Can Any Team Rule The Pakistan Lions?

There is a real tidal wave milling in this World Cup and the only question is will it lose its might before it hits the shore or indeed wash all the other Teams away…

This indeed is the Pakistan cricket Team, who in truth since the tragic occurrence in England have unified as tight as a fist and have just performed to a very high level. Nothing has derailed them either in this surge…

The ICC rulings……….water off a ducks back

Zulqarnain Haider promising to tell all……..more water and more ducks back
And finally the expected fall out from the Shahid Afridi and Misbah ul Huq supposed leadership joust that lead to hugs between the two in New Zealand

The usual fragmented bunch of players that is so characteristic grouped under the title of the Pakistan Cricket Team.
At present is indeed a Team and indeed a very fine one.

To the point where they have a look of formability and would be putting the fear of God into the opposition…
Even looking at last nights practice game against Bangladesh and yet another fine century by a squad member in Ahmed Shehzad.It shows by the fact that he isn’t even touted to be in the Team come the first game the depth of reserves Pakistan have.
Also Shoaib Ahktar was resting his 35 year old legs in this game won conclusively by Pakistan with thoughts of being the wrecking ball in this World Cup to cap off his career.

And who would doubt him being just this?

The spinners look very capable and refined and with the amount of all rounders in the Team. Pakistan can have as many as 7 bowlers at their disposal in any game.All of who are capable of decisive results.

Then you look at their hitters and the power of this Team is off the chart.If their playing in Dhaka you might even have balls lobbing in Eden Gardens,Kolkata-such is their might.

Plus never underestimate the role of the unspoken for this Team………

In terms of all their been through they are a bit of a mentality like cornered animals and when that is the case they are twice as lethal

Pakistan misses out on World Cup party

 Pakistan's "Uncle Cricket" is distraught to be missing out on watching World Cup matches on home soil with the strife-torn nation forced to look on as its neighbours host the showpiece event.

Sufi Abdul Jalil, known as "Chacha (Uncle) Cricket", is Pakistan's most famous spectator and has become a prominent fixture at his country's matches at home and abroad for nearly three decades.

It is not easy to miss the 61-year-old -- bedecked in the green and white colours of Pakistan's national flag -- an unofficial mascot for the side, shouting encouragement and dancing in the stands.

But as the party goes on in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Pakistan's stadiums will remain silent after it was stripped of its rights to co-host the tournament over security fears.

"We will all miss World Cup matches in Pakistan," Jalil told AFP. "It's very sad, but it's something which is beyond our control and under the circumstances it would not have been enjoyable with fears and tension all the time."

Pakistan cricket was plunged into crisis on March 3, 2009 when the visiting Sri Lankan team came under assault by militants in Lahore in an attack that left eight dead, also wounding seven Sri Lankan players and their assistant coach Paul Farbrace.

A month later, the International Cricket Council (ICC) opted to move World Cup matches out of Pakistan.

"I was on my way from my home to the ground to watch the match when I was suddenly stopped by police and when all the drama unfolded, I was shocked," said Jalil, referring to the tragedy in Lahore.

"Those attacks snatched all cricket from us and had those events not taken place we would have been hosting the World Cup," added Jalil, sponsored by a soft drinks company to watch all of Pakistan's World Cup matches in Sri Lanka.

For vendor Abdul Rasheed, a common sight at Pakistan cricket stadiums since the country co-hosted the 1987 World Cup with India, it is a golden opportunity lost.

"It's a tragedy that World Cup matches will not be played at our grounds. They (the militants) did a cruel thing to our cricket," said Rasheed, who sells maize and nuts at cricket and hockey matches.

Apart from fans being denied the opportunity to watch their team's matches at home, Pakistan have lost out on the chance to improve infrastructure.

"The decision to move World Cup matches has hurt Pakistan cricket badly," said Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt after the ICC decision, adding that grounds would have been built and existing ones refurbished.

Pakistan, where around 4,000 people have died in suicide and bomb attacks since 2007 blamed on networks linked to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, earlier lost out on hosting the ICC Champions Trophy due to concerns over security.

Pakistan look set for a multi-million dollar windfall as a result of losing their World Cup matches -- a crucial financial boost -- but that is scant consolation to the country's legions of cricket fans.

"I hope one day the game can return because Pakistan is one of the greatest cricket-playing nations on earth, and it is such a shame that the young people of the country will be unable to watch their heroes at close quarters," Farbrace, who left the Sri Lankan team soon after the attack, said last year.

"Sport is a means to bring strangers together, whether it?s a local football team or an international cricket team, but sadly it is increasingly becoming a target of terror."

Former ICC chief Ehsan Mani said Pakistan had a tough job on its hands to bring international cricket back.

"It will take some time, but Pakistan must try hard to bring international cricket back. If future generations do not watch international cricket before them, then the game will never ever flourish, nor will the talent," he said.

Ticketing mess leaves fans in the cold

When Shahid Afridi and Shakib Al Hasan walked out for the toss on Tuesday afternoon, there were barely a couple of hundred spectators. It rose to about 10,000 towards the end of the Pakistan innings, which meant the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium remained half-empty. This raised apprehensions that
the India-Bangladesh opener here on Saturday could see a similar response. Fans had queued up a night in advance before the designated banks for tickets and quite a few had to return empty-handed. It was surprising to see a marquee match like this see such a poor turnout. The price of tickets too does not seem unaffordable.

At Tk 100 (Rs 64), 400 (Rs 256) and 600 (Rs 384) for warm-up matches and Tk 200 (Rs 128), 700 (Rs 450) and 1000 (Rs 640) for the grandstand for the group matches, a sellout for Bangladesh facing Pakistan was par for the course.

Standing outside the stadium's north gate to catch a glimpse of the Pak team bus, Subho, a student of Dhaka University, sounded disappointed. "We had waited for two days. Today I hear that there are lots of empty seats, so, I approached you for a ticket," the 22-year-old told this reporter.

"We have sold around 14,000 tickets for this match," said Ali Ahsan Babu, the tournament director. "But all the tickets for group matches are sold out," he said. "Today is a weekday. Also, there was a problem with car parking and some fans had to go back," he added.

We fielded best ever World Cup side in 1999: Yousuf

I have featured in three World Cups, from 1999 to 2007, but will like to talk about the 1999 edition here as that was my first experience of playing in a World Cup.
I was very happy to have been selected to play in the 1999 World Cup along with so many top senior players of the time like Wasim Akram, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Waqar Younis and Saleem Malik.
It wasn’t just a debut World Cup for me but for Abdul Razzak, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shahid Afridi, Azhar Mahmood and Shoaib Akhtar as well whose inclusion in the squad resulted in the seniors being sent to the bench whenever we got chances to make our potential known. Waqar Younis only played one match in that entire event but our fast bowling lineup remained among the strongest despite that.
Hence with such a strong pace attack in Shoaib Akhtar, Wasim Akram, Azhar Mahmood and Abdul Razzaq and fine spin from off break bowler Saqlain Mushtaq and leg-break/googly expert Mushtaq Ahmed along with the batting skills of Salim Malik, Ijaz Ahmed, Wajahatullah Wasti and myself and the all-rounders, we fielded perhaps the best ever team in a World Cup which was capable of giving any side a run for their money.
We breezed through the tournament to easily make it to the Super Sixes from where we proceeded to the semi-final and then the final against Australia at Lord’s on June 20. It was unfortunate that we lost the final despite having won the toss. It had been raining before the match, which I think dampened the pitch which in turn helped the Aussie bowlers. Then they also took some great catches that won them the World Cup.
The national team competing in the 2011 World Cup is lucky to still have Afridi, Shoaib and Razzak. This time they are the seniors in the side compared to 1999 and it’s up to the juniors now to take advantage of their presence and learn from them just like we did in 1999. I wish them well.

Waqar Younis wants to break his World Cup jinx

COLOMBO: As a player, Waqar Younis had nothing but bad memories of the World Cup.
Now as a coach, he has the challenge of turning around Pakistan’s talented yet unpredictable team.
“Well, it’s true that the World Cup hasn’t been too kind to me, but that is motivation and challenge enough to fight on and take another chance as coach of a talented team which can win the tournament,” Waqar told AFP.
Waqar, now 39, was regarded as one of the most potent fast bowlers in his prime, producing wicket-taking deliveries on any surface, the most notable being his toe-crushing yorker.
Together with compatriot Wasim Akram, one of the best left-arm pacemen ever to have played cricket, Waqar formed a destructive new-ball pairing, fondly remembered as “two Ws”, wrecking the best of batting line-ups on their day.
Waqar was considered Pakistan’s main weapon in the 1992 World Cup in Australia, but a week before the event started he had to return home in tears without playing a match due to injury.
“It was a nightmare to return with an injury,” remembers Waqar.
“Yes, it does hurt sometimes that I wasn’t part of it but I still remember going to Lahore airport to receive the winning team when they returned.
“It will always stay with me, the moment they arrived and I always cherish that great triumph of Pakistan.
“I had watched the World Cup at home in Lahore. Every single game was fun to watch and as we got into the later stages of the tournament it got very thrilling and that was the time when I missed it the most.”
But soon after Pakistan’s win in the World Cup, Waqar recovered from injury and along with Wasim wreaked havoc in England, leading Pakistan to a 2-1 win in a Test series marred by allegations of ball-tampering.
By 1996, Waqar had matured into a world class bowler, but his World Cup jinx continued.
Pakistan, again title favourites in the event jointly hosted by them, India and Sri Lanka, crashed out in the quarter-finals.
Up against their arch-rivals India in front of a vociferous Bangalore crowd, Waqar ran into free-stroking Indian batsman Ajay Jadeja who clobbered him for 22 runs in one of the death overs.
Pakistan lost by 39 runs.
“That was one of those days when I couldn’t control the aggression, but we could still have won the game had the batsmen capitalised on a good start,”recalled Waqar.
By 1999, he and Wasim developed some serious differences.
Wasim preferred express paceman Shoaib Akhtar over Waqar, who managed to play just one match in the event held in England — that too in an embarrassing defeat to minnows Bangladesh.
“Again, it was another forgetable event,” said Waqar.
“I could play only one match, against Bangladesh, and we lost that match,”said Waqar of the defeat, which was investigated for allegations of fixing.
In 2001, the roll of the dice fell in Waqar’s favour as he was appointed captain after his career was revived through notable performances ahead of the 2003 World Cup held in South Africa.
But things didn’t change as Pakistan crashed out in the first round after defeats against Australia, India and England.
“It was unfortunate that we couldn’t manage to win any of these World Cups because we had the best teams from 1996-2003,” said Waqar, who retired in 2004 after claiming 373 Test and 416 one-day wickets.
During the 2007 World Cup, where Pakistan again crashed out in the first round, Waqar was busy changing his base from Lahore to Sydney and took over as coach in 2010.
This time around, Waqar is very confident the World Cup jinx will be broken.
“In 1992, nobody thought that Pakistan would win the World Cup. This time the event is in our part of the world and we stand a very good chance.
“I would love to deliver the best I can as a coach this time and have ever-lasting memories of the event.”