves mountains

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The present England side led by Andrew Strauss demonstrated once more the virtues of commitment and determination. For the third time in eight Tests they managed to save the game with the skin of their teeth.

England don’t have too many flamboyant characters at the moment who could take the fight to the opponents but they are certainly blessed with iron-willed individuals whose never-say-die approach is truly inspirational.

When you have the likes of Paul Collingwood in your ranks you can be rest assured that the team would not go down without fighting. Not surprisingly Collingwood has been instrumental in saving all the three Tests that have gone to the wire. His level of concentration and the ability to withstand the pressures have served the England cause immensely in the recent times.

Cricket is obviously a team game and Collingwood alone cannot be expected to the job. The credit must also be given to their captain Strauss for having kept his boys motivated all along. It’s a tougher job to give your best when the chips are down and strong leadership skills are needed to get the best out of the teammates.

Strauss, as I have emphasized on many questions, is the man for the job. He has been chiefly responsibly for turning it around for England despite not being in possession of a world-beating unit. He has provided a classic example of doing his best with the available resources.

England can now look forward to the fourth and final Test with high hopes of pocketing the series. They have retained the one-nil lead meaning they can’t lose the series even if South Africa bounce back to end the series on a winning note.
Graham Onions has been England’s batting hero in two of the last three Tests.

Although fast bowling is his forte and he comes in to bat at number eleven he has shown the reslience that would make even the seasoned batsmen proud.
Mind you it’s not easy negotiating the deliveries when surrounded by so many fieldsmen and the bowlers going for the kill. It tests the technique of the greatest of batsmen when they are pushed into that situation.

Number 10 and 11, James Anderson and Monty Panesar, had saved a Test match against Australia in Cardiff last summer. The great escape had lifted the morale of the home team and they went on to regain the Ashes.

Onions has now done it two times. Like the first Test of the ongoing series he had the responsibility of seeing off the last six deliveries of the match. On both occasions he came up trumps.

South Africa were earlier frustrated by the pair of Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood who batted for well over four hours on the fifth and final day. Their 112-run partnership lasted no less than 57 overs and as Graeme Smith found out once more it was broken just too late to force the issue.

England, having won the second Test handsomely sandwiched between the two hard-fought draws, can now look forward to a rare series win abroad.

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Pakistan unable to make most of Ponting’s suicide

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Ricky Ponting must be wondering what else he had to do to lose a Test match against the present Pakistan line-up devoid of mental toughness of international standard. The Australians were much below par in the second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground that they managed to win by 36 runs against the heaviest of odds.

Only Ponting would be able to throw light on it why did he choose to bat first on the greenest pitch of the SCG in many years with the overcast conditions making batting the toughest of propositions on the opening day.

The kind of fast bowling attack the Australians possessed they would not have taken long to dispose of the tourists on the first day. They would have brutally exposed Pakistan’s weaknesses in the batting department.

There was not a single logical reason that would have prompted any captain winning the toss to bat first in the prevailing circumstances. As I said it’s only Ponting who would have known it. May be it was a team decision and the team management who desired putting their own boys instead of the opponents to test.

It was being believed that Ponting has stopped inserting the opposition after one of his such moves had backfired a few years ago. Well can we expect him to give playing hook shot after getting caught in the deep in the first innings of the Sydney Test. Certainly not. Therefore I don’t find any justification in not having put Pakistan into bat.

As it turned out the Australians were routed on the first day and as the weather improved on the following day Pakistan managed to post a much higher total than they would have been able to do a day earlier.

For all practical purposes the Australians had forfeited their first innings. Then they dropped catches to let Pakistan secure a lead that was into mammoth proportions. Or were they experimenting on winning a Test match after having conceded a first innings lead in the excess of 200.

The kind of batting form Ponting and his deputy Michael Clarke have been in during the summer there were remote possibilities of the hosts responding with a gigantic total as they used to do until a few years ago.

Not surprisingly Pakistan’s bowling had lost the bite when the Australians started their second innings with 206 runs in arrears. The solid opening stand between Shane Watson and Philip Hughes had laid the foundation for a big total but the failure of Ponting and Clarke undid their good work.

It’s not often that the Australians lose the plot so easily but they succumbed against the run of play to put themselves in a disastrous situation that was only retrieved by Michael Hussey who somehow found the desired support from tail-ender Peter Siddle.

Pakistan were always expected to struggle while chasing any target over 150 and there was not much element of surprise when they collpased on the fourth afternoon to surrender the series before the third and final Test.

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Naeem-ul-Haq urges ICC to invest more for grassroots development

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

While appreciating the efforts of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in globalization of the sport, Naeem-ul-Haq, a former cricketer from Pakistan having relocated in the United States of America (USA), firmly believes that better results could be accomplished if more funds were allocated to the grassroots development.

“The ICC would be better off investing in the infrastructure development in countries where cricket remained a minority sport. I believe that in order to fast track their efforts they should enhance their grants to the member countries,” Naeem, one of the coaches of the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA), observed in an interview during his recent visit to Pakistan.

“I must say the ICC has been doing a fabulous job by funding the national cricket bodies of their member countries but I have a feeling that the results would start coming faster if they could directly take care of the various coaching programmes aimed at engaging the youngsters in particular,” he opined.

“The countries like USA, Canada, UAE and Hong Kong certainly need more funds to carry out their development programme. Since it’s not easy to get sponsors attracted to cricket in these countries, the ICC is expected to be more generous in extending financial support to them,” Naeem, who is the coach of the South East of the USACA covering the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, reckoned.

“I think cricket can flourish in these countries in particular if more work was done in promote the game at schools, colleges and universities. Cricket has a potential and a lot of hard work is needed besides deep pockets,” he added.

Naeem himself is one of those individuals having made standout contribution in the promotion of the sport in USA. Having started his career in his hometown Karachi, he played first-class cricket for his employers Pakistan Customs before who having relocated on the outskirts of Miami in Florida.

Naeem has been working hard for the promotion of the game from the moment he reached there. His passion for cricket kept growing and he undertook courses to become a qualified coach.

He, alongwith Raza Jaffri, has been instrumental in setting up the Florida Cricket Academy in Fort Lauderdale. They are being provided the technical and advisory support by the famed Karachi-based Customs Cricket Academy, founded by Jalaluddin, the first bowler to have recorded a hat-trick in One-day Internationals, who has also distinguished himself with his coaching skills on modern lines.

Naeem has also been actively involved with the Michigan Cricket Association (MCA), having worked closely with its President, Shahid Ahmed, who has also moved there from Karachi.


Both these gentlemen have been chief responsible for the success of the Diversity Cup that they have been able to hold successfully in Michigan for the past few years. It has become an annual event in which teams from different communities take part every summer. They have already finalized their plans to hold this year’s Diversity Cup in early July.

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Hail the Warrior

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The Australian cricket captains have been known for their aggression and passion for victories whenever they have had the arsenal to topple their opponents. They have lost quite a few of their legends in the recent past but Ricky Ponting has continued to lead the side with enormous confidence and self belief.

Ponting, with his positive instincts, has thoroughly deserved the records coming his way. With the massive victory Pakistan at the MCG on December 30, he now holds the records for the most wins by any Test player and the most victories for any Test captain, It was his 93rd win as a player and 42nd as captain.

Didn’t it look a stunning move when he declared Australia’s first innings so early on the second afternoon in the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan at the gigantic Melbourne Cricket Ground! With Michael Clarke going strong and the likes of Marcus North and Brad Haddin sitting in the hut he chose to close the innings at 454 for five, cosuming only 38 of the minimum of 90 overs of the day.

The cricket fans in Pakistan viewed it as a crazy decision. But little did they know that Ponting had actually assessed the conditions perfectly and he was not going to take chances. With the intent on winning the game rather than establishing total supremacy he must have desired providing more opportunity to his bowlers.

As it turned out, the early declaration took one result out of the equation. There was no way the match could have ended in a draw. Either the hosts were going to win it or if the Pakistanis played better than anticipated the match could have been in their bag.

So it wasn’t crazy stuff but a calculated risk to some extent. Ponting must have been aware of the limitations or the lack of depth in Pakistan’s batting. Yet he allowed his bowlers more time to do the job with peace of mind rather than pushing hard for it.

Ponting described the 170-run victory as one of the team's best in a long while and praised his young attack for as good a bowling effort as the side had displayed in the last two years.

"The bowling through the game has been as good as it's been in our team for the last couple of years. The way we bowled in the first innings in particular was just outstanding. The way we used the new ball and we were able to maintain our discipline and execute our skills over such a long period of time at the start of their first batting innings was a real factor in the game,” the triumphant skipper remarked at the end of the match.

"It's been a great game for us. It's one of our best Test wins in quite a while, starting right from the start of the game from the Katich and Watson partnership which really set the platform and set the foundation for a very good Test match for us," Ponting observed.

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