Shahid Afridi: Pakistan Cricket's only superstar

There are certain names that fill stadiums, grab all the headlines and have fans and neutrals alike the world over, who stop what they’re doing and switch on their televisions. Those names belong to players, who have worked their way, to superstar status. In the past people would rush to catch a glimpse of Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Vivian Richards, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan and Wasim Akram, even if they were on the opposing team. Fans of the game remember them even to this very day. In the modern game there are plenty of superstars as well. The explosive rebel, Chris Gayle, the Australian pair of, Brett Lee, and, Shane Watson, Hashim Amla, and, Dale Steyn of South Africa, half the Indian team from Yuvraj Singh to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar to Virender Sehwag. Yet Pakistan, once renowned for having an abundance of superstars, seems to have fallen behind. Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Inzamam-ul-Haq – the list of past superstars goes on and on, but how many can one name in the present Pakistan squad? Would people go or even bother changing the channel to watch Mohammad Hafeez? Or maybe watch Asad Shafiq? Even the more well known names fail to raise excitement levels. Saeed Ajmal, who although is a consistent wicket taker, does not carry with him the flair and flamboyance that can pull the masses in, and one can only groan in agony anytime the painfully slow, Misbah-ul-Haq, makes his way to the crease. Yes, there is Pakistan’s wicket keeper, Kamran Akmal, though the player is famous for the wrong reasons. Dropped catches and missed chances do not bring the type of attention one wishes. Contrast that with West Indies batsman, Chris Gayle, and his recent demolition of opposition bowlers in the Indian Premier League. Whether one was a fan or not, the cricketing world would stop and proceed to watch the batsman. Why? Because he was exciting, because he was special and most importantly because he gave the fans what they wanted to see. Long gone are the days Shoaib Akhtar would storm in to bowl deliveries that flew at the batsmen at over 140 kilometres per hour, or when Wasim Akram would create unreal swing. The only name that still gets fans interested in Pakistan cricket is their talismanic One Day International captain, Shahid Khan Afridi. His exploits in the recently concluded ICC World Cup was the pinnacle in his, how to put this, exhilarating professional career. Scoring the fastest century in cricketing history on his debut, Afridi never compromised on his attacking batting, be it for better or for worse. It made him a household name not only in Pakistan but anywhere the game of cricket was played. Afridi’s aggression, ability to turn games on its head earlier with the bat and more recently with the ball, have not only propelled him to international stardom but also has fans pause just for a second to check if Afridi is on the crease or not. In Pakistan, when Afridi gets dismissed so does 25% of the crowd. It is not all doom and gloom though, as the Cornered Tigers are producing two more potential superstars, Wahab Riaz, and, Umar Akmal. Akmal unlike his brother is an exciting prospect, while the verdict on Wahab is still out after limited performances for the side. Yet if anyone was asked to make a fantasy team consisting of the best players in the world, one can safely say that Shahid Afridi would be the only Pakistan player on the roster and that is why he is Pakistan’s only superstar.

Read More

HASHAN TILLAKARATNE ALLEGES SRI LANKAN CRICKET OF BEING INVOLVED IN MATCH-FIXING

Former Sri Lankan captain, Hashan Tillakaratne, has jolted the cricket fraternity, claiming match-fixing has been a part of cricket in his country. He warned that the team could be in serious trouble in the near future, just like Pakistan who suffered recently in England's spot-fixing scandal.

Taking to the Lankan press, Tillakaratne stated, “I say this with responsibility. It (match-fixing) is just like a relay. I run my lap and hand over the baton to you, you complete your lap and give it to another. This is a network. No one can ever go out of it and no one can come into it. This situation was always there.”

However, the former player didn’t allege the team of fixing in the ICC World Cup 2011. He said, “I am not saying that this match (The world cup final) was fixed. But anyway match fixing is something which has been in this country over a period of time. This has spread like a cancer today.”

According to Tillakaratne, the situation has become much worse compared to the past and the reason behind it was corrupt administrators and politicians, who have remained silent for their own gains.

Tillakaratne claimed of knowing all the people involved in match-fixing and threatened to reveal some big names in the near future. He said that there was still some time to stop Sri Lanka from becoming Pakistan.

Cricket in Pakistan has also suffered a lot in the recent past due to fixing scandals. Three top cricketers, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were proved guilty of spot-fixing in January this year. They were charged with lengthy bans and heavy fines.

There were some other players questioned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over match-fixing, but were able to prove their innocence to the board. Although things appeared to be headed towards the right direction, Pakistan’s former wicketkeeper batsman Zulqarnain Haider claimed the opposite.

The 25-year-old left the team during a series against the Proteas in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and revealed later that some players were still involved in wrong doings. He didn’t take any names back then in London, but later blamed Kamran Akmal of having links with bookie

Read More

PAKISTAN POLICE ARRESTS BOOKIES BEHIND THREATS TO ZULQARNAIN HAIDER

Pakistan police has arrested eight bookies, who were believed to be behind death threats to wicketkeeper-batsman Zulqarnain Haider. The bookmakers were taken in custody from Sialkot and four of them have also been presented before a local judge for initial investigations.

A police official, Nasir Qureshi, stated, “We have arrested eight bookies and some of them have revealed they were behind threats to Haider. We have confiscated their data which has a number of international contacts and the investigation is still on.”

Qureshi further added, “We have found a number of satellite telephones and diaries which have international contacts and we hope to get further details in the next 24 hours.”

Haider had fled to London during Pakistan’s series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The keeper-batsman had claimed that his life was in danger and had to leave the team immediately. He was due to represent his team in the final One Day International (ODI) of the five-match series, but escaped without informing any teammates or officials.

There was a lot of uncertainty in the Pakistan dressing room, as no one was aware of Haider’s whereabouts. However, the 25-year-old appeared before the media after landing in London, where he claimed asylum. He revealed the situation to the press and said that his family was also in danger in Pakistan.

The Pakistan government took notice of the situation and assured complete security to Haider and his family. This was satisfactory for the troubled keeper, as he decided to return to his country on Monday, April 25, 2011. He had announced retirement from international cricket, but claimed to resume talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over his future.

After his return to Pakistan, Haider revealed that he received fresh life threats. He also accused fellow teammate, Kamran Akmal’s father-in-law of being involved in the entire situation, which sparked more controversy.

This allegation was a shock for Akmal and his family and the veteran keeper demanded thorough investigation into the matter. He expressed his displeasure over the scenario and threatened to take legal action against Haider, who apparently had no proof of what he said

Read More

KAMRAN AKMAL TO INTRODUCE NEW NESTLE PRODUCT IN PAKISTAN

Former Pakistan wicket keeper, Kamran Akmal, is making the most of his time away from the nation by agreeing to endorse a number of Nestlé products that are set to be released in Pakistan’s market.

While product endorsements and sponsorship deals are nothing new for the game of cricket in the subcontinent, with a host of players already associating themselves with a number of products. It is the scale at which Nestle is throwing its weight behind Akmal that is something of a surprise.

Axed from the national team for Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies for his inconsistent keeping of wickets and his overall unsatisfactory performances in the ICC World Cup, Kamran Akmal was in the limelight for the all the wrong reasons.

The former wicket keeper surprised everyone when he appeared in Nestlé’s Regional Head Quarters in Karachi, for a press conference alongside Nestlé’s Marketing Executive Houzah Tschott.

Tschott seemed to play with the anticipation and general confusion in the room before beginning proceedings.

‘I would like to begin by thanking you all for coming to witness a historic moment for Nestle inPakistan’,Tschott began, giving away a little clue as to Akmal’s presence,

‘We here at Nestle are always looking to bring our award winning and world renowned products to new markets in the most innovative way possible with respect to our marketing campaigns. So I am pleased to announce that Pakistan wicket keeper has agreed to be the face of a selection of our products that we plan to launch in the country’.

The news was met with a flurry of questions from the journalists present, who wanted to know the specifics of the deal.

‘At this point in time Mr. Kamran Akmal is our brand ambassador in the region and is also going to appear of the packaging of the products we are going to launch in the region’, Tschott continued, ‘So without further adieu  I would like to introduce Kamran Akmal, who will be launching our award winning chocolate bar BUTTERFINGERS’!

The news was met with blinding flashes, as photographers and journalists were desperate to get a reaction from Akmal.

‘First of all I (would) like to thank Nestle for giving (me) this opportunity’, Akmal announced, ‘This is my first major sponsorship deal, and for it to be on (such) a huge scale is something I could not have imagined’.

Tschott went on to explain how the pairing of Akmal and Butterfingers was almost perfect and that consumers could easily associated the two. He claimed that it was a major factor for Nestle when they sought the Pakistani wicket keeper even after Kamran Akmal was axed from the national team after letting his side down on more than one occasion.

When quizzed about any more products that Nestle wished Pakistan’s cricketers to market, Tschott answered, ‘You will have to wait and see, but we have a number of ideas in the pipeline that we hope to share with you very soon’.

The statement left plenty of room for speculation, yet for the time being, Kamran ‘butterfingers’ Akmal was the man of the hour, with the first batch of ‘butterfinger’ chocolates expected to hit Pakistan’s markets and shop sometime next month.

Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed in the article are the writer’s own and do not represent bettor.com’s official editorial policy in any way.

Read More

Kamran Akmal’s father-in-law files Rs 100 million defamation suit against Zulqarnain Haider

Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal’s father-in-law has filed a Rs. 100 million defamation suit against Zulqarnain Haider.

Haider, who returned back to Pakistan after five months since he fled from Dubai to seek asylum in England, told the media on Monday that Akmal’s father-in-law worked as a bookmaker and was involved in match-fixing.

The runaway keeper, who had to face angry protests when he arrived at the Islamabad International Airport, has urged the Pakistan government and the concerned officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board to look into the matter.

Badruzaman, who is a lawyer hired by Kamran’s father-in-law, stated that a notice for the defamation suit has been mailed to Haider at his home address. He also confirmed that Akmal’s father-in-law has sued Haider for Rs. 100 million.

Badruzaman spoke firmly about the matter and said that his client is a reputable individual in the business world. He added that no tolerance will be exercised towards such slandering statements.

The lawyer asked Haider to produce evidence to support his allegations or issue an apology. He affirmed that failure to do so would result in legal action against the player.

“My client is a well reputed businessman and he will not tolerate such allegations. Haider now has to either produce evidence to back his allegations or make a public apology or face legal action,” Badruzaman maintained.

Kamran Akmal, who has been dropped due to his poor form by the selection committee for Pakistan’s tour of West Indies, earlier warned Zulqarnain Haider to produce evidence or face legal charges.

He said that Haider, who was like a brother to him, has hurt his sentiments by making baseless claims about his father-in-law who is a reputable individual.

“I always considered Haider as my brother but after coming to know about his baseless allegations he has made against my father-in-law I am very disappointed and upset. Because he has slandered a respectable man,” said Akmal.

Read More

Pakistan Aim to be Cautious in the ODI Series after Twenty20 Loss

After losing their first ever Twenty20 match against the West Indies on 21 April, 2011, played at the Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia by seven runs, Pakistan aim to be more cautious in the upcoming five-match one-day series against the hosts.

Speaking after the match, Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi said, “They have indicated it is not going to be easy for us. We will have to be cautious in the ODI series.”

The all-rounder reiterated that his side will need to show more professional approach in the tournament and needs to work really hard to avoid the embarrassment of losing the series to the Windies.

Afridi, who was among the leading wicket takers in the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2011, blamed poor batting for their loss in the shortest version of the game. He reckoned that the total was not big enough and his side should have easily chased the tally on the wicket which was supporting the batsmen.

“It was an easy target and there was nothing wrong with the conditions but our batsmen failed to avail the chance. We failed to build partnerships and that cost us the game,” he said.

Nonetheless, Afridi gave full credit to the outstanding fielding of the hosts which made things extremely difficult for the Men in Green. 

The Pakistan skipper admitted that because of this loss the tourists are going to be under some pressure before the first match of the five-match ODI series.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Pakistan played their first competitive one-day international after their last game which was the semi-final of the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2011 against India in Mohali.

Skipper Shahid Afridi was retained by the Pakistan Cricket Board Selection committee while senior players such as Younus Khan, Umar Gul and Abdul Razzaq were rested for the series in the Bahamas.

Wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was dropped from the squad after his regrettable performance in the mega event and it seems less likely that he will get a recall unless he performs exceptionally well in the domestic circuit.

Akmal dropped numerous crucial catches in the tournament which forced many in Pakistan to call for his immediate axing. Nonetheless, he was retained in the squad as the team management did not want to play the remainder of the event with a stand-in wicketkeeper.

Akmal has been replaced by 29-year old Mohammad Salman who showed athleticism behind the stumps in Thursday’s clash. However, he failed to impress, scoring just five runs in the match.

Pakistan Head Coach Waqar Younis has however, expressed his confidence in the team and stressed that his boys will do better in the one-day event.

The tourists are scheduled to take on the hosts today at Gros Islet in the opening match of the one-day series.

Read More

Kamran Akmal wishes to join the Pakistan team as a specialist batsman

Kamran Akmal, Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batsman, who has been under much criticism for displaying a dismal performance in the ICC World Cup 2011, has expressed his resolve to make a come-back to the national team, albeit this time in capacity of a specialist batsman.
The wicket-keeper had been ignored for the One Day International series against the West Indies and had been replaced by the emerging player Mohammad Salman for the tour.
Kamran has been into troubled water since the Sydney Test played in January 2010. The selectors have been overlooking him for Test and ODI matches but he has always managed to make a come-back to the national squad.
Speaking in context of his recent omission from the team and expressing his desire to join the team again, even in a different role, he said, “If Pakistan can find a better wicketkeeper than me then I will try to make a comeback as a specialist batsman because batting is something I enjoy a lot and I can bat at any position.”
Having had played 53 Test and 137 ODI matches, Kamran has managed to put six Test and five ODI centuries on the board so far. For seeing an altogether different role for himself in the team, the right-handed batsman said that he was striving to polish his batting skills further as he was desperate to join the national team again. He was of the view that he wanted to serve his country, and was ready to play whatever role the selectors may see for him in the side.
After being constantly overlooked for the encounters against South Africa and New Zealand, Kamran was called to join the team for the World Cup after he got clearance from the integrity committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board. After being neglected for the ODI series against West Indies, there is news that he may not be able to make an appearance into the Test squad either.
Commenting upon the news and the attitude he was being meted out by the selection committee, the wicket-keeper said, “It is true I have had some bad matches in recent months but my performances should be viewed on overall basis. Overall my performance as a wicket-keeper has been fine and I’ve one of the highest dismissals among all the wicket-keepers who have played for Pakistan.”
He said that so far he was the only Pakistani wicket-keeper who has had over 400 dismissals in all formats of cricket. However, he also admitted that his performance against New Zealand in the World Cup Group match was unsatisfactory and the two crucial catches that he dropped haunted him even now.
Kamran also lamented the fact that people were not allowing him to forget the incident and to move on. Referring to that very day of his career, he said that it seemed cursed and people were just criticising him for not putting up against the Kiwis. The people were not acknowledging the performance he displayed against the Australian cricket team.
Kamran also added that as there are not many domestic tournaments being played in the country, he will continue playing club cricket and will look forward to feature in the Sri Lanka T20 League this year.

Read More

PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt says he loves yogurt

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman, Ijaz Butt, has revealed he loves yogurt. Butt's revelation is most shocking for Pakistan cricket, as concerned parties are busy thinking about the 'bright" future of Pakistani players and no one is thinking about yogurt.

Ijaz Butt is no ordinary person and always manages to capture headlines.

Reporters bravely interviewed Ijaz Butt and went deep into the mind of one of the most intellectual individuals in cricket. On being asked about his favourite food, PCB’s top dog quickly replied “yogurt”.  

Butt further said “During the spot fixing scandal, I was upset and I was constantly asking myself, why did this happen? Around 3:00am while looking at a lizard on the ceiling, I decided to eat some yogurt. And, yogurt it was. I immediately went to the Anarkali Bazar (Market) and bought only 26 packets of fresh yogurt. After a few spoons of sweet yogurt, the heavens advised me that I should allow the angels to protect the tainted trio”.

What a wait it was from Mr. Butt, as when Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, and, Salman Butt were being spanked by Scotland Yard, Pakistan’s cricket Tsar was enhancing his thinking skills by eating fresh yogurt.  

A few spoonfuls later, Butt instantly came up with a perfect statement for the international media. “The boys did a bad thing”. It was indeed an intellectual comment by a cricketing chief, as it covered every aspect of the incident.

After the success of Butt’s comment, he has become a devoted member of Lahori yogurt and has even started a Facebook fan page with the name “Yogurt gives you wings” and “Yogurt...do the YO”.

Butt revealed that if he had not looked at the lizard in his office then he would not have thought of yogurt. He said that it looks as if nature was speaking to him in the form of a lizard that day. He is captivated by the taste of yogurt and has started eating the cool curdled milk before every board meeting and no meeting gets underway before a spoon of the fresh dairy product.

He even recommended to his family members and national players, to eat yogurt on a daily basis. So far, Kamran Akmal has followed his advice and eats one packet a day to improve his catching skills.

Akmal is also the only member of Butt’s Facebook fan page and constantly writes quotations and poems about different brands of yogurt.

Overall, Ijaz Butt is one individual, who considers yogurt as his good omen, and involves yogurt in all his activities, especially spot fixing, wicket keeping, and interviews.

Read More

Shoaib Akhtar wants to play one final match for Pakistan

Shoaib Akhtar, world's fastest bowler, who announced retirement from all formats of international cricket after 2011 World Cup wants to one final match for Pakistan.

The fast bowler wants a proper send off on Pakistan’s tour of West Indies.

Shoaib, who is known for his acrimonious behaviour, last played for Pakistan in a match against New Zealand during the group stages of ICC 2011 World Cup.

Shoaib started off nicely in that game and was troubling opposition’s batsmen early on but once Pakistani wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal dropped two catches of his bowling he looked pretty mediocre.

Shoaib was taken apart by Kiwi batsman Ross Taylor who was dropped twice. The bowler got frustrated and was later involved in an altercation with wicket-keeper which forced the management to reprimand both cricketers. The fast bowler was penalised for US $ 2,000.

The Rawalpindi Express did not feature for Green Shirts since the confrontation. The fast bowler is of the view that he deserves a proper farewell similar to what was given to former Pakistani skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Inzamam retired from international cricket in 2007 after his side was knocked out of group stages of World Cup for the second time. Pakistan Cricket Board recalled the right-hand batsman and gave him a proper send-off by allowing him to play against South Africa at his home ground.

The PCB might not agree because it believes the cricketer lacks the fitness to last a match.

A source was quoted by a local newspaper as saying, ”He (Akhtar) is far from fit to play international cricket. And the fact that another big reason why Pakistan opted against playing him in their key World Cup games was his poor behaviour makes it almost impossible for the bowler to make a return even for one final match.”

Only time will tell whether Rawalpindi express gets a run for one last time or not. According to Waqar Younis, coach Pakistan cricket team, “Shoaib was a big name in Pakistan cricket and there is no doubt that he left an impact on the team. It is never easy to replace such players but I guess every player has to call it a day eventually.”

Read More

Intikhab Alam sees West Indies tour an opportunity for younger players

Intikhab Alam manager of the Pakistani cricket thinks the Caribbean tour is an opportunity for young players to prove their talent.

Intikhab said this while speaking to the media about the upcoming tour of the Caribbean at Gaddafi Stadium.

Team Pakistan had suffered during the World Cup 2011 because of players not fit enough to give their 100 %.

The selection of over aged Akthar in the team playing the semi-final was a million dollar question.

The Pakistani side committed a number of blunders on the field courtesy old hands (Younis Khan, Misbah Ul Haq, Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq) while the  younger players (Asad Shafiq, Umer Akmal and Ahmed Shahzad) fielded brilliantly.

Aged players failed to convert singles into doubles and doubles into triples.

Many ex-cricketers have emphasised the need to include young blood in the side. Otherwise Team Pakistan will be facing the same crisis in the next World Cup.

The PCB has decided to select several uncapped players for the tour of West Indies.

Last week, selection committee of PCB announced 16-man Twenty20 and ODI squad for the upcoming tour of the Caribbean.

They selected new players Tanvir Ahmed, Junaid Khan, Hammad Azam, Sadaf Hussain and wicketkeeper Mohammad Salman in the team.

The Pakistani skipper Shahid Afridi also wanted to rest the senior members of the team.

Pakistan’s coach Waqar Younis considers the tour of Caribbean as the perfect opportunity for young guns in the side. Pakistani Coach wants new players to take this opportunity to replace seniors.

Younis said; “The tour will be important for youngsters and it will be a test for them,”

Pakistan team started their two day training camp at Gaddafi Stadium today.

Intikhab said, “We will have around four to five days before the series gets underway and that will be ample time for the players to adapt to the playing conditions in St Lucia.

Team Pakistan will reach West Indies on April 16 and tour will start with a warm up match on April 18. The only Twenty20 will be played in St Lucia on April 21. ODI series of five matches will start on April 23 and the test matches will be played in the middle of next month.

Read More

AFRIDI VOWS NOT TO SPEAK ON INDO-PAK RELATIONS IN FUTURE

Flamboyant Pakistan captain, Shahid Afridi, has vowed not to speak on the sensitive issue of Indo-Pak relations in the future, reiterating that there are some elements in Indian media, who are negative about ties between the two arch-rivals.

Afridi said that he is not against India, or Indian people insisting that he was misinterpreted by the media.

"I am not against India, or, Indian people or Hindus. They are Hindus living in Pakistan just like Muslims in India and since this is a very sensitive issue I have decided that from now on I will not speak on it", said Afridi while talking to a TV channel of Pakistan.

He stressed that there are negative elements, who do not want the two countries go ahead. He suggested that if the authorities from both sides want to move forward, they would have to change their mindset.

Afridi also hailed Indian skipper, MS Dhoni’s decision of coming up in the order and leading from the front in the World Cup final against Sri Lanka. The hard-hitting Boom Boom Afridi rued he should have batted up in the order.

Talking about the disappointing semi-final game against nemesis India, Afridi conceded that he made mistakes in the high-voltage game.

"I made mistakes in the World Cup particularly in the semi-final at Mohali”, admitted the all rounder, who finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 21 scalps, along with Zaheer Khan of India. “I should have gone up the order like Mahendra Singh Dhoni did against Sri Lanka in the final at Mumbai", he added further. 

Talking about his 21 World Cup wickets, Afridi said that it was a big honour for him and that he never expected to finish the esteemed tournament as the joint leading wicket-taker.

He said that the main goal he and the coach had was to ensure a clean and politics free dressing room atmosphere and reckoned that he have been successful in doing that.

Afridi thanked senior players such as, Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, and, Kamran Akmal, for supporting him in the high profile tournament.

Read More