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Shoaib Akhtar singing
By Will 4 days ago, in the wee hours, No Comments; be the first!
I really miss old Akhers. Guaranteed entertainment with the ball, but a fascinating character: no one knew whether he’d be fit, or indeed where the ball would go if he was fit. No one knew what he’d do off the pitch either. He was a wonderful shambles.
Question: what’s better than watching Shoaib Akhtar trying to sing on Youtube?
Answer: the comments left by his fans on Youtube.
He Is GoOd? SiNgEr>>>>>>>>>>???????????
wonderful…?
shoaib ACTOR
beautiful? singer singing good and a great speed star in the world u are the best and superb all the way
And my personal favourite:
fuck shoaib… i want to hump that paki? bitch for 3 hrs straight
(hugs)
No Comments »Idiocy epitomised
By Will 1 month ago, 3 Comments »
A couple of weeks ago, a friend went ballistically excited on me having just met Shahid Afridi. She is easily pleased, but nevertheless I began briefly to put aside my cynicism over Afridi. All that talent, bravado and bombast contrasting with, well, his inner demons. Will it go for six or will he sky it? That, in essence, seemed to be the way he conducted his life, not just his batting.
Captaincy could have changed him; he’s no spring chicken these days, after all, and Pakistan have a lot of impressionable young players to whom Afridi must be something of a demi-god. And then he bites a cricket ball with all the cameras zoned in on him, discarding years of experience, dispensing with maturity and utterly wringing his hands of professional responsibility, personal pride and common human sense. Were it not so ludicrously stupid, it would be a beautiful thing to watch in years to come.
Of all the players to do it, it had to be Afridi. Of all the countries to be afflicted by an act of such lunacy, it just had to be Pakistan. They are taking hold of this decade and ensuring they begin it right where they left off in the noughties. The only redeeming feature from the whole escapade was (apart from the ensuing nauseous hilarity that it even took place) Mark Nicholas’s sober, yet startled, opinion. “Woops. Wwwwwwwwoops!”
Idiocy epitomised. Thank you, Afridi, and a very good night.
3 Comments »Thank you, Pakistan, for helping me keep the faith
By Will 2 months ago, 9 Comments »
My former colleague, Siddhartha Vaidyanathan – a fine writer and finer bloke – produced a maudlin reflection on his experience as a fan and cricket journalist over the last decade. Much of what he says I agree with. I don’t know if the sport has undergone such radical change so quickly in its history, and that speed of transformation alone is enough to unsettle even the most fervent follower.
All is not lost, though. Oh no. Pakistan, on the verge of levelling the Test series against Australia, somehow contrived to lose a match that was practically in the bag, zipped, locked and sealed. That they escaped the win – I think that’s an accurate reflection of how they play their cricket – left me initially sad, mostly dumbstruck, and then briefly elated. It would be unfair on her fans if cricket didn’t begin the decade in traditional fashion, and what could be more apt than Pakistan lurching like a trapped wasp from the sublime to the shambolic?
Bravo, Pakistan, and thank you for the glorious entertainment.
9 Comments »Umar Akmal
By Will last year, at the end of December, 4 Comments »
Did anyone see Umar Akmal’s knock against Australia yesterday? First time I’ve seen him play, and boy – this kid can bat. Thrilling counterattack against Peter Siddle.
It’s one of the sport’s great attractions, I think: a young, fearless, brazenly talented Pakistani playing with total freedom. There was a thought about 10 or 15 years ago that Pakistan contained the most naturally gifted cricketers in the world – hence 15 and 16-year-olds making their international debuts, sometimes very successfully. I don’t know if the same can be said in 2009, but I hope so – especially considering they and Australia will be playing in England in 2010. What a summer it promises to be!
4 Comments »Fixtures in 2010: Australia and Pakistan in England
By Will last year, at the end of August, 9 Comments »
So the ECB have dumped the Friends Provident Trophy, England’s 50-over domestic competition, from next season onwards. There will still be a 40-over thrash, mainly played on Sundays, along with tweaks to the Twenty20 Cup. More here.
More excitingly, England will host Pakistan and Australia next summer. Before that, there will be two Tests and three ODIs against Bangladesh, then five ODIs against Australia. Pakistan then take on Australia for two Twenty20s and two Tests before England have four Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20s against Pakistan!
Obscene amount of cricket. But incredibly exciting, I think, for England to be the neutral host of Tests matched between two exciting teams, especially given how much support Pakistan will have in Britain.
What are your thoughts? Will you pay to watch Australia and Pakistan in England?
9 Comments »Sangakkara’s account of the attack
By Will last year, at the start of March, 3 Comments »
You really need to read this.
3 Comments »I was sitting next to Thilan Samaraweera and close to the young Tharanga Paranavitana. For some reason I moved my head to get a better view and a split second later I felt a bullet fizz past my ear into the vacant seat. Fortunately, as a team, we remained quite calm. No one panicked. After what must have been two minutes standing still, we urged the driver to make a run for the stadium just a few hundred metres away: “Go, go, go” we shouted.
The truth is we owe our lives to the courageous Mohammad Khalil, the driver. I will forever be grateful to him. The tyres of the bus had been shot out and he was in grave personal danger, exposed to gunfire at the front of the bus. But he was hell-bent on getting us to safety and, somehow, he got us moving again. Had Khalil not acted with such courage and presence of mind most of us would have been killed.
Standing still next to the roundabout we were sitting ducks for the 12 gunmen. We only found out afterwards that a rocket launcher just missed us as we began moving and turned for the stadium gates, the rocket blowing up an electricity pylon. Khalil saw a hand grenade tossed at us that failed to explode. Someone must have been looking over us because right now it seems a miracle we survived.
The real victims are Pakistanis
By Will last year, at the start of March, 5 Comments »
I don’t have much to add to today’s news which wouldn’t feel or sound contrite. The sense of inevitability was gut-wrenchingly strong that cricketers would be used as pawns in terrorists’ games of attention-seeking. It was going to happen at some point: a high-profile event, part of daily life for peaceful Pakistanis, now disrupted to the point of ruin.
In fuelling their own flawed agenda, they’ve not only ensured international cricket won’t be played in Pakistan for a significant amount of time, but they’ve brought the country closer and closer to being a failed state. Not a bad morning’s work, really.
But the real victims are Pakistanis themselves. If the last few years have been rocky, the next decade looks every bit as unsettled.
One final question: how long before Barack Obama wades in?
5 Comments »Lara’s Test record in danger
By Mark Tilley last year, at the end of February, 3 Comments »
A word on Younus Khan. The Pakistani captain stands on the verge of history going into the final day of the first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In an incredibly high scoring game, Younus has contributed 306 runs to his side’s current score of 574-5 and needs another 95 to beat Brian Lara’s record score of 400 not out. The insanely flat pitch has helped but it’s a special effort to score that volume of runs and, record or not, Younus deserves as much acclaim as possible.
The statisticians will be having a field day whatever happens tomorrow in Karachi. Can Younus do it?
3 Comments »Oval result recieves another ICC U-turn
By Mark Tilley last year, at the start of February, 10 Comments »
The ICC have, once again, changed the result of that infamous Oval Test match between England and Pakistan in 2006. The match, notable for the allegations against Pakistan of ball-tampering and the subsequent decision of the Pakistani’s to delay play by not re-entering the field after tea, was originally given as a win for England. Last July, the ICC decided to change the official result to a draw. However, the powers that be have decided to re-instate England’s ‘win’ and the result of series will go down as 3-0 to England.
Haroon Lorgat, ICC Chief Executive, has said that the decision ensures ‘the integrity of the game’. Is it the right decision. The adjusted series scoreline certainly flatters England as they did not deserve to win that Oval Test – Pakistan held a huge first innings lead and England had just about made up that deficit when the drama all kicked off.
However, awarding Pakistan a draw would be like rewarding them for not playing the game. Whether they were guilty or not in the whole ball-tampering fiasco, no team should have the power to delay a game on their terms. They should have been aware of the consequences of their actions and accepted the decision. As much as the umpires were in the wrong, the one thing they did right was to follow the rules of the game.
Far be it from me though to say what is right and what is wrong. Have the ICC made the right decision, finally? Thoughs, comments and answers are encouraged below please.
10 Comments »India’s Pakistan tour in doubt
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of November, 6 Comments »
…and here we reach the most dangerous crossroads of all. The one terrorist India managed to capture happened to be of Pakistani origin, and there is increasing evidence that Pakistan were involved in the terrorist strikes. It seems inconceivable that India’s tour won’t be cancelled. Pakistan have warned the world that they’ll stop fighting the Afghanistan insurgents and turn their attention to India instead. It’s all getting a bit messy.
Steve Waugh’s thoughts on the future of the game:
6 Comments »The danger to cricket is that the game needs India and any long-term interruption will have major ramifications. At present we have Pakistan cricket crippled by the threat
of terrorism, Sri Lanka regularly blighted by a civil war and Zimbabwe mismanaged by corrupt administrators and government.
The game is on the verge of a crisis and clear, concise thinking will be required from the various cricketing bodies to make sure that the correct decisions are made.
Time is a great healer but, much like 9/11, life on the subcontinent will never be the same. The need for security will be paramount and this will affect all facets of life.
My gut feeling is that cricket will see an interruption in the short term but business will resume as normal shortly afterwards.
‘These Pakistanis never stop arguing’
By Will 2 years ago, mid-November, 2 Comments »
Uh oh. Tony’s stirred up a million hornets nests with this:
“These Pakistanis don’t know how to do anything other than argue. They never stop arguing. They are always right. And I have got to say I’ve almost had enough of it.”
Tony Greig vents after Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Abdul Razzaq get into a shouting match during the first ICL final
2 Comments »
Butt on a roll
By Will 2 years ago, mid-October, No Comments; be the first!
Another press conference. More dull, mundane and probably inane quotes to listen to, record, transcribe and hack. At least, that was probably the sentiments of most Pakistani journalists when they rounded on Lahore and descended on Ijaz Butt’s first press conference as Pakistan’s chairman. And what a press conference it was.
Just when my colleague was about to leave, and seemingly unprovoked, Butt spilled forth the sort of juicy quotes some journalists wait a lifetime for. “The ICL think they have a good case” was dispatched through the covers. “The ICC are worried about the ICL” appeared to be drifting down the leg-side, but nevertheless it was smudged through midwicket with power and flair. The poor journalists didn’t have a hope of stopping him. Oh, and not forgetting his coup-de-grace – the most delicate of leg-glances to announce that, yes, the ICC are thinking of merging the Indian Premier League and the ICL (its unsanctioned cousin) to form one mammoth league. Yes, indeed. (If you’re not aware, the ICL is unofficial. The IPL is official and recognised by the ICC. The ICL want to be official. The ICL doesn’t think the ICC can have one official league and one unofficial league, but neither can it have two official leagues, it seems. So it could all end up in court, and the lawyers will all get very, very rich indeed.)
This was a press conference of dizzying revelations, almost none of it planned or expected. Quite what the ICC are thinking now is anyone’s guess, but it’s safe to assume that they’ll be up most of the night wondering just what Mr Butt had for his breakfast. I’m thinking it was two Weetabix and three boiled eggs.
There was more, too. Geoff Lawson, the coach, was sacked (not until April next year though. So he’s got six months in which to try and convince his players, if not himself, that he’s the right man for the job.)
Pure entertainment.
No Comments »Coaching the subcontinent “impossible”
By Will 2 years ago, mid-October, 2 Comments »
I suppose the western prejudiced would agree with this by default. Coaching India and Pakistan is fraught with difficulty, and Mike Atherton goes into more depth about the “impossible” job that has faced Richard Pybus, Bob Woolmer and others.
2 Comments »Pybus could not cope with the irrationality and the uncertainty of Pakistan cricket. Using an unfortunate analogy, given the present situation, he said this of his time there: “They have an amazing capacity to ambush themselves … you’re always sitting there waiting for someone to lob a hand grenade and waiting for it to go off. You can never plan with such a team because you don’t know what is happening tomorrow.” Dismissed twice, Pybus urged Pakistan to take a more scientific – meaning Western – approach to their cricket.
[...]
Woolmer may have been better placed than Pybus to cope with the increasingly Islamist outlook of the post-match-fixing Pakistan team under Inzamam-ul-Haq because Woolmer’s South Africa side were the most overtly religious of the Western teams. Indeed, he was sanguine about the religious orthodoxy of the majority of his players, the prayers before, during and after play and the adherence to Ramadan; it was the unpredictable nature of their cricket that he could not understand.
The stress of coaching a team who lost to Ireland, as Pakistan did in the 2007 World Cup, was too much for him, especially because, unlike the mid-1990s, when match-fixing was rife, there was no evidence that Pakistan lost the match for financial gain. Coaching Pakistan was, sadly, Woolmer’s last job; a lonely hotel room in Jamaica his last port of call.
ICC postpone the rift
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of August, 8 Comments »
For once, common sense has prevailed with the news that the ICC have postponed the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. It will be held in October 2009 at the earliest.
When I put the story up, I was intrigued by the quotes from David Morgan, el presidento. Politically Pakistan is very fragile indeed, and the concerns players have in travelling to such a fractious country are entirely warranted. And instead of cancelling the tournament entirely, which seemed the most likely solution, it’s been postponed to appease Pakistan (and, one presumes, India, who backed the hosts to the hilt).
Morgan and co insist this was no act of appeasement, that the ICC aren’t merely avoiding a bigger issue by pacifying Pakistan. You have to wonder, though, just where this leaves Pakistan’s future as an international country. Australia haven’t been there since 1998. England crap themselves at the very thought of venturing there, and New Zealand, well, they’ve never really enjoyed the whole bombing thing.
The rift between the Asian bloc and other Full Member nations in the ICC is set to widen with each year I fear.
8 Comments »WORLD CRICKET IN CRISIS
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of July, 2 Comments »
“WORLD CRICKET IN CRISIS” screamed the Evening Standard today, because a number of players and teams are concerned about travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. “Cricketers in Pakistan fear” shocka. Well, no shit.
The tournament is clearly doomed, but this is far from a world crisis. It’s utterly expected.
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