All Pakistan Blog

Anonymous

The Indian Premier League cricket bandwagon rolls into action today with organisers hoping India’s World Cup victory last weekend will help the competition regain some of its lost sparkle.

This year’s edition — spread over 51 days and comprising 74 matches across 13 venues — will be the first after the ousting of its outspoken founder Lalit Modi, who was forced out last year under a cloud of corruption allegations.

The tournament’s future had looked in doubt amid claims of corruption, money-laundering and tax evasion, as well as secret deals to hide teams’ real owners and even links to India’s criminal underworld.

But a massive PR exercise by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has ensured the IPL has kept its date with fans, as well as sponsors and advertisers hungry for their share of the huge commercial pie.

IPL chief executive Sundar Raman dismissed fears that cricket fans in India, still recovering from celebrations after Saturday’s victory over Sri Lanka in the World Cup final, could suffer sporting overload.

“The success of the Indian team in the World Cup has made it (IPL) more interesting,” Raman told AFP, saying the tournament would “carry on from where the World Cup ended”.

“Fans are already into cricket and celebrating India’s victory. We are confident of building on the success of the last edition.”

This year’s IPL, the fourth time it has been held, will have two new teams in Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Pune Warriors, taking the total number of franchises to 10.

The opening game will feature Chennai Super Kings, led by victorious Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and the Kolkata Knight Riders, owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

The IPL revolutionised the sport when it burst onto the scene in 2008 with a high-octane blend of international star players, scantily-clad cheerleaders and Bollywood glamour.

Using the short Twenty20 form of the game, IPL matches are usually three-hour events packed with music, delirious crowds and countless television advertisements.

Everything from the time-out to the drinks break is sponsored by companies, earning Indian cricket authorities millions in revenue.

The fourth edition is likely to see IPL bosses reduce the decadent post-match parties, which were blamed by some for India’s failure in the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean last year.

The much-discussed cheerleader jobs — all taken by Western women in previous editions — might be given to locals who will don traditional Indian outfits in place of barely-there miniskirts, local media reports say.

Indian cricket team ready to visit Pak

Anonymous

Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao has said that Indian cricket team is prepared to visit Pakistan.

In a telephonic interview, foreign secretary said that it is not that we have forbidden our team from going there. Security is always an issue and we always like to be sure about security when we allow our teams to go there.

I think cricket sometimes becomes an instrument of diplomacy, she said and added that we have seen how cricket matches have been played between India and Pakistan in the past. People in both countries have supported the idea of such contacts.

Rao said this has to be discussed between the cricketing fraternities on both sides and taken forward.

The meeting between the Prime Ministers of two countries at Mohali on March 30 on the sidelines of the cricket World Cup semifinal between the two countries, "has given a new direction" to the bilateral relationship, Rao said in the interview.

Manmohan Singh had invited Gilani to Mohali after India and Pakistan advanced to the World Cup semifinal.

She said that India was open to renewing cricketing contacts with Pakistan.

Cameron visits Pakistan to urge 'fresh start'

Anonymous

British Prime Minister David Cameron flew into Pakistan for talks on Tuesday, seeking a "fresh start" in relations with Islamabad, nine months after accusing it of turning a blind eye to terrorism.

In his first trip to Pakistan since taking office in May 2010, the premier hopes to soothe tensions caused by his remarks during a visit to India last July, according to a pre-released extract of his speech.

The British leader touched down at the Pakistan Air Force base of Chaklala in the garrison city of Rawalpindi at around 6:30 am (0130 GMT) ahead of a packed day of talks in Islamabad.

"Let's today make a fresh start in our relationship. It is time for a new step in relations between Britain and Pakistan and between Britons and Pakistanis," Cameron will tell an audience of university students.

"Let's make this the start of a new era in the relations between our countries, our governments, our peoples."

"Let's clear up the misunderstandings of the past, work through the tensions of the present and look together to the opportunities of the future."

During a trade visit to the Indian city of Bangalore in July last year, Cameron said Pakistan could not be allowed to "look both ways", promoting the export of terror while publicly working for stability in the region.

British officials said the comments were not directed at the Pakistan government, but Islamabad summoned Britain's representative for clarification.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari visited London the following month, and the two leaders insisted their relations were "unbreakable" and promised to intensify intelligence sharing between the two countries.

Cameron will repeat this Tuesday, saying: "The unbreakable partnership must not just be between our two governments. It must be between our peoples too."

He adds: "We want a strong relationship with a secure, prosperous, open and flourishing Pakistan. We want that relationship for the long-term. We want to work to strengthen that relationship, now and in the future."

Cameron will meet Zardari during his one-day visit and also hold talks with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, officials said.

He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including the head of the Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6, John Sawers, and the head of the British military, Chief of the Defence Staff David Richards.

The talks come amid the backdrop of an upsurge of violence in neighboring Afghanistan, where violent protests against the burning of a Koran by a US pastor have killed at least 22 people, including seven foreign UN staff.

Britain has around 9,500 troops in Afghanistan as part of an international coalition fighting Taliban insurgents, but Cameron has said he wants all British combat soldiers to be out of the country by 2015.

On his way to Pakistan, Cameron made a surprise visit Monday to the base in Gioia del Colle, southern Italy, from where British jets enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya are operating, and announced four more jets for the mission.

He said Britain would deploy the new Tornados "in the next couple of days" to boost the NATO-led mission designed to protect civilians from forces loyal to Moamer Kadhafi who are fighting to put down an eastern revolt.

In his first trip to the base since the operation, Cameron said the British jets had saved "literally thousands of lives" in Libya.

Cricket World Cup 2011 won by India

Anonymous

India won the Cricket World Cup again after 28 years. A brilliant effort by Gambhir and the skipper MS Dhoni lead India to victory.
Jayawardene's 103 wasn't just enough to bag the game for Sri Lanka. The last over of Malinga wasn't impressive at all. Dhoni took full advantage of the loose balls and entertained the crowd.
Congratulations to India!!! They displayed a great deal of cricket and deserved to win the World Cup.

Do you think like this too...???

http://thenews.com.pk/blog/blog_details.asp?id=1199

Anonymous

I just read a blog at "The News" and am astonished to read the views of the writer. Have a look and see for yourself;

what kind of lame thinking is this?

The writer is happy that we lost and has thanked God for it........... are you wondering why??? Lets see his pathetic arguments:

Because if we had won, we would all be calling each other and sending sms messages to congratulate each other, which would result in higher phone bills.

Because if we had won there would have been celebrations on the road which would have resulted in traffic jams.

Because if we had won, there would have been aerial firing.

Because if we had won, we would be sitting in front of tv on Saturday to watch the match.

Because somehow, in the words of the writer and I quote "These happy-go-lucky days have made us forget all our worries".

and I quote again "I just don't know why we ever wanted to win the match so dearly. Infact we will inflict real pain to our neighbour-cum-rival by making them waste their energies for one more day and losing out monetarily, physically and psychologically. Green shirts have indeed turned out to be a winner in the end."

and again "Anyways, why create a fuss over the loss? After all cricket is not our national sport."

Now I am thinking, shall I say something about all the above arguments or shall I request my readers to give the cross-arguments.

I would just want to comment on the aerial firing issue. Its true that there is a culture of aerial firing and that this happens but do you think that loosing a match is the right way to avoid aerial firing? Can we not take some other course of action to avoid or at least minimise it?

I want all my readers to share their thoughts regarding the arguments given by the visionary correspondent of GEO, Mr. Haris Tohid.

How to lose a cricket semi final...

Anonymous

It is a sad and disappointing morning for Pakistani nation because of what we witnessed yesterday. I have no words to explain it. I want to pick up the DANDA that our government school's master ji has and start beating those players who ruined it for us.

What will you do when your key bowler starts to fumble from the very beginning and then catches are dropped as well. Not one, not two, but six catches were dropped expertly. Four of those were of Sachin... Can you believe it!!! He was dropped for the first time when he was on 27. then again and again and again... Aagggggrrrrrrrrr....

The only bowler who looked determined, was Wahab Riaz, who bowled beautifully and took 5 wickets. This allowed us to restrict Indian cricket team to 260 run.

But in a game of cricket, the batting side also has to perform but Paksitani batsmen were not up for it. Our batting line was shattered very early by idiotic shot selection of our players. Younis Khan and Misbah slaughtered the pace of the game by pathetic shots choice and played the role of undertakers to bury Pakistan's dreams of winning the game. Their slow paced game put pressure on the other side of the wicket which resulted in the dismissal of Asad Shafiq and Umer Akmal.

Overall the Pakitani cricket team did not performed at all and it never looked like they were playing to win the match.

I am not moaning about loosing the match. I know that in a game one side will win and the other will loose but when you loose even after giving it your best and after performing well then it is acceptable. But if you loose in such a shameful manner then there are no excuses for it.

My advice to all the players in our cricket team is to stop playing cricket and start writing book with the title "HOW TO LOSE A CRICKET SEMI FINAL" and yes, I can predict that it will be a best seller.