Blog from Pakistan to and around the world

When it comes to Pakistan cricket, it seems that 9 and KHAN is the lucky number for Pakistan.

We won the first cricket world cup under the captaincy of Imran KHAN in 1992
Then against we did it again in 2009, once again under the captaincy of Younus KHAN.

Another KHAN.

However, 9 is not a big time lucky number. We lost the cricket world cup final at lord in 1999 :D

In fact Pakistan lost the 1999 world cup final on June 20 , 1999
It was after a decade and a day later that pakistan won it again. No matter this time we won it in the smaller version of the game, but a win is a win - and winning a worldcup is a big acheivement by any means.

The nation needed this win more than the cricket team itself.

When a country ravaged by War, internal conflict , ethnic , politic and all sorts of conflicts, needed this win to unite the people of Pakistan.

The celeberation rightly proved that . People were enjoying and celeberating the win irrespective of their association.

This was one happy moment for the nation , which had lost all hopes and had nothing to cheer about , this was one happy moment after independence of 1947 , and then the world cup win in 1992. This is win is bigger than any , coming at a time when the Pakistani nation was down and under -

We have won many hockey world cups , but those win did not stir the nation as this one trurly has.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdmVmtRBKzw#

Now that Pakistan has won the worldcup - bringing happiness to people around the country and to the exapts living away from home.

Now that we have won it , the Pakistan cricket board should make arrangements to take the cup to every major city of the country -

May i suggest a welcome for the team in karachi from airport to mazar e quaid , where the team pays tribute to the father of the nation ? and in this way people get to welcome and see their heroes with the world cup .

Same can be done in other cities.

Time is short, as Pakistan has to go to srilanka to play test and odi series there, and then the icc trophy and other assignments.

PCB should manage time in b/w to make the cup travel to major cities of the country to allow people to feel the sense of ownership and patriotism.

Show us the Cup !

Pakistan finally won the T20 worldcup.
The win came at a time when nothing seemed to be going good for Pakistan either on political or sports front.

And a win was needed not just by the cricket team, but by the country itself which has been marred with all sorts of troubles over the last few years.

This was something the nation wanted to cheer themselves up and show the unity, passion and patriotism, and the win could not have come at a better time than this.

It was hearty to see people flogging on the streets and celeberating the win in a big style.

Ironically, Pakistan lost the 1999 world cup final on 20th june 1999. And finally they claimed it against a decade and a day later.

Shahid Afridi showed some character - being patient and taking singles rather than trying to hit out on every ball - which is very much unlikely shahid afridi and very much unlikiely pakistan.

There was no big hicup or trouble, pressure was eased away by the openers giving a decent start in the final and pakistan chased the runs down with 8 wickets to spare.

Never before I have seen Pakistan doing a run chase in this manner - either we would loose early wickets, or loose wickets in the middle and then the pressure would go to the lower order , who would either hit the winning runs in the last ball or last overs.

This time around the pressure was absorbed by the upper order and doing their bits.
Shahid Afridi seemed to play it cool , not trying to hit malinga , when he tried to bounce him , infact he nodded in appreciation about his bouncer , but did not try to hit him out on the next ball , some thing he has done almost thru out his career - he was one of those players who never liked to be bogged down - and always has the attitude for hit out or get out.

Also the team played well, the bowlers did their bit.

The re-induction of razzaq became vital for pakistan , as it was him that played a good role for pakistan against newzealand and then again in final by claiming three big and early wickets.

His presence really gave a boost to the bowling side which was other wise struggling.

All in all this was a welcome win for Pakistan and for the nation.

Also, considering the fact that none of the Pakistan players were allowed to play in the IPL.
My general thinking was that since Pakistan was not playing in the IPL they might be rusty and not in pracitce while other teams were having their players play the IPL and would be having enought practice to cope up at international level.

This proved otherwise.

Experience at IPL did not matter. Infact it was the ICL who was the winner - Razzaq., ex-icl players, being reinducted and becoming a major force for the Pakistani cricket team and doing his bit for the team -

While other teams complained about too much cricket played at the IPL, Pakistani players did their part.

The victory will go a long way for the nation who will have some time to smile ,cheer and talk about the win - and drfit their mind away from the regular doings of life , inflation , electric failure, ecnomic worries, politics and war on terror.

Being now qualified for the finals of the T20 2009 worldcup.
Pakistan seems so near yet so far from the world cup title.

We have played and lost 1999 worldcup final - that too was in england.
We played 2007 T20 worldcup final and lost tht by thin margin - more by luck than performance

and once again , its 2009 and we in the final of the T20 worldcup.

Pakistan fought well in the semi finals to beat south africa by 7 runs.
Younus took 2 big gambles, which might have costed Pakistan the match , and would have put a big question mark on younus' decision .

The first was to make fawad alam bowl the 16th over, in which he gave away 15 runs.
Fawad hadnt bowl thru out the tournament and he was given to bowl and important over of the match . this could have been make or brake over for pakistan.

and then not letting umer gul bowl his quota of 4 overs.
no matter if the spinners were doing a good job ,you should make your best bowler bowl his full quota.

the only reason come to my mind for letting fawad bowl was that he was a left arm bowler , and dumminy was a left hander, his bowling might have worked some leg break for dumminy .

anyhow, all is well that ends well .

We are a nation starved of happiness as long as we remember .
War ridden , war on terrorism , frequent disturbances in the country, bomb blasts, suicides -
the nation is looking up to one thing which will surely cheer them up for a while and help them forget their woes.

Yeh cup yaheein ana chaiye.

Pakistani nationa needs the worldcup far more than any thing else , in these testing times.

If one day you start you laptop and find out that the laptop keyboard has gotten slow.
Not taking any input , or if it takes it takes a long while to appear.

Computer has gotten slow, programs are taking forever to open , maximize , minimize.
You some how go to check the task manager and finds cpu usage around 80 % or very high.

DO nothing else , but remove your laptop battery and start running your laptop on power.

It is very much highly that your laptop batteries are worn out.

It took me a long while to diagnose this issue, so writing it up here, incase someone faces the same problems.