The Express Tribune T2 - February 21

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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, FEBRUARY 20, 2011

world cup 2011

Time to catch the cricket fever The stage is set, the players are ready and so are the fans A MOBIN NASIR

You don’t have to be a diehard cricket fan or a devout patriot to follow the national team as they prepare before their first match of the World Cup 2011, against Kenya in Hambantota. What our players need at the moment is support and faith in them; be it in the form of prayers, wearing green jerseys and caps or watching the match with friends and family and cheering for them.

For the owner of Jinnah Sports, the Karachi-based sports equipment wholesaler, “Keeping an eye on the men in green just makes simple business sense.” The city’s bustling MA Jinnah Road is teeming with shops of sports equip-

ment and apparel. As cricket fever engulfs the country, shops are stocking up on team jerseys, cricket gear and memorabilia.

As the first match of the tournament got underway, Jinnah Sports was the only shop in the city selling jerseys identical to those that will be worn by the national side in their matches. “We watched the team practicing in the nets — that’s how we got the style of the jersey,” says Abdul Rahman, the store manager, proudly showing me the two-toned green shirt with an oversized crescent and star pattern on the front. Other store owners are waiting for the team’s first match before they start churning out replicas of the team jerseys.

Many enthusiasts are planning to enjoy the upcoming games in grand fashion Although sales of the jerseys have picked up, vendors of sporting goods complain that fans are not flocking to markets as they

had in previous years. “During the World Twenty20 [that Pakistan won], we sold cricket bats, kits and shirts by the dozen, but this time the buyers don’t appear enthusiastic so far about supporting the national side,” says Kamran at Dhoraji Sports Equipment. This sentiment is not limited to shops of sporting goods. The owner of VIP Flags, Shaikh Nisar while speaking to The Express Tribune says, “Sales of the national flag have picked up as hotels and offices are decorating their interiors in line with the World Cup. But individuals are still not buying these things as they did in the past.”

The manufacturers of the coun-

try’ss biggest flag had planned to beat their own record by making a flag ag larger than 17,3400 square feet,, but have shelved the plans for now, given the lukewarm response onse of cricket enthusiasts.

“Economic onomic conditions are not encouraging raging and recent problems that have engulfed the team have taken en some of the excitement out of the game for fans,” says Nisar. ar. “But if the team puts up a good od fight in the first couple of matches, there will definitely ly be a shift in people’s attitudes. tudes. Our nation loves cricket ket and even the slightest hope will be enough to bring g back the fans.”

What at do the fans have to say? ay?

Many y Pakistanis are nostalgic ic about the time when en international fixtures ures used to take place e in the country. “I really wish that we could have hosted ted some of the matches of this tournament nt in in our our u country,” ntry,” ntr y,” sa says ys Tariq q Aij Aijaz, az az, a d devout e ut evo cricket fan. H He e says

that the lack of enthusiasm is understandable in the wake of cricket scandals and the attack on Sri Lanka’s cricket team in 2009.

But being a true supporter of his team, Aijaz says he will be rooting for the national side from the very first over. “Me and my friends are planning to show the later matches of the tournament on big screens so that lots of people can turn up and enjoy them together,” he says, hoping that Pakistan will deliver results in the game’s biggest tournament. In fact, many enthusiasts are planning to enjoy the upcoming games in grand fashion. Mubarak Caterers’ owner, Muhammad Nawaz reveals, “Bookings for screens are piling on quickly along with requests for catering services on match dates.”

It appears that while the nation is hopeful that the Pakistan team will rise from the doldrums in the tournament, they will need to see some ffireworks fir eworks ewo rk berks be putting fore fo for e putt p utting ut utt ing the he mo money ne ney where whe re their their hearts are.. are

DESIGN: TAHIR

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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, FEBRUARY 20, 2011

WORLD CUP 2011

The pitch is on fire!

Players: Hits and misses

WINNER: Shahid Afridi

WINNER: Ahmed Shehzad

LOSER: Mohammad Amir

WINNER: Junaid Khan

Born March 1, 1980, Khyber Agency Current age 30 years Playing role Allrounder Batting style Right-hand bat Bowling style Legbreak googly

Born November 23, 1991, Lahore, Punjab Current age 19 years Playing role Opening batsman Batting style Right-hand bat Bowling style Legbreak

Born April 13, 1992, Gujjar Khan, Punjab Current age 18 years Batting style Left-hand bat Bowling style Left-arm fast

Born December 24, 1989, Matra, KPK Current age 21 years Batting style Right-hand bat Bowling style Left-arm medium-fast

IMRAN A KHAN

SAID CHAUDHRY

SHAUKAT HAMDANI

HASHIM MALIK

I don’t agree with people who claim that Afridi doesn’t perform well as captain. Debuting as captain against the West Indies in the Champions Trophy in South Africa back in 2009, Afridi has played 16 matches as ODI captain. Under his captaincy, Pakistan has had six victories. Ten of the losses under his captaincy have included thrilling matches against India and Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup, a last over loss against England at Leeds, and a two run loss to South Africa in Dubai. I lament these losses, but these were close matches.

Ahmad Shehzad’s inclusion in the Pakistan squad for the World Cup has made me very hopeful . In 2010, Shehzad announced himself to the domestic season in stunning fashion. He left no questions about his abilities as a batsman who understands the game, and knows what he has to do to succeed. In six first class matches, Shehzad scored 719 runs at an average of 103.71 which included a knock of 254. He made it impossible for the selectors to ignore him for the upcoming World Cup. Now that is special.

Mohammad Amir will be missed this World Cup. His heroics with the ball helped Pakistan win its first T20 World Cup and he became an instant hero for Pakistan cricket fans the world over. His tender age, and the promise of him leading the Pakistan attack long after the likes of Akhtar and Gul retired, gave fans a sense of hope for the future. Pakistan may have fast left-arm bowlers like Sohail Tanvir and Wahab Riaz, but neither of them have Amir’s ability to swing the ball both ways. His loss will be felt.

The inclusion of Junaid Khan in place of Sohail Tanvir is a smart move. The lad has domestic credentials similar to Amir and clocks consistently at 140 kph or more, potentially making him a good death bowler. It’s better to slice a liability to include a wild card since Pakistan’s aging speedster, the Rawalpindi Express, is bound to lose it at some point during the event. Khan’s performance at crucial junctures will go a very long way in establishing his international career.

Predictions: Who’s going to make it to the semis?

Pakistan

SAAD HASSAN KHAN

World Cup preparations have reached fever pitch and specupecu cu ulations about which teams are best placed to reach the semii finals and who will land cricket’s most coveted prize are rife.

Although I am not a cricket expert, I do have my very own semi-final line-up.

It is a little foolhardy to predict what an unpredictable team will do. The Pakistan team has often left those who dare to make predictions about them dumbfounded. The setback of the talented trio’s ban aside, the mercurial Afridi’s captaincy has managed to unite the team.

With young openers Muhammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad in good form at the top and Misbah and Younis settling down nicely, the batting look to be in good hands.

And if Umar Akmal, Afridi or Razzaq are on fire one day, God help the opposition.

The bowling too is full of talent. Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz have visibly improved while Shoaib Akhtar is perhaps poised for a brilliant swan song. Let’s hope that the Pakistani team can do justice to its potential.

India

While it may be traitorous for a Pakistani to predict India’s success, my choice is based on their recent performance. For success, a calm head at the helm is vital and for cricket-crazy Indians, the ice-cool M S Dhoni fits the bill. Their batting arsenal needs no introduction; even if big guns like Sehwag, Tendulkar and Gambhir do not fire (a highly unlikely possibility), they still have formidable youngsters like Kohli and Raina. Indians also have the services of the ever-reliable skipper M S Dhoni, who after having played so many ODIs averages just a little under 50. Another nightmare for opposing teams is Yusuf Pathan, who is making a habit of playing explosive innings to steer India to safety .

While their bowling is arguably weaker, you can never completely write off a side that has Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh. With Munaf Patel and Asish Nehra starting to find their feet in the limited overs format of the game, and with batsmen like Sehwag, Yuvraj, Raina and Pathan able to send down a few quick overs when required, the bowling is better than useful. However, the team’s batting has enough firepower to make-up for the fragile bowling attack.

South Africa

Chokers or no chokers, no one can deny that the Proteas are the second best (if not the best) team on the planet.

With their bearded run-machine Amla churning out halfcenturies and centuries at will, AB de Villiers and skipper Smith looking to blast every ball out of the park, and the ever-dependable Kallis there to bring sanity back to the proceedings, they have one hell of a batting line-up. The South Africans can easily add about 20-25 runs to whatever total they put up owing to the numerous livewires like Duminy, De Villiers, Colin Ingram and Robin Peterson who are more than willing to throw themselves around in the field all day.

The fearsome pace-bowling duo of Steyn and Morkel have the ability to bring unavoidable destruction where ever they go.The two left-arm pace bowlers Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Wayne Parnell are also available to lend a helping hand to the two spearheads of the Proteas’ attack, and they can always bank on their T-20 captain Johan Botha to keep things tight at one end with his disciplined bowling in the middle overs and even at the death.

England

England’s recent mauling at the hands of Australia may make them seem like a more far-fetched choice than Pakistan but the English undoubtedly have what it takes to reach the final four.

With Ian Bell finally starting to show what a class act he really is and Strauss, Pietersen and Collingwood all having the capacity to put their recent misery behind them and sink their teeth into opposing attacks, it would be hardly surprising if England do well. Although England’s current batting line-up is a collection of fine individuals, the now injured and out of the tournament Eoin Morgan with his power hitting will be sorely missed. Ravi Bopara will have to play out of his skin to fill Morgan’s illustrious shoes.

Their bowlers like Bresnan , Broad and Shahzad all lack a little experience outside of English conditions and will need to be properly handled by skipper Strauss to get the most out of them. Like India though, England too would probably be hoping that their batting comes through for them on a regular basis and is able to gloss over the shortcomings in the bowling department.

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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, FEBRUARY 20, 2011

blogosphere Cricket fever goes digital A ALI SYED

It’s finally here! What we’ve all been waiting for — the ICC World Cup 2011. The tournament has brought with it a month of cricket madness.

But what happens to the dedicated cricket fan when, God forbid, you miss an important match? The world wide web may have a solution.

Cricket websites While you wait for match highlights on TV, you can also obtain a complete low down of what went on during a match through numerous cricket websites. You can view a ball-by-ball commentary of the matches, get updates on the latest news in the world of cricket, as well as add to your knowledge about any player or team.

Apart from the official website of World Cup 2011, there are sites like cricinfo.com (a website every cricket fan is aware of) and cricbuzz.com where one can go to learn every-

Top five cricket websites to visit: 1. espncricinfo.com

updates on Pakistan, but to get a holistic view of the tournament here is a list of trends available.

2.

icc-cricket.yahoo.net

3.

cricbuzz.com

1.

#Cricket

4.

tribune.com.pk/cricket

5.

guardian.co.uk/sport/cricket

2.

3.

#Pakcricket #CWC

4.

5.

#CWC2011 #ICC

thing about the tournament.

While these would be the top three choices, fans can also visit many personal blogs that will also be keeping a close eye on the happenings on and around the pitch.

Twitter trends If you are a Twitter user, you probably know about the trends that have formed around the World Cup. In case it didn’t come to your attention, I would like to point out the ones I noticed while browsing through the site. #cricket and #pakcricket can always be used to track news and

Cricket fans have uploaded thousands of videos on YouTube

YouTube videos World Cup songs have heightened the patriotism of fans. Ranging from the official song of the cricket World Cup to the songs representing each country, there are thousands of videos on Youtube.com. Being Pakistani, my favourites are the Ali Zafar song “Yeh duniya hai dilwalon ki” and “Rise of Jazba” (although many have expressed their reservations regarding this song) and the Geo Super song “Cricket, we love you.”

Facebook apps and groups Facebook is offering several applications related to the tournament as well. By now everyone has come across the poll on who will win the World Cup (Pakistan is currently on number three, so go and vote).

There is also an app called Cricket Jersey — World Cup 2011 where you can choose a team’s jersey, write your name on it and make it your profile picture. Other than these,

you may choose from a number of Facebook groups out there and join the ones you like.

Online games While enjoying the month of cricket, you might feel like slogging a few fours and sixes yourself.

You can go out on the street and do that, but I’d rather beat India or Australia in a game of online cricket. Games I have come across include the ones available on the ICC website — Pakistan has developed the official ICC cricket game as well. However, they require you to install plugins to play but if you’d rather play without having to do this, you can always visit websites like Howzzat.com to play a multi-player game of the sport or you can go to miniclip.com where the top featured game is on the World Cup. Happy cricketing!

Across the border

Which team will win the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup?

India’s cricket craziness ZOHA TAPIA

34.3% India 26.81% Sri Lanka 9.78%

Pakistan for the win!

South Africa

@Zak Ahmed: Ahmed Shehzad really is the future of our batting. Let’s hope he lives up to the expectations!

9.61% Pakistan 4.49% New Zealand 3.02% Bangladesh 2.9% England 2.1% Canada 1.89% West Indies 1.47% Ireland 1.17% Kenya 1.01% Netherlands 1.01% Zimbabwe 0.71% SOURCE: FOX SPORTS.COM

@Amer: Shehzad, Hafeez & Misbah are key players. Their scores are an excellent start @Nauman: Best of luck for Pakistani team. Our prayers are with you!

The ICC World Cup 2011 has just kicked off and fans have geared up to support their favourite team.

Issues of the grounds and changes in certain venues haven’t dampened the spirit in a country where cricket is like a religion. With a Rs1.2 billion insurance cover to an estimated Rs6.3 billion of betting money riding on this game, this year the mania continues.

India is being counted as one of the hot favourites to win the World Cup. After the 2003 team led by Saurav Ganguly, this team captained

by M S Dhoni seems to be in the running to reach the final this year. Captain Cool (as Dhoni is popularly known) has led the team to many a victory in the recent past but t the win in n the the h warm wa m up war up match against aga ains inst Australia Aust Aust ustral rallia ralia a has increased in ncre re ea assed ase s d the the h nation’s confidence confi co nfiden den nce in him and and his an hiss tea team. m. m.

Even Eve ven ve n iin n tthe he he North-eastern N th Nor h-eas heaster ter ern region reg egio i on n of o

India where cricket is not that popular, the ICC World Cup has aroused enthusiasm.

Predictably, the media has gone into overdrive. Every news channel and paper is coming up with World Cup centric shows and promotional campaigns.

Each one seems to be in a race to outdo the other by getting an experts panel practically every day to talk about the nuances of the game.

And if that doesn’t garner enough eyeballs, the Bollyood brigade has also joined the bandwagon. Not only have all major Bollywood film releases been pushed to after the World Cup but stars are also sharing their cricketing knowledge with the world.

There is speculation that the reason behind one of the film industry’s most prestigious awards breaking awa break eak king in ng their th t eir i 50 5 year ye y ar holding ttradition radition of h ho oldi lding ng the he awards a wards end of of February Febr ebrua u y uar and a nd holding the th he event he e ev vent ent nt early, is due tto o the the e World W Wor ld Cup. Advertiserss aren’t a ren’t far

@Salman: I hope Pakistan’s flag stays up till the end @Jaffar: Here is something to look forward to amidst the gloom in this country. I’m sure everyone will join me in praying for some magic! @Ali: Let’s go tigers! Akmal, Shehzad or Shafiq may turn into legends!

behind, with cricket based advertisements thronging the tube all at once. Even before a ball is bowled, there is a pitched battle among business groups vying for attention. It is estimated that over one billion viewers will witness the third largest televised event from their homes across the globe. A similar number of viewers are expected to watch the fourth season of the Indian Premier League that follows right after this. It is an unparalleled season of media frenzy with millions in cash changing hands during these three months.

Suddenly, the number of people playing cricket on the streets seems to have risen and TV set sales are also on the rise. This time, it’s not just men who are interested but the women too.

This is not because India is one of the hosts or a favourite but because it is probably the Master Blaster’s last World Cup. The only thing that has been eluding the record breaking Sachin Tendulkar is a World Cup victory. This time around, not only do we want India to win the Cup but we want it to be won for that one man who has managed to unite the entire nation.

Having said that, this team is carrying the expectations of 1.2 billion people whose love for cricket borders on fanaticism. The whole nation is going to watch with bated breath as Tendulkar will play his last World Cup, hoping that he wins it.

I don’t care about the World Cup A ZUNAIR ALI

The first time I went to see a cricket match was when I was 11 years old. I had always been a fan and followed the sport religiously. My father and I managed to reach the stands, through a belligerent crowd that was trying to get in without tickets. I could hardly contain my excitement.

The match was between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Karachi’s National Stadium. But as the fans roared, I realised something: I did not understand what was going on.

Who was batting? Who was bowling? Why did that guy get out?

Nothing was making sense. Then I realised that I was not the only one.

Nobody knew what was going on but everybody continued to chant

slogans like, “Jeetay ga bhai jeetay ga!

Pakistan jeetay ga!”

We lost the match but it was great fun.

On the way out of the stadium, I saw an angry mob of fans burning chairs and breaking windows. I was terrified and wanted to get home.

What was the big deal?

Today, I am still overwhelmed by the fan following and crazed loyalty that our team inspires.

I do hope Pakistan does well in the World Cup — not only because our country is fanatical about the sport but for the entirely real possibility that if we don’t, we will mourn until the next one.

Cricket is considered to be the core of our so-called patriotism, and this hit me when the Pakistan Cricket

For more cricket updates, visit tribune.com.pk/cricket

Who cares if we win or lose the World Cup? Will it change anything at all?

Board announced that the budget for the World Cup was Rs2.6 billion.

However, I’m afraid I am not so “patriotic” when it comes to cricket.

Who cares if we win or lose the World Cup? Will it change anything at all? Will it solve our problems?

No, it will not.

Ali Saleem, TV personality

" Ayaan: Have faith! The team is representing the nation and they have our prayers Ayaan, model

A CREAM OF THE CREASE

Australia

"Saleem: There has been a hit to morale with the recent ban.

I hope the team can recover but I’m not placing any bets!

If anything it will only deliver temporary fulfillment and that too only if we win. Chances are we probably won’t even make it to the final four.

I may be offending many hardcore cricket fans. They may think that I am some sort of outcast who knows nothing about cricket or people’s love for it.

True, I may not know a lot about cricket but I know this: we have bigger problems to worry about right now.

We face the mounting dilemma of terrorism, heavy loans from the International Monetary Fund and corruption. Our literacy rate is shamefully low. We rest comfortably at the top of a list of the most underdeveloped countries of the world including Somalia and Afghanistan.

Why can’t we use our jazba and junoon to cure these ailments that really afflict our society? Why be part of a nationwide mass hysteria that will bear no fruit in the end?

My patriotism says otherwise.

I shall harness my energies not to support the World Cup but to make an active effort to reassess my priorities. If we do not take charge now, we might perish and there might not be a next World Cup. I am not going to try and hammer these ideas in anybody’s head — this is for us as citizens of Pakistan to realise. I know I will receive immense criticism at the hands of some very loyal cricket fans but it is about time somebody came out and spoke their mind.

After all, cricket is just a game.

ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN: ESSA MALIK

"Vaneeza: For the past few years cricketers’ behaviour has been embarrassing. I really couldn’t care less what they do anymore!

Vaneeza Ahmed, TV personality

"Hamza: I wish it was being played in Pakistan. At this point my hopes are with Pakistan but my bets are on England Ali Hamza, Musician

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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, FEBRUARY 20, 2011

click

Cricket World Cup 2011 Opening Ceremony

PHOTOS SOURCE: APF/REUTERS

Fireworks and various performances were a part of the Cricket World Cup opening ceremony at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka.

World Cup Promotions

Fans and Supporters

A sand sculpture of the World Cup trophy at the Clifton Beach in Karachi.

A commuter walks past a cola major’s delivery truck featuring photographs of Indian cricketers Harbhajan Singh (L), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C) and Virender Sehwag in Mumbai..

Indian students pose around a giant sized cricket bat, bearing their signatures, to celebrate the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

Sri Lankan fans parade with a replica of the 2011 cricket World Cup on a street in Colombo.

A hairdresser prepares a special hairstyle for a cricket fan.

A fan displaying his enthusiasm for the World Cup.

Indian and Sri Lankan cricketers with the World Cup mascot, Stumpy.

Cricket World Cup 2011 souvenir slippers for sale.

The prestigious ticket for a cricket World Cup match in Colombo.

A cricket fan autographs a replica of a leather cricket ball.