Sunday, December 5, 2010
Atlas moves into third round
imran khan collects $140,000-plus in Sacramento for Pakistani flood victims
A plea for help in Sacramento – featuring a Pakistani national icon – raised more than $140,000 Saturday for flood victims in Pakistan.The fundraiser was billed as a lunch with Imran Khan, who captained the Pakistani cricket team to a World Cup title in 1992 and has since become involved in politics and humanitarian efforts.
About 380 people – most from the local Pakistani American community – filled a Hyatt ballroom for the event. They donated money to Khan's foundation, which is rebuilding villages wiped out by floods this summer.
Floods affected more than 20 million people – mostly subsistence farmers who lost their livelihood, Khan said. His Imran Khan Foundation is rebuilding 100 villages with schools and health centers, Khan said.
"It was just such a huge devastation and so little response from the international community," he said.
Those at the event watched a video of the damage and heard Khan speak about the flooding he witnessed first-hand in his ancestral village.
Many attributed the amount of money raised Saturday to Khan's credibility.
His fame helps his cause, but Khan also has built a college and cancer hospital in Pakistan, said Muhammad Nawaz, 52, of Sacramento. That Khan says less than 2 percent of money donated to his foundation goes for administrative costs – while the rest goes directly to those in need – inspires faith, Nawaz said.
"People are relying a lot on the idea that he can really do something," he said.
Few, if any, people at the event had relatives affected by the floods – likely because many local Pakistani Americans emigrated from different areas of the county, said Iftikhar Ahmad, former president of the Muslim Mosque Association in Sacramento. But the sight of countrymen in need makes it "our job to help them," he said.
"I don't know anybody affected," said Mohammad Fayyaz, 47, of Sacramento, who said he was born in Pakistan and left at age 15. "Overall we're all family."
Rana Naved denies any 'clash' with Yousuf
Lahore: Pakistan all-rounder Rana Naved has finally broken his silence on his alleged fight with former captain and senior batsman, Mohammad Yousuf that led to the latter leaving the Wapda team in the middle of the ongoing domestic season and joining the Lahore team for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches.
Rana, who has been captaining the Wapda team, said on Sunday that he had no direct dispute with either Yousuf or Test discard Shabbir Ahmed who also left Wapda and joined Lahore.
Media reports said that the decision by Yousuf and Shabbir to leave Wapda was prompted after a dispute with Rana who was recently ignored by the selectors for the tour to New Zealand.
"I think these reports are misleading. There was never any direct clash between me and Yousuf. I respect him a lot as he is my senior and a great player," Rana said.
He explained that Yousuf had issues with the Wapda management and had decided to leave them. He said apparently the Pakistan Cricket Board had told Yousuf to rest for one month after he returned from Dubai with an injury that forced him out of the Test series against South Africa last month.
"I think the Board's medical panel had advised Yousuf not to risk aggravating his injury by playing immediately in domestic cricket. They had also sent an advisory to Wapda who decided that Yousuf required a month's rest but he didn't agree and wanted to play in the Quaid Trophy matches and that led to the dispute," Rana said.
He said that he didn't even have any talk to Yousuf on the issue and only came to know that the senior batsman had left Wapda later on.
"Why would I as captain want to lose a top player like Yousuf?"
He said in the case of Shabbir, he had some demands with the Wapda management and they didn't work out, so he left, something which he had been planning to do for a while now.
Yousuf, who has played 90 Tests for his country, was left out of the national T20 and Test squads announced for the New Zealand tour last week by the selectors and has since then declined to speak on his omission.
The selectors, after initially announcing a 14-member Test squad, later included young batsman Khurrum Manzoor to the squad virtually, putting to an end any chances of a comeback for Yousuf later on.
Rana himself, since having a ban lifted recently, has been performing well in domestic cricket in a bid to win back his place in the national team but was again overlooked by the selectors.
"It is disappointing but I am ready to fight on and keep on performing in domestic cricket as right now my priority is to see Wapda do well.
"I am confident that sooner or later when the time comes, I will get my chance. I am in great shape even now at 32 and I am feeling confident and I know I can still contribute to Pakistan team."
He further added, "I will be going to Australia again this season to play T20 cricket for Tasmania in the Big Bash and that will be another opportunity for me to remind the selectors that I am still around."
Pak team uncertain of Miandad's availability
Karachi: It is not yet clear whether former Test captain Javed Miandad will be available for the national training camp, starting in Lahore from Wednesday, for the New Zealand tour.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has asked Miandad to work as a batting and fielding consultant with the team in the camp and also go to New Zealand but at the same time it has put forth some clear conditions for the batting great.
The conditions include that Miandad will work under head coach Waqar Younis and will have to share his plans for the team with the Younis.These conditions have been rejected by Miandad, who also works as director general of cricket in the Board.
Hence, there is uncertainty over his availability and even Team manager Intikhab Alam has no clue about that.
"I really don't know the situation about Miandad because the Board is in contact with him," Alam said.
He said Younis would reach Lahore from Australia to join the camp on Wednesday.
"He will be there from day one in the camp to supervise things as he is the head coach. If Miandad is available, it would be beneficial for the players as he is an experienced pro and great batsman," Alam said.
Miandad has written a letter to the PCB Chairman, making it clear that the conditions put forth before him were not acceptable to him considering he is much senior than Younis.
Alam said a lot of emphasis would be on fielding during the camp since it is their weak point.
"The camp will allow us to group together for the coming tour which will be a testing one as conditions in New Zealand are never easy for touring sides."
Alam, a former Test captain, had no doubt that senior players hold the key to Pakistan's success in New Zealand and in the 2011 World Cup.
"Look, when we won the 1992 World Cup, Imran Khan and Javed Miandad led from the front and were ably backed by the younger players and similarly in the 1999 event, Wasim Akram and other seniors such as Saeed Anwar, Moin Khan and Inzamam led by example.
"So I think the seniors hold the key to how we do in the World Cup but we are certainly on the right track with our preparations," he said.
The manager said the good thing was that there was more discipline in the team and the players were responding to the hard work put in by the coaches' panel.
Afghan coach Latif trashes fixing talks
Karachi: National coach of the Afghanistan cricket team, Rashid Latif has rubbished reports that his side's semifinal match against Pakistan in last month's Guangzhou Asian Games was fixed.
"Such talk is just demeaning the hard work put in by my players. I don't want to even talk about it," Latif said.
The minnows stunned Pakistan in the last-four stage of the Guangzhou Games and Latif believed the country will slowly become a force to reckon with in the international arena.
"I don't want to sound over-enthusiastic or jump the gun but I sincerely believe that Afghanistan has plenty of talent and will surprise top cricket nations in Asia soon," Latif said.
The team has been in the news for its impressive showings in recent times and the silver medal in the Guangzhou Asian Games followed by the Intercontinental Cup title in Dubai indicates that it is moving in the right direction.
"I am pleased with their performance. Apart from the silver medal in the Asian games and the Intercontinental Cup, the team has done remarkably well and defeated teams like Kenya, Ireland, Canada and Holland which I believe is a great achievement. The graph of progress is on the rise," he added.
Latif said he saw a lot of positives in the team's recent triumphs and is confident that it will soon emerge as a strong cricket nation.
"The potential in Afghanistan to become a leading cricket nation is immense and when I look at the passion the youngsters and the present players in the team have for cricket, I see the perfect recipe for a strong cricket team to come up soon," Latif told PTI.
Aggressive mindset and keenness to learn have been the secrets behind the team's success. "They are mentally very strong and hate to lose, just like the Australians in their prime," Latif said.
"The best thing is that they have a lot of backing at home where everyone, including the people and the government, want to see them do well and put Afghanistan on the international sporting map," he said.
Latif said his role so far has been to just work on dedicated areas with the players and the rest they do themselves.
The coach also said he would love to see the Afghanistan team play more international matches and be given Test status by the ICC. "They need to get more matches against stronger teams and I think the Asian teams must support their rise by giving them matches at the international level."
The former Pakistan wicketkeeper said that the Asian cricket council and the ICC had done a lot to set up a cricket infrastructure and provide technical expertise to the war-torn country but felt a lot needed to be done to establish a proper domestic cricket structure in Afghanistan.
"Only those nations come up in international cricket who have a proper domestic structure and that is what the ACC and ICC must do," Latif said.
"The Afghan authorities need assistance from the ICC and ACC in grounds' development, etc., and the ICC and the ACC should send their experts to Afghanistan regularly to help the local authority.
"Also, the role of the neighbouring countries has not been encouraging at all. Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh should provide Afghan players the opportunities to play against big names. I believe this will go a long way in the development of the game in the country," he said.
Haider's threats leave Pak cricket fraternity worried
Pakistan's refugee wicketkeeper, Zulqarnain Haider's threats to expose PCB officials involved in corruption has left the cricketing fraternity in the country worried.Haider had fled to London after allegedly receiving death threats from match-fixers when he was in Dubai for an ODI series against South Africa and retired from international cricket in a hush.
"We have reviewed the report of the fact-finding committee that was formed to investigate into Haider's decision to leave the team hotel. And we will soon be contacting him in this regard," a board official said.
The fraternity is also worried that fresh controversies could leave Pakistan cricket in a very precarious position, especially with the ICC pressurising it to make reforms to its cricket system. "The 2011 World Cup is around the corner and these unconfirmed reports about some countries having reservations over playing against us in the future tour programme because of the spot-fixing scandal are worrisome," a former Test player said.
The wicketkeeper had claimed that he was threatened by people who wanted him to fix matches during the one-day series against South Africa.
"Just wait for two more days and I will come out with everything. Right now I am just waiting because of the threats made to my family in Lahore," Haider said from London.
"I hate corruption and I can't stay silent for long," Haider said.
"I just want the government to assure security for my family. All the people who are questioning my integrity and intention right now will know the truth soon," he added.
Haider said no sane person in his right mind would ever sacrifice his international cricket career just to seek asylum in a foreign country.
"Only I know about the circumstances in which I decided to leave the team hotel and reach London. I had made to the national team and there was no reason for me to put my career at stake."
Haider said he was concerned about his family because they were getting regular threats. He confirmed that he would be appearing for an interview at the British home office in the coming week over his application for asylum in the United Kingdom.
Butt hires top lawyer for spot-fixing hearing
KARACHI: The legal team that will represent Pakistan's suspended former Test captain Salman Butt in the spot-fixing case continues to grow with one of the country's most prominent lawyers Aitzaz Ahsan now joining his defence. Ahsan, who is one of the most sought after lawyers in Pakistan, will represent Butt in the International Cricket Council Code of Conduct Commission hearing scheduled in Doha from January 6 to 11.
"Aitzaz Ahsan has joined the team as Khalid Ranjha will not be able to go to Doha," Aftab Gul one of Butt's lawyers said.
He said Butt had also added another lawyer Shahid Saeed on his legal team.
This brings the total number of lawyers representing and helping the suspended player prepare for his hearing to four.
When asked about the statement of ICC chief executive, Haroon Lorgat that the world body has a solid case against the three suspended Pakistani players in the spot fixing case and no leniency would be shown to them, Gul declined to say much.
"I think Khalid Ranjha has made it clear that Lorgat should not be making such statements as it gives the impression he is trying to pressurise the hearing. But right now we first have to decide who will be the official spokesman for the legal team of Butt," Gul said.
Sources said Lorgat's statement has irked the Pakistani lawyers.
"It has been discussed to send a letter to the head of the commission, Michael Beloff making it clear to him that such statements from the ICC chief executive appeared to be an attempt to influence the hearing," one source said.
Relations between the Pakistani lawyers and the ICC have been strained particularly after statements made by the players and their lawyers on the case and after the leakage of videos of Mazhar Majeed in the Pakistani media.
The ICC through Beloff directed the lawyers to return all the documentation and material given to them with regards to the case.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
