Haq's Musings

Pakistan PCB's Revenue and Budget

ICC Big 3: Will Australia, England and India Doom Cricket?

PSL's Role in Pakistan Cricket

Pakistan's Aisamul Haq Beats Tennis Great Roger Federer

Thursday, November 4, 2021

What Is The Impetus For Pakistan's Winning Streak at T20 World Cup? New Leadership? New Coaches?

Pakistan cricket team has won all four of the group matches it has played so far in the T20 World Cup being played in the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan currently sits on top of the points table with 8 points in Group 2. Pakistan's only remaining match is with the team from Scotland which has lost all 3 matches it has played so far. There is no doubt about the top talent in the Pakistani team but their performance at the T20 World Cup is extraordinary. So what accounts for it? What has changed recently within the team? Do Pakistanis have a chip on their shoulder and they are out to prove themselves? Are the new world-class coaches helping them?

Pakistan's Coches Mathew Hayden (L), Vernon Philander

One possible explanation is that Pakistanis have a chip on their soldier. They are out to prove themselves after having been shunned by teams like England, New Zealand and India. Another more likely explanation that I find more appealing is the change of leadership of Pakistan Cricket Board and the hiring of world class coaches.

Prime Minister Imran Khan appointed ex cricketer and cricket commentator Ramiz Raja as the new head of Pakistan Cricket Board in September 2021. This appointment triggered the walkout of head coach Misbah ul Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis.

Misbah's and Waqar's decision to quit created an opportunity for Ramiz to bring in a new coaching team of his choice. Ramiz chose British-Pakistani Saqlain Mushtaq as the new head coach, brought in world-class Australian batsman Mathew Hayden as the batting coach, and South African seamer Vernon Philander as the bowling coach.

Pakistan's Winningest T20 Team. Source: ESPN

Here's how Ramiz Raja described Mathew Hayden: "The Australian can bring some aggression into the team. He has experience of World Cups and was a world-class player himself. Having an Australian in the dressing room will be of great benefit for us."

On Philander, Raja said, "I know him well, he understands the nuances of bowling and he has a great record in Australia."

These changes were clearly risky just before a major tournament but seem to have worked out well for the Pakistani side. Pakistan has already made it to the T20 World Cup semifinals, and is now considered among the favorites to win the World Cup this year.

Related Links:

South Asia Investor Review

Indian Sports Analysts: Pakistan Tore Us Apart

ICC Big 3: Will Australia, England and India Doom Cricket?

Pakistan's Aisamul Haq Beats Tennis Great Roger Federer

Riaz Haq Youtube Channel

VPOS Youtube Channel

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Indian Sports Analysts: Pakistan Tore Us Apart

Pakistan's 10-wicket triumph over India in their recent T20 World Cup match has made history. It's the country's first ever win against its neighbor in 13 World Cup matches. It is also historic because the Indian bowlers failed to take even a single Pakistani wicket. Pakistani opening batsmen Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan romped to an easy 10-wicket victory by scoring 152 runs in 17.5 overs without any losses. Batting first, India lost 7 wickets to reach 151 runs total in 20 overs. Since this India-Pakistan encounter on October 24, 2021, Pakistan has gone on to win its second match against New Zealand by 5 wickets.

Babar Azam and Virat Kohli

In a rare honest analysis seen on India's ZeeTV, the comments by retired Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif and sports journalist Harpal Singh Bedi summed up the results as follows:

Mohammad Kaif: "Shameful defeat for India"..."No amount of praise (for Pakistan) is enough"... "They (Pakistan) have done it without practice matches..New Zealand pulled out...England cancelled tour"..,.. "Dew factor hurt us (India) because we failed to take early wickets before dew became a factor" ..."we got no wickets...we were completely flat on our back (Charo khane chit)....."Babar Azam had a complete plan...all 11 players pre-announced....field first..etc" "Shaheen's bowling was amazing"

Harpal Singh Bedi: "They tore us apart....they exposed us...we were completely dismantled" .... "Pakistan did the same in the Champions Trophy Final in 2017"..."Dew factor has no meaning".. "Never underestimate other teams" ..."Always respect the opponent" ...."Pakistan took early wickets...essential in T20" ..."Mauka Mauka is nonsense!"

For the uninitiated, "Mauka Mauka" is an Indian ad that mocks Pakistan for its string of losses against India in World Cup matches. Pakistan has done better against India in matches played outside of the World Cup. The two sides have played a total of 200 times. Pakistan has won 87 matches compared to India's 70 victories. In Test matches and ODIs Pakistan has won more matches than India, although India has won six of the nine T20 International between the two sides.

It is indeed refreshing to see such candid commentary by Indian analysts on the emotion-filled India-Pakistan T20 encounter in Dubai, UAE. Here's a video of the ZeeNews show:

https://youtu.be/AA_hBod9i-w

Related Links:

South Asia Investor Review

ICC Big 3: Will Australia, England and India Doom Cricket?

Pakistan's Aisamul Haq Beats Tennis Great Roger Federer

Riaz Haq Youtube Channel

VPOS Youtube Channel

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Army Caps and India's ODI Series Defeat by Australia

When the Indian national cricket team took to the field for its third ODI against Australia in Ranchi on March 8, 2019, they wore military caps to show support for the Indian military against Pakistan. This was an unprecedented act of politicization of international sports on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's watch in India. Pakistan born Usman T. Khawaja, Australia's opening batsman, responded to it with a maiden century that helped his team win by 32 runs after losing first two ODIs. Khawaja then proceeded to score the series highest total score of 383 to help Australia win the remaining two ODIs and the series 3-2.

Pakistan Born Usman Khawaja Batting for Australia Against India at Ranchi

Usman Tariq Khawaja:

Usman Tariq Khawaja, born in Islamabad, Pakistan, is the first Muslim member of the Australian national cricket team. He currently represents Australia and Queensland. Khawaja made his first-class cricket debut for New South Wales in 2008 and played his first international match for Australia in January 2011.

Pakistan born Usman T. Khawaja, Australia's opening batsman, responded to Indian team's jingoism with a maiden century that helped his team win the 3rd of 5 ODIs by 32 runs after losing first two ODIs. Khawaja then proceeded to score the series highest total score of 383 to help Australia win the remaining the remaining two ODIs and the series 3-2. Khawaja was named player of the match for 3rd and 5th ODIs.

India's Sports Jingoism:

In an Op Ed for Huffpost, Indian journalist Binoo John summed up what happened in Ranchi in the following words: "No team in the history of modern cricket has worn military camouflage caps or symbols during an international match to make a statement".

What happened in Ranchi is part of a pattern of Modi-led Indian hostile actions that include an almost total boycott of all cultural and sports exchanges that have historically helped lower tensions between the two South Asian neighbors. Pakistani artists are no welcome in India's entertainment industry. Pakistan players are banned from Indian cricket leagues.

Politicization of Culture and Sports:

Modi government has completely ignored Indian parliament's foreign affairs committee report that recommended: “Taking a holistic picture, the committee are of the considered opinion that cultural, sporting and humanitarian exchanges need to be approached from a broader perspective as this could emerge as one potential area of creating peace constituencies in both the countries.”

In February 2019, the International Olympic Committee decided to suspend all Indian applications to host future events and urged international sports federations not to stage competitions in the country after two Pakistanis were denied visas to compete in New Delhi.

Hindu Nationalism:

Hindu Nationalists, led by RSS Karsevak Modi and aided by the jingoistic Indian media, are radicalizing India's population by promoting hatred against minorities. Attacking Pakistan fits in well with the Hindu Nationalist Islamophobic narrative. Madhav Golwalkar, considered the founder of the Hindu Nationalist movement in India, saw Islam and Muslims as enemies. He said: “Ever since that evil day, when Moslems first landed in Hindusthan, right up to the present moment, the Hindu Nation has been gallantly fighting to shake off the despoilers".

In his book "We" (1939), Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, the leader of the Hindu Nationalist RSS wrote, "To keep up the purity of the Race and its culture, Germany shocked the world by her purging the country of the Semitic races -- the Jews. Race pride at its highest has been manifested here. Germany has also shown how well-nigh impossible it is for races and cultures, having differences going to the root, to be assimilated into one united whole, a good lesson for us in Hindusthan to learn and profit by."

Indian Think Tanks:

Hindu Nationalists are aided by what Indian journalist Pankaj Mishra calls "New Delhi’s burgeoning military-intellectual complex is exacerbating rather than moderating the country’s warlike mood". Mishra is referring to India's large and rapidly growing think tank industry with many "armchair generals..marching India into trouble". Here's the relevant excerpt of Mishra's Bloomberg Op Ed about India's think tanks:

"Perched in privately funded think tanks, many of these connoisseurs of “surgical strikes” did not seem in the least shocked or disturbed that an Indian leader who has, as the Economist put it last week, “made a career of playing with fire” was now playing with Armageddon by launching airstrikes into Pakistan. Rather, they echoed the Hindu nationalist consensus that India was now finally dictating the terms of engagement with its rival — a triumphalism shattered the very next day when Pakistan raised its own threshold for conflict with India by striking within Indian territory and bringing down an Indian warplane. Eisenhower’s fear in 1961 of vested interests acquiring “unwarranted influence” is freshly pertinent in today’s New Delhi. With hopes rising that India would soon be a superpower closely allied to the U.S., as well as a strategic counterweight to China, much Indian and foreign money has gone into creating a luxurious ecosystem for strategic experts and foreign-policy analysts".

Here's an Australian 60 Minutes video about Islamabad Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja:

https://youtu.be/OdkY30QGPFE

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Haq's Musings

South Asia Investor Review

Cutting Sports Ties in South Asia

Balakot and Kashmir: Fact Checkers Expose Indian Lies

Is Pakistan Ready for War with India?

Pakistan-Made Airplanes Lead Nation's Defense Exports

Modi's Blunders and Delusions

India's Israel Envy: What If Modi Attacks Pakistan?

Project Azm: Pakistan to Develop 5th Generation Fighter Jet

Pakistan Navy Modernization

Pakistan's Sea-Based Second Strike Capability

Bollywood Eyes Pakistan Market Amid Declining Revenues

Pakistani Military's Performance in 1971 War

Monday, June 19, 2017

PSL's Role in Pakistan's Meteoric Rise to ICC Championship 2017

Pakistan's national cricket team scored a historic win in Champions Trophy 2017 final against defending champions India on June 18th by the highest-ever margin of 180 runs in any ICC international tournament final. New players emerging from Pakistan Super League and the return of players like Mohammad Amir significantly strengthened the bottom-ranked Pakistan side to beat much higher-ranked teams, including India.

Pakistan Team Celebrating Champions Trophy 2017 Victory

Pakistan Team's Defiance:

The Pakistan team that barely made the cut to play in Champions Trophy as the 8th ranked team lost its very first match against arch-rival India by 124 runs in group B on June 4, 2017. Subsequently, the team to went on to defeat top ranked South Africa, 4th ranked England and 7th ranked Sri Lanka to reach the trophy's final match against India.

Often described as "predictably unpredictable", Pakistan XI bounced back strongly after being written off by most commentators and pundits. They demonstrated the resilience that also characterizes the people and the state of Pakistan both of which are often given the "failed" tag by Indian and western media.

Success Factors:

There are many factors that are believed to have contributed to Pakistan's spectacular rise to the world champion status in international cricket. The team captain Sarfaraz Ahmad is not only a good leader but also a very good batsman-wicket keeper who keeps his cool under pressure. The return of aggressive paceman Mohammad Amir to the team after a long suspension for match-fixing has bolstered Pakistan's bowling attack. But, most of all, I believe it is the discovery and grooming of new talent in Pakistan Super League.

Pakistan Super League:

Pakistan Super League (PSL) is a T20 cricket league with 6 franchise teams-- one each in the cities of Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Multan. Multan franchise was just recently sold by PSL to the Schon Group for $41.6 million over 8 years. PSL generates millions of dollars in PCB income that helps promote cricket in the country. It also exposes new talent that would otherwise remain hidden.

Several youngsters in Pakistan side who shined in the recent Champions Trophy matches were selected after they played and performed well in PSL 2, the league's second season earlier this year. For example Fakhar Zaman (Lahore Qalandars), Hassan Ali (Peshawar Zalmi), Shadab Khan (Islamabad United), Rumman Raees (Islamabad United).

Opener Fakhar Zaman gave Pakistan the rapid start it needed with the runs that built the foundation for other batsmen down the line to capitalize on; Mohammad Amir struck early with quick top order wickets and then Hassan Ali and Shadab Khan kept up the pressure with their aggressive bowling. These youngsters also energized the rest of the team, particularly the more senior low-performing players, to do better.

Credit to Najam Sethi:

PSL chairman Najam Sethi has played a crucial role in setting up the PSL that is giving young talent an opportunity to play with the best of international players and be discovered. It's a platform that highlights Pakistan's young talent that can simply not be ignored by the Pakistan national team selectors.

Sethi can also be credited with bringing Mohammad Amir back into Pakistan team in the face of significant opposition by senior players, both former and current.

Summary:

New players emerging from PSL and the return of players like Mohammad Amir have significantly strengthened Pakistan side as witnessed by their historic win against higher-ranked teams, including India, in Champions Trophy 2017 held in the United Kingdom. PSL is also generating the needed revenue to promote cricket at the grassroots level. PSL, if used properly, can help Pakistan become a more powerful professional side using the best available talent in the country.

Pakistan Cricket Board Revenue

Pakistan Cricket Needs World Class Batting Coach and Top Sports Psychologist

ICC Big 3: Will Australia, England and India Doom Cricket?

Pakistan's Aisamul Haq Beats Tennis Great Roger Federer

Saturday, June 17, 2017

India-Pakistan Champions Final; Panama JIT; Trump Under Investigation

What is so special about India-Pakistan final in Champions Trophy at the Oval in London? How did 8th ranked Pakistan succeed in making it to the final after the team in green was written off at the early stages of the tournament? Why is it likely to be one of the most watched televised sports events in the world? Will there be corruption and payoffs to influence the outcome? Who is most likely to win? Is it an opportunity for India-Pakistan cricket diplomacy?

What does the history-making appearance of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif before joint investigating team (JIT) to investigate corruption mean? Is it good or bad for accountability and democracy in Pakistan? What are the various likely outcomes of the Panama Leaks case now before the Supreme Court of Pakistan?

Why is President Donald Trump being investigated by Special Counsel Robert Muller for the obstruction of justice in FBI Director Comey's firing? Why are Vice President Mike Pence, Trump son-in-law and White House aide Jerrold Kushner and others hiring their own lawyers? Are they too caught up in the investigation?

Viewpoint From Overseas host Faraz Darvesh discusses these questions with Misbah Azam and Riaz Haq (www.riazhaq.com)

https://youtu.be/oIWYCWXvsT0

Related Links:

Haq's Musings

India-Pakistan Cricket Diplomacy

Pakistan Cricket Board

London's British Pakistani Mayor Sadiq Khan

Panama Leaks Corruption Investigation in Pakistan

FBI Director Comey's Firing

Trump Appointments

Talk4Pak Youtube Channel

Talk4Pak Vimeo Channel

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Pakistan Cricket Board's $43 Million Revenue and Budget

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spends about $43 million on national and international cricket every year, according to media reports. It receives about $16.5 million a year share from the International Cricket Council (ICC) as part of the new revenue sharing model while the rest comes from Pakistan Super League (PSL) and multiple bilateral cricket series with other ICC member nations. PCB could earn significantly more if India, with its huge media market, agrees to honor its prior commitments to play bilateral series with Pakistan. PCB has threatened to sue BCCI to recover $200 million in lost revenue since 2007.

ICC Revenue Sharing:

Under a new deal announced by the International Cricket Club (ICC) after its recent board meeting in Dubai, Pakistan's PCB will receive $132 million from 2015 through 2023. India's BCCI will receive $293 million across the eight-year cycle, the ECB $143 million, Zimbabwe Cricket $94 million and the remaining seven Full Members $132 million each. Associate Members will receive total combined funding of $280 million, according to ESPN sports network.

Source: ESPN

The new, more equitable revenue sharing model will replace the "Big Three" financial model drawn up by the boards of India, England and Australia that allocated much larger revenue share to them.

As expected India is not happy with the reduction in its share of the ICC revenue to $ 293 million. While the new distribution model is not a complete rollback to the equal funding from ICC events that Full Members like Pakistan used to receive, it is considerably lower than the $440 million the BCCI stood to earn under the Big Three model. The associate members of ICC would be the biggest losers if the BCCI demand for $440 million was accepted.

India-Pakistan Series:

India, with its massive media market, generates significantly more revenue that any other national cricket team and it has not played a full bilateral series with Pakistan since 2007. PCB had signed an MoU with the BCCI officials in 2014 on the sidelines of an ICC meeting. Under the MoU, Pakistan and India were to play six bilateral series between 2015 and 2023 but India so far has refused to honor its commitment saying that the Modi government has not given it permission for bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan.

The BCCI has refused even to play Pakistan on neutral venues including Sri Lanka. PCB claims it has lost nearly $200 million because of India's failure to deliver. BCCI has also rejected ICC chief Shashank Manohar's offer of additional $100 million to Pakistan to cover its losses, according to India Today. PCB is now threatening to sue BCCI to recover its losses.

Pakistan Super League:

Pakistan Super League has become a significant source of revenue for PCB since its launch in 2016. The auction of the teams in 2016 generated $18.6 million for PCB in 2016, according to media reports. This year, PCB earned a profit of $2.6 million net after all the expenses of PSL's second season.

PCB Plans:

PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said PCB plans to use the money for new cricket academies across the nation and to set up cricket programs at schools and universities and to sponsor cricket clubs. In addition, sports facilities like cricket pitches and grounds will be improved across the country.

Summary:

Pakistan Cricket Board seems to be achieving self-sufficiency and the wherewithal to fund the sport of cricket in Pakistan better than ever before. In addition to the money from the ICC revenue sharing, PCB is also getting a new revenue stream from the PSL to help meet its needs. It's important that the PCB follows through on its plans to support cricket programs at schools and universities and cricket clubs, and to improve sports facilities in the country.

Related Links:

Pakistan Cricket Needs World Class Batting Coach and Top Sports Psychologist

ICC Big 3: Will Australia, England and India Doom Cricket?

Pakistan's Aisamul Haq Beats Tennis Great Roger Federer

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

PTI Infighting; Brig Samson’s Revelations; Mullah Omar, Malik Ishaq Deaths; MQM’s Future; Pakistan Cricket Success

Why is the PTI infighting increasingly public? Why did Brig Samson reveal details of “conspiracy” around PTI dharna? Will PTI split up?

Why was Mullah Omar’s death announcement timed just before the second round of Taliban peace talks? Was it done by the Tajik-dominated pro-India Afghan intelligence to scuttle the talks?

Who ordered the killing of Malik Ishaq and his right-hand man and his two sons? What message does it to the sectarian outfits?

How will MQM chief Altaf Hussain’s continuing anti-Pakistan rants impact the future of MQM?

How did Pakistan pull off a stunning T20 win in Sri Lanka after winning both test and one-day series?

Viewpoint From Overseas host Faraz Darvesh discusses these questions with Misbah Azam (www.politicsinpakistan.com) and Riaz Haq (www.riazhaq.com)

https://vimeo.com/135357304

PTI Infighting; Mullah Omar, Malik Ishaq Deaths; MQM’s Future; Cricket Success from WBT TV on Vimeo.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x30al0q_pti-infighting-brig-samson-s-revelations-mullah-omar-malik-ishaq-deaths-mqm-s-future-pakistan-cricke_news

PTI Infighting; Brig Samson’s Revelations... by ViewpointFromOverseas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXzTys04ng0

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VPOS Dailymotion Channel

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

ICC World Cup 2015: Australia's Discipline; Pakistan's Disappointment

ألم الإنضباط هو شيء مثل الألم من خيبة الأمل

"The pain of discipline is nothing like the pain of disappointment"

What is the most plausible explanation for the fact that Australian national cricket team is enjoying the thrill of victory while its rivals are suffering the agony of defeat? It can be found tattooed in Arabic on Australian Captain Michael Clarke's raised arm holding the ICC World Cup 2015. It's an Arabic proverb that translates as follows: The pain of discipline is nothing like the pain of disappointment.

Discipline is what distinguished Australia from its competitors in all departments during ICC World Cup 2015: Batting, Bowling and Fielding. And discipline doesn't come easy. It takes a lot of hard work to develop and maintain the discipline necessary to effectively compete and win.

There were many flashes of brilliance and passion in Pakistani cricketers' performance at the World Cup. In fact, cricket greats like Lara, Ponting and Tendulkar all agree that Pakistani bowler Wahab Riaz's fierce bowling spell against Australian batsman Shane Watson was the most memorable part of the tournament. But these flashes of brilliance were overshadowed by the lack of discipline by Pakistani fielders and poor shots played by Pakistani batsmen.

Pakistanis' lack of discipline was obvious in several ways: Fielders dropped crucial catches or failed to stop boundaries; Batsmen selected poor shots to lose wickets at critical moments. It all added up to a big loss to Australia in the quarter final. Other South Asian teams seemed to suffer from the same lack of discipline when playing against Australia.

Pakistanis' poor discipline on display at the World Cup is not limited to just cricket matches; it seems to be pervasive in almost all spheres of life Pakistan, a nation whose founder Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah frequently emphasized the importance of "Unity, Faith and Discipline".

All of the talk of various TV talking heads, commentators and pundits on the causes of Pakistan's failures will do little to help Pakistan succeed, be it in sports or education or economy or any other area. What is needed is the return to the basics of "Unity, Faith and Discipline". Unity of purpose; faith in yourselves as individuals and as a nation; and discipline in all your pursuits.

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Wahab Vs. Watson at ICC World Cup 2015

Pakistan Cricket Needs Top Sports Psychologist and World-Class Batting Coach

Pakistan Won 1992 World Cup After Losing to India and West Indies

Top Ten Sledges in Cricket

Pakistan Breaks Australia's 34-Match Winning Streak

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Monday, March 23, 2015

Wahab Vs Watson: "Cricket at its Absolute Best"

Ricky Ponting, the legendary captain of the Australian national cricket team, has described Pakistani fast bowler Wahab Riaz's bowling in Pakistan versus Australia quarter final at the ICC World Cup 2015 as "extraordinary spell" and the contest between Wahab and Watson "cricket at its absolute best".

Brian Lara, another great cricketer and ex-captain of the West Indies, has called the decision to fine Wahab Riaz "ridiculous". Lara also offered to pay Wahab's fine.

Wahab's initial six-over spell brought 2 for 24. Then it was a dropped catch off of Wahab's bowling early in the innings that saved Watson from being dismissed at a very low score. Australia stood at 83 for 3 at this point. "(Watson) couldn't do much but survive against Wahab Riaz in that extraordinary spell on Friday night," Ponting wrote in The Australian. "Their contest was cricket at its absolute best. Watto (Shane Watson) didn't want to hook him and Wahab (Raz) was going to make life hell for him if he didn't". Watson made the best of the chance afforded by the dropped catch to score an unbeaten 64 off of 66 balls, taking Australia to victory.

Another critical dropped catch was that of Glenn Maxwell off of Wahab when Australia were at 185 for 4. Maxwell reached an unbeaten 44 to win the match for Australia. Although Pakistan couldn't win the encounter, it did earn a lot of respect for Wahab from Brian Lara who was incensed by the ICC decision to fine Wahab 50% of his match fee. "It's just unbelievable that that's the end result ... both were fined. I don't know what the ICC is thinking. It's just uncalled for. We need this in a sport that people are running away from, especially 50-over cricket. I loved the exchange. It was above board as far as I'm concerned and I can't wait to meet him. I want to meet with [this] Riaz guy. I'll pay the fine."

Wahab Riaz is the latest pacer to come from the land that produced legendary fast bowlers like Fazal Mahmood, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younus and Shoaib Akhtar. Mohammad Irfan, 7 ft 1 in tall fast bowler with the distinction of being the tallest in the history of cricket, could not play against Australia due to injury. The list of the victims of bouncers bowled by Pakistani pacers reads like the Who's Who of international cricket: Sachin Tendulkar, Alan Lamb, Mohinder Amarnath, Lance Cairns, Brian Lara, Shane Watson, Saurav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh.

Pakistani bowlers, particularly Wahab Riaz, bowled their hearts out but they still couldn't make up for their team-mates' poor batting and fielding. The shot selections by Pakistani batsmen were just atrocious and the fielding extremely poor. It's hard for any side, including Pakistan, to win against a well-rounded side like Australia without strong performance in all three departments: Batting, Bowling and Fielding.

Here's a video clip on Wahab's performance:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2k5c0l_wahab-riaz-fight-with-shane-watson-australia-vs-pakistan-highlights-quarterfinal-best-spell_sport

Wahab Riaz fight with Shane Watson Australia vs... by gagan051194

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Haq's Musings

Pakistan Cricket Needs Top Sports Psychologist and World-Class Batting Coach

Pakistan Won 1992 World Cup After Losing to India and West Indies

Top Ten Sledges in Cricket

Pakistan Breaks Australia's 34-Match Winning Streak

Obama on Cricket

Case For Resuming India-Pakistan Peace Talks

Pakistan Punish Aussie 2-0 in T20 Series

Afridi's Leadership

Pakistan In, India Out of T20 Semis

Pakistan Beat India in South Africa

Kiwis Dash Pakistan's ICC Championship Hopes

Pakistan Crowned World T20 Champs

Pakistan's Aisamul Haq Beats Tennis Great Roger Federer

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Pak Senate Elections; ICC World Cup; Rajapaksa on India's RAW; Netanyahu Speech

What is all the controversy surrounding senate elections in Pakistan, especially in KP and Baluchistan?

Why has the new Saudi Arabian King Salman invited Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and rolled out the red carpet for him?

What are Pakistan's chances at the ICC World Cup 2015?

Why has Sri Lanka's ex-President Rajapaksa accused India and RAW of fomenting terror in Pakistan and Sri Lanka?

What will be the impact of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to US Congress on President Obama's efforts to reach a nuclear deal with Iran?

ViewPoint from Overseas host Sabahat Ashraf (IFaqeer) discusses these questions with special guest Javed Ellahie, Ali H Cemendtaur and Riaz Haq(www.riazhaq.com).

Pak Senate Elections; ICC World Cup; Rajapaksa on India's RAW; Netanyahu Speech from WBT TV on Vimeo.

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Power of US Israel Lobby

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Pakistan Won 1992 World Cup After Losing to India and West Indies

Pakistan cricket team has drawn widespread derision after performing miserably in its first two matches of World Cup 2015. Many Pakistanis are understandably very angry at the top batting order that fell like flies to create a new world record of the loss of 4 wickets in the first few minutes of the match against West Indies with the score stuck at 1 run.

While I agree with much of the criticism of the Pakistan cricket team for its poor performance seen so far, I do think the hysteria is unnecessary. All we have to do is to look at the history of Pakistan's performance in the 1992 World Cup which Pakistan won.

Like the 2015 World Cup, the 1992 Cricket World Cup was hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Before going on to win the1992 World Cup, Pakistan lost badly to three teams: India, West Indies and South Africa. Here are the scores from these matches:

Pakistan (173 runs) lost to India (216/7) by 43 runs.

Pakistan (220/2) lost to West Indies (220/0) by 10 wickets.

Pakistan (173/8) lost to South Africa (211/7) by 38 runs.

Pakistan were bowled out by England for a meager 74 runs. Had luck not favored the Pakistanis with rain in England-Pakistan match, the "talented" 1992 players like Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Javed Miandad would not have gone on to win the 1992 World Cup. Instead, they would have returned home defeated.

1992 World Cup Points Table Source: Wikipedia

Pakistan side remains as talented and resilient but unpredictable as ever. While the start of the 2015 World Cup is terrible for Pakistan's national team, it's too early to write them off. Let's hope Pakistan can still repeat the 1992 performance yet again.

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