Play for Peace - “Swat Sport Gala” 2012

Its was the eve 22nd June 2012, I received a telephone, asking me whether I’m available to see some gental man in Islamabad, The voice was soft and humble. I said “yes I have” but kindly let me know who is there on the other side. I received just one sentence “Kalam summer festival 2012” It was decided to table the things next day.

This was the entry of myself, my team and my company to a vision, dream for the road to success regarding Kalam summer Festival 2012 held at Ushu forest Kamal and Mahudand Lake. A lot of classical events were being arranged and proved the star height success and tourist like look. It is learned that the hotels at Kalam were packed, house full and at sold out status . It is our proud privilege that me and my team were played a very important role and shared this successful event with the best of our expertise and by the grace of God I feel proud being the opening window for the project from Islamabad. In the result we were being knocked to share and provide our expertise once again for Swat Sports Gala 2012.

It is a pleasure for me being  the lover to this sweet home land, Sohni Dharti which is “Islamic Republic of Pakistan,”  I’m proud of to be the share holder, worker to get myself on board to step in for the ultimate success of Swat Sports Gala 2012. Visit the oasis, white snowing lagoon of Pakistan Swat during this sports gala in October, you will be the part of this galaxy of sports. If any of you are interested to share in. We are looking for the sponsors to share this noble cause. Feel free to contact say with me Swat tujhay Salam.  Bravo! Pakistan Army

Ready, Get  Set and Go.

A ride to heavens... 

Swat the Switzerland of Pakistan is slowly but steadily inching towards peace and tranquillity for which once this picturesque valley was famous for. The terrorism torn region suffered the worst brutalities on the hands of Taliban. The military operations conducted, have though eliminated the miscreant footprint from the area; however the shadows of the heinous crimes against the humanity still exists in the minds of commoners of the area. Efforts are being made through various events / activities organised by different governmental as well as non-governmental organisations to achieve stable and peaceful environment in Swat. The successful conduct of Spirit of  Swat – 2011, Kalam Festival- 2012 and Swat Snow Festival – 2012 are indicative of the return of normalcy in the region and the resolve of its people to ensure peace in their area. All the organs of government and civil society are striving for revival of the old tourism attraction of the area. To this Pakistan Army planned to organize “Swat Sport Gala” in April-May 2012 with the aim to revive the sports culture, tourism and pursue uplift of Swat image. A number of sports activities including individual and team events were conducted/organized as part of the said gala. The event was organized with joint efforts of civil / army establishment working hand in glove in Malakand Division. The event overall attracted unprecedented response both by the local populace as well the tourists. In sequel to the successful conduct of the district and Division level sports events decision was made to conduct national level matches of selected games in Malakand Division. The aim on one hand was to make an earnest endeavour to project peaceful image of swat where in national players will play with the local players on local grounds and on the other hand make it an enthralling and mesmerizing activity acting as a magnet for tourists both local and foreigners.  The event will be held on local grounds of Malakand Division. 

Cricket، Football، Volley ball will be conducted in October 2012:- The planned Gala is expected to boost the tourism in the area and attract the local community to healthy activity of sports; thus the entire population of Malakand Division specially the  youth & people of core Swat region are expected to benefit from the entire series of activities. Local Law Enforcement Agencies in coordination with army will provide security during the event to players and guests. Human Resource Management and civil society، Media Coverage، Coordination has already been done with the National  / International Media Houses to ensure ample media coverage of the event. 

T-20 Boom Boom Pakistan

As compared to the last year ICC T-20 world Cup defending champion Pakistan started tournament strongly with a 21 runs win against Bangladesh & then lost against Australia, Pakistan had suffered an early bating collapse & a solid team effort allowed Australia to set a competitive win but after dismissing Bangladesh by Australia, defending champion runs in the Super 8 stage.

Today Pakistan will take on England in the first match of Super Eight at Oval, Bridgetown. After surviving Bangladesh dismissed, Pakistan will try to start the Twenty20 World Cup campaign more confidently against England while England also lost one match & another match was called off due to rain. Today’s match for English team is real encounter in the T20 World Cup.

Pakistan team is considered a strong but unpredictable team. Traditionally Pakistani cricket has been filled with players of great talent, If we play to the best of our ability, then we have a great chance of winning T20 Cup again & defend our title.

As a Pakistani we all are look forward to our team & know that they have ability to make us happy & proud again, best of Luck team Pakistan for today & rest of the tournament.

World Musclemania 2009 Las Vegas

“I feel proud to be the first Pakistani to make it to the
Musclemania and it would be a great honour for me when
the national anthem of Pakistan will be played in Las Vegas. Bux”

Pakistani body builder Aamir Rahim Bux, is all set to participate in the American Inc World Musclemania 2009 in Las Vegas. Training himself day and night Bux was not very confident about his departure to the US before the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) sponsored his tour to the US.

“I am extremely happy to finally receive official support from the government, the competition is weeks away and I am putting in my 100 per cent to win the title, the sponsorship by the CDGK is of great help in getting the visa and the American Sports Inc authorities also wanted government representation,” Bux told The News

Working out six hours a day and following a strict protein-based diet plan for the last two months, Bux is leaving no stone unturned in bringing recognition to Pakistan.

The competition will take place on the 21st of November and will be aired on all international sports channels. Representing Pakistan, Bux will be competing in the heavy weight category.

Pak Vs NZ : Vettori was the difference between the two teams

With the Kiwis upsetting their Champions Trophy title dream, Pakistan skipper Younis Khan says his New Zealand counterpart Daniel Vettori was the difference between the two teams in Saturday's second semi-final.

Younis Khan riding on Vettori's all-round performance New Zealand beat Pakistan by five wickets to set up the Champions Trophy summit clash against arch-rivals Australia on Monday.

Vettori first shone with the ball with 3 for 43 spell and then scored vital 41 runs to share a match-winning 106-run fifth wicket stand with Grant Elliot (75 not out).

Vettori gave a fantastic all-round performance. He was the difference between two teams," a dejected Younis said after the loss.

Captain Vettori led by example with a man-of-the-match performance, taking two wickets and making 41, part of a match-winning 104-run stand with Elliot, who finished unbeaten on 75, as New Zealand coasted past the 234-run target with 13 balls to spare.

"It's very satisfying," Vettori said. "I think particularly because we've lost some critical players."

Pakistan, New Zealand gear up for pace battle

Ground Reality: The second semi-final of the Champions Trophy will be played in seamer friendly conditions, and rather fortuitously both sides taking part have good pace-bowling attacks. However, the toss might be vital, which is something the groundsman and the ground authorities should strive to eliminate. After all, a place in the finals of the Champions Trophy shouldn't be dependent on the flip of a coin. Even if the pitch produced is more evenly suited to both the team batting first as well as the team batting second, the bowlers will still find something to smile about at the Wanderers, because the forecast is for showers - which means cloudy skies and help for the seamers.

Team News:

Pakistan: Pakistan have proved once again, that anybody who makes any prediction about them is guaranteed to end up with egg on his face. They had a below-par tour of Sri Lanka, then came out all guns blazing in the Champions Trophy. They looked off-the-boil against Australia for 75% of the match, but came alive in such spectacular fashion in the last quarter that they almost snatched a victory from certain defeat. Now they have an embarrassment of riches in the seam-bowling department - a happy dilemma for coach Intikhab Alam and captain Younis Khan. From amongst Mohammad Aamer, Umar Gul, Rana Naved and Mohammad Asif, they will most likely have to drop one pacer, and on recent form, none of the four deserve to be benched. The tussle is likely to be between Aamer and Asif, and if Aamer is not fully fit Asif should get the nod. However, if Aamer is fit, then Asif might well be benched soon after playing his first match after his international ban. The spin department is well manned by Ajmal and Afridi, so Pakistan have a full hand in their bowling attack. The batting, however, has blown hot and cold in the tournament. The extra fire that came from playing India, focussed the batsmen into producing a good total, but even then it was mostly built on the innings of just two men. In both the other matches so far, the batting has not looked very inspired, and if they are inserted first on a fresh pitch against Shane Bond and co., they will need to tighten their loose batting ends.

New Zealand: New Zealand have won both their matches at this venue, beating England and Sri Lanka - one while chasing, and one while defending. They will thus be buoyant heading into this match. As they often are in the international arena, New Zealand will be the underdogs in this match, but it is a sobriquet that sits well on them. They rely on team performance and not individual brilliance - in stark contrast to Pakistan - to pull through, and nothing has illustrated this better than the fact that they have topped their group and qualified for the semi-finals in spite of injuries to Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder and Daryl Tuffey. Each of the three was likely to be in the starting eleven, but where India have faltered badly without Sehwag, Yuvraj and Zaheer, New Zealand have found their team resources were good enough to pull them through. In Shane Bond and Kyle Mills, they have a capable opening pair, and with Vettori consistently guaranteeing 10 tough overs, they have a good frontline attack. The main bowlers will be backed by either James Franklin or Iain O'Brien. Their batting has started to click, with McCullum and Guptill finding form against England, but their middle order is suspect, and they will have to be watchful of Pakistan's lethal bowling attack. Ross Taylor will likely need to play a major hand if his side is to break its semi-finals jinx and progress to the finals of the Champions Trophy.

Trivia:

The two highest wicket-takers in ODIs in the current Pakistan side are both batsmen - Shahid Afridi leads the pack followed, rather surprisingly, by Shoaib Malik. Afridi has 261 wickets, while Malik has 129. The next on the list is Umar Gul with 94.

Numbers Game:

1 - Shane Bond's position amongst New Zealand bowlers in ODIs by averages. Bond averages an amazing 20.02 in ODIs, considerably ahead of the second placed, all-time great Sir Richard Hadlee who has an average of 21.56. Bond is in fifth position for bowling averages on the all-time list for all countries.

8.93 - The drop in Mohammad Yousuf's ODI batting average since his comeback into the side after more than a year. Before he joined the ICL, Yousuf was averaging 43.59, however in the six matches since he's come back that has dropped to 34.66.

Soundbytes:

"It's nothing because sometimes you win all the games in the first stage and then suddenly you lose a big game. So it's good for us, not like some other teams, like South Africa and Sri Lanka in the last World T20, who won all their games and then lost the big games." - Younis Khan speaking in his usual straight no-nonsense way after the defeat to Australia.

"To be honest, 99% of the wickets we play on are featherbeds, so it is not a problem once in a while to have wickets which challenge the batsmen. I don't have a problem with it at all." - Daniel Vettori on the Wanderers wicket.

© Cricbuzz

A nail-biting combat Pakistan Vs Australia

Victory Smile: Brett Lee and Nathan Hauritz

Pakistan Vs Australia

Australia looted a nail-biting combat against Pakistan after a dramatic fightback by Pakistani bowlers, who almost chop Australian line-up and dragged the thrilling contest on the final ball of the match, but Australia ultimately secure the contest by two wickets and ensured their place in the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy. As a result, India crashed out of the tournament. Australia will take on England in the first semifinal, while Pakistan will play New Zealand in the second semifinal.

The defending champions, having won the toss and restricted Pakistan to 205-6 off 50 overs, were on the way for an easy victory as they were 140-2 on the board, seven wickets in hand and almost 19 overs left. But as the Pakistani bowlers came alive, wickets tumbled and Australia entered the final over needing five runs to win a match transformed into a thriller after being tedious to watch for so long. Tail-enders Brett Lee and Nathan Hauritz picked off singles against superb bowling from Umar Gul and some inspired fielding to reach 206-8 in the best match so far of the tournament.

Man-of-the-match Michael Hussey top scored with 64 and Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson took two wickets each for the Australians, who face England Friday in the first semi-final. Read More

Highlights

Pakistan’s exciting win over India

Pakistan defeating India by54 runs in the sensational day/night match at Super Sports Park in Centurion Shoaib Malik smashed a brilliant century to set up Pakistan's a much needed victory over arch-rivals India.

Well done boys

Pakistan whole team is dangerous,” Dhoni said.

It’s always a pressure cooker game, played with unmatched intensity. Even a warm-up game generates more interest around the world than actual games. To top it all... for the fans on either side, it won’t matter if their team doesn’t even make it to the semis, as long as it comes out victorious here.

For once, Pakistan & India will not be playing on an island. Pakistan-India matches are usually separate events within the main event, oblivious to the larger picture of the tournament, but this game doesn’t seem to be the usual matter of life and death. For once, this match, though the first big clash of the Champions Trophy in terms of traditional rivals coming face to face, is more about the cricket.

India captain MS Dhoni sees no wisdom behind Pakistan captain Younis Khan playing against them with a broken finger, he deems a serious risk involved in Khan's decision to play ICC Champions Trophy crucial match despite a injury – for which he was supposes to take rest for atleast four weeks.

"I don't think there is any wisdom involved in it. If you have a broken finger, you should act according to the doctor's advice. It is not all that wise to play a competitive match as by doing so you expose yourself to serious injury,“ said Dhoni in a pre-match conference at Supersports park, Centurion. “And any further hit and you could be sidelined for almost three to four months."

Dhoni also play down identifying three for four Pakistani dangerous players – who could damage India. “Its would be a big mistake if we identify three dangerous players [ Who prove dangerous against India], infact Pakistan whole team is dangerous,” Dhoni said.

For Younis its a normal game but geared up to face India and despite having an finger injury he is more passionate to play instead to bunk the crucial game. “We are not fighter there is no revenge sort of wold will be appropriate to use. For me its a normal game as when we put a lot of pressure in you you suddenly collapse and at the moment I am just motivating my boys, that it is a normal game whoever wins India or Pakistan at the end cricket must win,” Younis said.

"We have a balanced side, but it depends on the day how we handle pressure against a side like India. Whoever handles the pressure will win," Pakistan captain Younis Khan told reporters on the eve of the match,” Khan added.

Pakistan (probable) 1 Imran Nazir, 2 Kamran Akmal (wk), 3 Younis Khan (capt.), 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Mohammad Yousuf, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, 9 Mohammad Aamer, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Saeed Ajmal

India (probable) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 6 Virat Kohli/Dinesh Karthik, 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9, 10 and 11 three out of Ishant Sharma, RP Singh, Ashish Nehra and Amit Mishra.

Its going to be a great One day match full of excitment and thrill. Each team will try its best to get the first points in this pool of death with mighty Australia being the third team. Best of Luck to Pakistan.

Pakistan celebrate victory

Pakistan have had to endure a few anxious moments today before completing the win. Thrilled with the manner in which fast-bowling department performed, equally heartening will be the young Umar Akmal's display. He showed an ability to adapt his game according to the situation, leaving plenty of deliveries during Gavin Tonge's fantastic spell. Winning with nearly 20 overs to spare will also boost their net run-rate.

For West Indies, Nikita Miller's batting effort and Gavin Tonge's superb bowling bodes well, and the manner in which the entire team fought despite the batting failure are pluses.

Post-match presentation

West Indies 133 (34.3 ov)

Pakistan 134/5 (30.3 ov)

Pakistan won by 5 wickets (with 117 balls remaining)

Floyd Reifer says he doesn't regret the decision to bat first. "I would like to congratulate Miller, Tonge bowled well, and our bowling and fielding as a unit was very good.
"Somebody in the top four has to score a hundred, if we are to compete."

Shahid Afridi "I think the guys bowled very well, they showed great maturity ... I just told Umar just play positive, don't bother about the wicket. I love bravehearts, and that's why I like him." He says the opening batting and the fielding are areas where Pakistan need to improve.

Umar Akmal is the Man of the Match." I didn't feel any pressure, I just maintained a positive attitude, as the seniors in the team advised."

Pakistan's Next Match
Sat 26 (D/N)
6th Match, Group A –
Pakistan Vs India
SuperSport Park, Centurion.

Pakistan makes promising start at boxing worlds

Pakistan's Mohammed Waseem (blue) lands a punch against Oraz Avzalshoev of Tajikistan (red) during their first preliminary round match in Milan, Italy.

Pakistan made an encouraging start at the world boxing championships in Milan, Italy, when flyweight Mohammed Waseem moved ahead with a convincing victory over Oraz Avzalshoev of Tajikistan in the first preliminary round on Tuesday.

According to information available here, the Pakistani pugilist, who won 13-7 against the Tajik, led from the first bell as he had 4-2 lead in the opening round. Read More

Photo: Fabio Bozzani courtesy of worldboxingmilano.org