World Cup 2019 ICC Cricket - Stand by the spirit of togetherness - Teletimes International

Page created by Ben Maldonado
 
CONTINUE READING
World Cup 2019 ICC Cricket - Stand by the spirit of togetherness - Teletimes International
May 2019                                   www.msportstimes.com

           Monthly

                                           Islamabad

                     ICC Cricket
    World Cup 2019
           Stand by the spirit of togetherness
World Cup 2019 ICC Cricket - Stand by the spirit of togetherness - Teletimes International
Sana Mir
First Pakistani
Woman Cricketer
to top ICC Rankings
World Cup 2019 ICC Cricket - Stand by the spirit of togetherness - Teletimes International
25                                  05            May 2019
    Monthly                                                                                                  Prelude
                                                      Islamabad

A Project of Corporate Communication Service

                                 Advisors

                                Aamir Bilal
                           Dr. Zafar Khan OBE
                            Dr. Sajid Hussain
                          Faheem Mukhtar Butt

             Chief Editor Khalid Athar
          Managing Editor Nasreen Akhtar
            Deputy Editor Sohail Kiani

                           Assistant Editors

                          Gulraiz Khalid Khan
                          Asghar Ali Mubarak
                           Aftab Raza Khan

                                Associates

                             Fakher Khan
                           Khurram Khiraam
                             Fatiha Asim                          Dear readers,

                                Consultant
                                                                  The present edition of Sports Times International is ICC world cup special as we have devoted
                            Khadim Hussain                        considerable portion in the magazine for this mega event of cricket. Pakistan has won only one
                                                                  world cup since its inception under the captaincy of present premier, Imran Khan. It was a glorious
                   Special Correspondents
                                                                  moment in the history of our country. We wish best of luck to Pakistan team in their world cup
         Barcelona Mohammed Tanveer                               campaign.
              Doha Ashraf Siddiqui
              Dubai Masood Kahout                                 The countries which are investing their resources and energies in the field of sports are progressing
          Brunei Imran ul Haq, Nordiana                           at international level as in present times it shows the mettle of a nation. A small country like Hungary
           Mohiddin, Farah Muhammad
                                                                  has made her presence felt at international level and developing countries like Pakistan need to
             Lahore Tahir Amin Malik
        Peshawar Faiz ul Haq, Ikram ul Haq                        learn a lot from this precedent. We need to come out of favoritism and make every effort to promote
                                                                  the meritorious players regardless of gender. Pakistani women cricketers are performing very well
    Marketing Coordinator Imran Rasheed
       Circulation Mohammed Azam                                  and Sana Mir has topped the ICC ranking of bowlers. It amply shows the importance of promoting
                                                                  women players in the country.
                                                                  The efforts of the present Government to promote national game Hockey are laudable and we hope
                    International Office:
                                                                  that the appointment of Asif Bajwa as secretary PHF and his initiative to revive club hockey will help
                  TELETIMES MEDIA LLC.
               P.O. Box 239031, Dubai - UAE                       to invigorate the national game.
                       +971 504116915                             The present edition also includes reports about many other national and international sports events
                  Asia Office;                                    like English Premier League, Madrid Open Tennis Championship, Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament,
    # 6, St. 39 G-6/2, Islamabad, Pakistan                        Tirah Sports Gala and many other interesting stories to cater to the interest of sports enthusiasts
          (+92-51) 2874225, 2279830
     +92 317-5403336 +92-300-9570034,
                                                                  and readers.
               +92-300-9559879                                    As part of our aim to introduce those sportsmen who have made significant contribution to sports
                                                                  we have included a detailed interview of Shah Shamyl Alam an international Polo player from
                                 Bureaux
                                                                  Pakistan. The report of Pakistan wheelchair cricket team beating India in T20 Asia Cup final is also
                     United Kingdom                               encouraging. Gobi Ramadan T20 cricket tournament and 2nd Al Jalil Garden cricket tournament are
                 235A, Old Brompton Road,
                     London SE50 0EA
                                                                  included for the promotion of local sports.
                   Ph: (+44) 0783 1418 072
                                                                  I hope the readers will enjoy reading the present edition.
                         Qatar
                 P.O. Box 20927, Doha
           Ph: (+974) 6678 0756, 3327 9600                        We wish all our readers a blessed Ramadan and a delightful Eid-ul-Fitr.
                         Karachi
               Apt 1-2, Pl. 21/22 Block A,
                     SMCHS, Karachi
             Ph: (+92-213) 4555334, 4549872                                                                                                                 Chief Editor
                                                                                                                                                       +92 300 9559879
                       Peshawar
              LG52-53 Al-Falah Twin Tower,
                 Kohat Road, Peshawar
                   (+92) 332 912 5250

                                                          QR
                          10                   250   10   25
    (Including Courier)   120    300   300   3000 120     250

     Edited & Published by Khalid Athar
      from # 6, St. 39 G-6/2, Islamabad.
    Printed by Muhammed Sharif Cheema                                                                                              Scan to download PDF version
        at Maryah Printers, Islamabad
World Cup 2019 ICC Cricket - Stand by the spirit of togetherness - Teletimes International
10                                                                                                                            36
                                                                                                                                                             Manchester City
                                                                                                                                                             retains the English
                                                                                                                                                             Premier League &
                                                                                                                                                             wins FA Cup Final

                                             24                                                    18   Shadab Khan fit for World Cup

                                                                                                                                                                40
                                                                                                   27
                                            Polo is Game of
                                            Kings and requires                                          Trump confers highest civilian award upon Tiger
                                            investment                                                  Woods                                                  Mumbai Indians
                                                                                                                                                               win record
                                                                                                                                                               fourth IPL title

                                                                                                   28   Novak Djokovic records clinical victory to win

                                           09
                                                                                                        Madrid Open
                                                PM attends Tirah Sports Gala

                                           13   4,000 volunteers for Cricket World Cup 2019        38   Learning from Hungarian Sports

EVOKING THE GLORY OF 1992 WORLD CUP        15   The players squad of the teams for ICC World Cup
                                                2019                                               42   Pakistan Wheelchair’s team beats India in T20 Asia
                                                                                                        Cup final

                           14                                                                                              29
                                                                                                                          Pakistan and South
                                                                                                                                                                  17
                                                                                                                                                               Pakistan will be
                         Australian High                                                                                  Africa share trophy                  better at World
                         Commissioner                                                                                     after 3 match                        Cup: Coach Mickey
                         hosts World Cup                                                                                  series tie                           Arthur
                         Exhibition
World Cup 2019 ICC Cricket - Stand by the spirit of togetherness - Teletimes International
International

                                                                                                             A project of Corporate Communication Service

PM attends closing ceremony
of Tirah Sports Gala

Prime Minister Imran Khan attended the            being purged by the security forces.         e-Aman’ festival began on April 25 which
concluding ceremony of week-long Sports                                                        featured different sports events besides
Gala. This was his first visit to the area that   A huge number of tribal people warmly        performance of traditional FC bands,
had once been a no-go region for being            welcomed the prime minister, who chanted     national songs by school children and horse
under the terror reign of the militants.          slogans of “Imran Khan Qadam Bharo Hum       dance that amused the large crowds at the
                                                  Tumharey Sath Hain” (Step forward prime      venue.
Tirah is the most troubled area and was a         minister, we are with you) and “long live
big hub of terrorists; However Imran Khan         prime minister.”                             The prime minister, who was chief guest of
is the first ever Prime Minister to visit the     A contingent of Frontier Corps (FC) KP       the concluding ceremony, was accompanied
area where no other senior civil and political    presented salute to the prime minister who   by Governor KP Shah Farman Khan, Chief
leadership visited in the past. Besides           later distributed trophies among winning     Minister Mahmood Khan, Defence Minister
the visit of the prime minister, holding of       teams and players who showed outstanding     Pervez Khattak, Federal Minister for
sports festival was itself a factor to witness    performance during the week-long event.      Religious Affairs, Noorul Haq Qadari and
the revival of peace in the area that had                                                      other lawmakers, besides elites of Khyber
otherwise been badly hit by terrorism before      Moreover, the Sports Gala titled ‘Bagh-      district.

                                                                                                                                                      May 2019       9
World Cup 2019 ICC Cricket - Stand by the spirit of togetherness - Teletimes International
International                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    International

A project of Corporate Communication Service                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    A project of Corporate Communication Service

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 huge six off Richard Illingworth that landed
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 far back into the members section. Imran
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 played a captain’s innings, getting a score
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 of 72 and Miandad 58 to steady the innings,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 expectedly followed by an onslaught from
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Inzamam (42) and Wasim Akram (33)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 enabling Pakistan to give England a fighting
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 target of 250.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 England’s start was shaky. Ian Botham was
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 dismissed for a duck by Wasim Akram,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 followed by Alec Stewart, Hick and Gooch,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 which left England tumbling at 69/4. A solid
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 partnership of 71 between Allan Lamb and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Neil Fairbrother caused Imran to give an
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 early second spell to his main pacer Wasim
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Akram in the 35th over. The decision wrote
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 the fate of the match. Two deliveries from
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 the left arm fast bowler dismissed Allan
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Lamb and Chris Lewis. Soon Fairbrother was
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 caught by Moin Khan off Aaqib Javed to seal
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 England’s last hope. Imran Khan had the final
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 say, when he had Richard Illingworth caught
                                                                                                                                                                as the eighth full member of the ICC, and        status) and South Africa.                       by Ramiz Raja off his bowling to finish the
                                                                                                                                                                would play their first Test in 22 years in the   New Zealand were defeated only twice in         final and crown Pakistan World Champions.
                                                                                                                                                                West Indies a month after the World Cup.         the tournament, both times by Pakistan in
                                                                                                                                                                Zimbabwe appeared for the third time,            consecutive matches, in their final group       Imran Khan, remembering the ICC Cricket
                                                                                                                                                                having qualified by winning the 1990 ICC         match and in the semi-final. Some held          World Cup 1992, said: “Winning the ICC
                                                                                                                                                                trophy defeating the Netherlands in the final    Pakistan to be lucky to be in the semi-finals   Cricket World Cup 1992 was one of the

Evoking the Glory of
                                                                                                                                                                for the second time. Zimbabwe would gain         at all: following only one victory in their     biggest achievements of my cricketing
                                                                                                                                                                full member status following the tournament      first five matches, they were also fortunate    career.
                                                                                                                                                                and play their first Test match later in 1992.   to scrape a point from the washed-out
                                                                                                                                                                Teams who entered were Australia, England,       match against England which appeared            “We had a difficult start to the World Cup as

1992 World Cup                                                                                                                                                  India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa,      to be heading for a heavy English victory,      we were without our biggest match-winners,
                                                                                                                                                                Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe.             after Pakistan had been bowled out for 74.      Waqar Younis and Saeed Anwar. In addition
                                                                                                                   By Khurram Khiraam                                                                            However, the Pakistanis and their captain,      to this Javed Miandad and I were injured,
                                                                                                                                                                Co-hosts New Zealand proved the surprise         Imran Khan would point to the controversial     and carried these injuries throughout the
                                                                                                                                                                packet of the tournament, winning their first    rain rule handing a game against South          tournament.
                                                                                                                                                                seven consecutive games to finish on top of      Africa to the Proteas when the game had
                                                                                                                                                                the table after the round-robin. The other       been evenly balanced when the rain hit. They    “Despite early setbacks, we knew we needed
Pakistan won its maiden and solitary ICC                       to an extent that even during the lifetime      the fifth staging of the Cricket World Cup,      hosts, Australia, one of the pre-tournament      finished the group stage one point ahead of     one good win in the ICC Cricket World Cup
cricket world cup in 1992 under the dynamic                    of great humanitarian like Abdul Sattar         organized by the International Cricket           favorites lost their first two matches. They     Australia due to better run-rate.               1992 and we would be back in contention.
captaincy of present premier, legendary                        Edhi, he was generously offered monetary        Council (ICC). It was held in Australia and      recovered somewhat to win four of the                                                            The win over Australia (in Perth by 48 runs)
Pakistani all rounder Imran Khan. It was a                     help and the skin of sacrificial animals was    New Zealand from 22 February to 25 March         remaining six, but narrowly missed out on        This was Imran Khan’s last One Day              provided us that momentum and then there
determining factor and turning point not                       donated in a large number to only Shaukat       1992, and finished with Pakistan beating         the semi-finals.                                 International. The final began with eerie       was no looking back for us.”
only for Pakistan cricket but also in Imran’s                  Khanum welfare trust after Edhi trust. This     England by 22 runs in the final to become                                                         resemblances to same fixture earlier in the
career. This win was due to the superb team                    win also contributed to enhance his status      the World Cup champions for the first time.      The West Indies also finished with a 4–4         tournament when England bowled out              Pakistan lost three of its first five matches
effort and prayers of the entire nation and                    as a political figure and people started to     The 1992 World Cup was the first to feature      record, but were just behind Australia on        Pakistan for a paltry 74, as Derek Pringle      against West Indies (by 10 wickets), India (by
turned out to be a rich treasure for Imran and                 refer to him as future prime minister of        colored player clothing, white cricket balls     run-rate. South Africa made a triumphant         dismissed both Pakistani openers at 24.         43 runs) and South Africa (by 20 runs) before
played a major role in his mission of building                 Pakistan. Imran Khan during his political       and black sightscreens with a number of          return to international cricket with a win                                                       it won five straight matches to lift the cup.
a cancer hospital in Pakistan in memory                        campaign and as premier extensively             matches being played under floodlights. The      over Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground      However, Imran Khan and Javed Miandad
of his late mother, Shaukat Khanum. This                       alludes to this win and the construction of     1992 World Cup was also the first to be held     in their first match. They and England had       settled down to see off the new ball. A         “We had a side which was confident and had
outstanding win raised his status from an                      Shaukat Khanum hospital to underline his        in the Southern Hemisphere. It was also the      solid campaigns and easily qualified for the     crucial moment occurred when Imran Khan         self-belief, something we had been carrying
international cricketer to national hero                       credentials as a beloved and trusted public     first World Cup to include South Africa, who     semis, despite upset losses to Sri Lanka         was dropped by Graham Gooch at 9 runs. He       for the last three years since our victory over
and international figure. This win also                        leader. In short, this monumental win was       had been allowed to re-join the International    and Zimbabwe respectively. India had a           later went on to score a match-winning 72. At   the West Indies in the Nehru Cup final in
paved his way as a social activist. Khan                       like a transforming milestone and jackpot in    Cricket Council as a Test-playing nation after   disappointing tournament and never looked        the 25 over mark, Pakistan had only scored      Kolkata in 1989.
was respected and loved everywhere like a                      his life and will always be counted his prime   the end of apartheid. The 1992 World Cup         likely to progress beyond the round-robin.       70, but accelerated the score to 139 by the
beloved international icon and a devoted                       achievement and unforgettable feat.             featured the seven Test teams at that time.      Sri Lankan players were still establishing       31st over as Javed Miandad summoned a           “I rate the moments after the World Cup
philanthropist. He was trusted blindly by                      The 1992 Cricket World Cup (officially the                                                       themselves at the highest level and beat         runner, and he and Imran Khan built a steady    victory as the most pleasing and satisfying
Pakistani community at home and abroad                         Benson & Hedges World Cup 1992) was             For the first time, South Africa competed        only Zimbabwe (who did not yet have Test         partnership. During his innings, Imran hit a    of my career as I had never seen the people

 10 May 2019                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             May 2019      11
World Cup 2019 ICC Cricket - Stand by the spirit of togetherness - Teletimes International
International                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   International

A project of Corporate Communication Service                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   A project of Corporate Communication Service

                                                                                                                                                                                4,000 volunteers for
                                                                                                                                                                                Cricket World Cup 2019
                                                                                                                                                                                By Basma Aftab

                                                               Captians of the teams participated in 1992 ICC Cricket World Cup

of Pakistan so happy.”                                                      the tournament and is probably up there in          In hindsight if I had stayed on the field, we
                                                                            the top three bowlers I’ve ever played against.     could have defended that total.
Graham Gooch, reflecting on the ICC Cricket                                 “In the final when he removed Allan Lamb            “We had planned a successful campaign for
World Cup 1992, said that his side was the                                  and Chris Lewis in consecutive balls it pretty      over 18 months. Unity, innovation, surprise,
most consistent throughout the tournament                                   much ended our title hopes. You need wicket         and courage were the main priorities in
before losing to the side that England                                      takers in World Cups, bowlers who can               planning. We set the goal of being the best
should have put out much earlier from the                                   change the game for you and he managed              defensive bowling and fielding team by
competition.                                                                to do that time and again,” recalled Gooch.         mixing economy and attack. We got on a roll
                                                                                                                                and with an ounce of luck could’ve won the
“It was the last World Cup I played in and                                  “Overall I’ve got good memories of 1992             World Cup the way we were playing.
I captained the side. Looking back I’m                                      but one of the biggest regrets of my career                                                         The head-to-toe uniforms – which have           which is underpinned by bold simplicity.        Head of Volunteers at the ICC Men’s Cricket
proud of our performances throughout the                                    is that we reached three finals but didn’t get      “My injury killed it for us.”                   been designed and produced by VBM and           The use of ‘Royal’ and ‘Spring’ colours         World Cup 2019, Mary Cahill, said: “The
competition, we were probably the form                                      over the line in any of them,” added Gooch.                                                         BDA – will be sported by 4,000+ ‘World Cup      gives the volunteers a unique image which       unveiling of the uniform is a major key
side during the tournament and played good                                                                                      Talking about some of the teams and players     Cricketeers’ at this summer’s Cricket World     will help to make them easily identifiable.     moment for the volunteer programme. It
cricket until the final when we didn’t have                                 Martin Crowe, who skippered New Zealand             that impressed him in that event, Crowe said:   Cup.                                            The same colours will also be used for way      lets the team begin to visualize their roles.
our best day.                                                               and won the player of the tournament award,         “There were some outstanding teams and                                                          finding signs and directions throughout
                                                                            believed it was New Zealand’s best chance           players in that tournament. From our side,      Volunteers will be the heartbeat of the ICC     Host Venues and cities at CWC19, offering a     “We’re delighted to be able to share the
“We were beaten by Pakistan who played                                      of winning the World Cup, but a tactical            Mark Greatbatch, Dipak Patel and Gavin          Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, and with their    smooth spectator journey when looking for       stand-out uniform designs with those who
very well and certainly developed as a side                                 decision cost his side the tournament.              Larsen stood out, while Brian Lara shone        specially-designed kit they will be instantly   information and help.                           will be wearing them this summer and hope
throughout the competition. We had an                                                                                           for the West Indies, South Africa prospered     recognisable as the face of the tournament.                                                     they share our excitement about being the
opportunity to knock them out of the World                                  “I think it was the best opportunity in our         on faster wickets and Graham Gooch had an       All volunteers will receive a bespoke polo      Members of the World Cup team Volunteers        face of this summer’s World Cup.
Cup earlier in the tournament when we                                       history to win the World Cup. We scored 262         experienced all-round side.                     shirt, softshell jacket, trousers, belt, cap,   received their uniform at ‘The Run Up’
bowled them out for 74, but the match was                                   on a slow pitch (against Pakistan in semi-                                                          backpack and water bottle, as well as a pair    training sessions.. Volunteers can keep their   “The World Cup Cricketeers will be the go-to
rained off,” Gooch said.                                                    final), which we thought was a winning              “But for me, the stand-out player was           of complementing New Balance trainers.          uniforms beyond CWC19; going a small way        people for those needing assistance at the
                                                                            score. However, it was decided that I should        Wasim Akram. And then it was Imran Khan’s                                                       to thanking them for the important and          Cricket World Cup, and the uniform helps set
Remembering the final, Gooch said: “Wasim                                   not take the field so that I could be fit for the   captaincy and Javed Miandad’s solid batting     The kits were designed in line with the         tireless work they will do to help make the     them out from the crowd, easily identifiable
Akram was one of the stand-out players of                                   final that was to be played four days later.        that held Pakistan together.”                   ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 brand,         tournament a success.                           for anyone who requires assistance.”

 12 May 2019                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            May 2019      13
World Cup 2019 ICC Cricket - Stand by the spirit of togetherness - Teletimes International
International                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 International

A project of Corporate Communication Service                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 A project of Corporate Communication Service

Australian High Commissioner hosts
World Cup Exhibition
Asghar Ali Mubarak
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   The players squad
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   of the teams for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ICC World Cup 2019
                                                                                                                                                                The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 will be held in England and Wales        Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun
                                                                                                                                                                from May 30, 2019 to July 14, 2019. The first round of the tournament   Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell
                                                                                                                                                                will see 10 teams — England (hosts), Australia, Bangladesh, India,      Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa
                                                                                                                                                                New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and
                                                                                                                                                                West Indies — play against each other. The top four teams will          BANGLADESH
                                                                                                                                                                progress to the semifinals.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Mashrafe Mortaza (c), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar,
                                                                                                                                                                Below are the 10 teams and their full squads.                           Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah Riyad, Shakib Al Hasan (vc),
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Mohammad Mithun (wk), Sabbir Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain,
                                                                                                                                                                PAKISTAN                                                                Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Rahman, Abu Jayed
                                                                                                                                                                Sarfaraz Ahmed (c & wk), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali,
                                                                                                                                                                Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik (vc), Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail,           NEW ZEALAND
                                                                                                                                                                Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen
                                                                                                                                                                Shah Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Hasnain.                              Kane Williamson (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Trent Boult, Colin de
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom
                                                                                                                                                                INDIA                                                                   Latham (wk), Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (vc), Ross Taylor
                                                                                                                                                                Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni
                                                                                                                                                                (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep           SOUTH AFRICA
                                                                                                                                                                Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Vijay
The Australian High Commissioner to                            an exhibition of photographs from the 1992       On every street, in every open space,           Shankar, Dinesh Karthik (wk), KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja                 Faf du Plessis (c), Quinton de Kock (vc & wk), David Miller, JP
Pakistan, H.E.Ms. Margaret Adamson, hosted                     Cricket World Cup played in Australia.“1992      youngsters are out hitting the ball, grabbing                                                                           Duminy, Hashim Amla, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen,
                                                               was a tournament of firsts. The first World      a wicket, being part of the team,” she said.    ENGLAND                                                                 Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn,
                                                               Cup played in Australia. The first appearance    “Pakistan has produced some of the game’s                                                                               Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Imran Tahir, Tabraiz Shamsi
                                                               of colored kit, white balls and night cricket.   true champions: Imran Khan, the best of         Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Jos Buttler (vc &
                                                               And, most importantly, the first World           skippers; Shahid Afridi, who hit more sixes     wk), Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid,     SRI LANKA
                                                               Cup collected by Pakistan,” Ms Adamson           than anyone else in one-day internationals;     Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark
                                                               said.“This wonderful exhibition of photos        Sarfraz Nawaz, Wasim Akram and Waqar            Wood                                                                    Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Kusal
                                                               by Iqbal Munir captures the ecstasy of the       Younis, who pioneered reverse swing,” she                                                                               Perera (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis (wk), Isuru Udana,
                                                               Pakistani players during that victory over       said. The exhibition of work by Iqbal Munir,    AFGHANISTAN                                                             Milinda Siriwardana, Avishka Fernando, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru
                                                               the English,” she said. H.E.Ms. Margaret         a widely travelled cricket photographer and                                                                             Thirimanne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Pradeep,
                                                               Adamson, noted that although Australia           enthusiast, will be open to public at Dolmen    Gulbadin Naib (c), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Noor Ali Zadran,              Suranga Lakmal
                                                               and Pakistan were fierce competitors on the      Mall, Karachi. “What happened on the field      Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah
                                                               field, cricket was a unifying passion for the    in 1992 might be etched in the memory           Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi,          WEST INDIES
                                                               two countries.                                   of every cricket fan in the country and is      Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan and
                                                                                                                refreshed every four years by the barrage       Mujeeb ur Rahman.                                                       Jason Holder (c), Evin Lewis, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Andre
                                                               “Every summer, more than a million               of video clips and pictures that flood social                                                                           Russell, Carlos Brathwaite, Nicholas Pooran, Oshane Thomas,
                                                               Australians play the game, and you see           media and television screens,” Mr Munir         AUSTRALIA                                                               Shai Hope (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Fabien Allen, Sheldon Cottrell,
                                                               the same enthusiasm here in Pakistan.            said.                                           Aaron Finch (c), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (vc & wk), Nathan        Shannon Gabriel, Kemar Roach, Ashley Nurse.

 14 May 2019                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          May 2019      15
World Cup 2019 ICC Cricket - Stand by the spirit of togetherness - Teletimes International
International                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        International

A project of Corporate Communication Service                                                                                                                                                                                                                        A project of Corporate Communication Service

                                                                                                                                                     Pakistan will be better at World Cup:
                                                                                                                                                     Coach Mickey Arthur
                                                                                                                                                     Asghar Ali Mubarak

Adapting to English conditions
will be key during World cup: Brett Lee
Twin World Cup-winning pacer Brett Lee believes that defending            Lee also stated that one shouldn’t be tricked into thinking that
champions Australia have got it in them to go the distance in the         pacers will have a great time at the World Cup simply because it is
upcoming 2019 World Cup in England and Wales.Lee said that an             in England. “We’ve got to keep in mind what time the tournament
injury to fast bowler Jhye Richardson shouldn’t cause much trouble        will be played. It is in June and July and the wickets over there aren’t
as the likes of former skipper Steve Smith and David Warner have          really conducive to fast bowling at that time of the year,” the pacer      The Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur insisted        out in unusual fashion by wicket-keeper        coming to England, said we were a 280
returned to bolster the squad.                                            explained. “So a lot of people think it will be a bowler’s wicket, but     his side would benefit from a 4-0 one-day        Jos Buttler. Coach Arthur insisted he was      team. We’ve dispelled that, that’s given our
                                                                          it’s not necessarily the case. I think they will be okay with the brand    series defeat by World Cup hosts England         in a much better mood now than he had          batting unit a massive amount of confidence
“They can go as far as they want to go. They are a good team. There       new ball, but once the shine goes from the ball it’s going to be hard      when the showpiece tournament starts later       been after Pakistan suffered a humiliating     in the dressing room.”- ‘We’ll be ready’
has been an injury for one of the fast bowlers and Jhye Richardson        work for the fast bowlers,” he said.                                       this month. The England, the world’s top-        124 run-opening defeat on the Duckworth/       -Moreover, Arthur was adamant the series
is out of the World Cup, but Kane Richardson has been brought in.                                                                                    ranked ODI side, triumphed by 54 runs in         Lewis method by India in Birmingham            against World Cup favourites England would
Look, any side that goes to the World Cup will be very well prepared.                                                                                Sunday’s finale at Headingly as, not for the     at the 2017 Champions Trophy -- an ODI         help Pakistan.”The other thing is we’ve
It’s all about who adapts well to the English wickets,” Lee said. Pacer                                                                              first time this series, Pakistan’s bowling and   tournament they bounced back to win by         played against a team who are number one
Jhye Richardson had suffered a dislocated shoulder during the                                                                                        especially their fielding let them down.Yet      defeating their arch-rivals in the final.”We   in the world in their own conditions.”I know
series against Pakistan in the UAE and is only expected to return to                                                                                 the match was the first time in a completed      were beaten hands down at Edgbaston            there’s not too many teams who will arrive
full fitness for the Ashes tour that takes place after the World Cup.                                                                                innings this campaign where Pakistan,            that day and I didn’t really know where to     in England as prepared as we are in terms of
Australia have been suffering in ODI cricket over the past couple of                                                                                 bowled out for 297, had failed to post a         turn because there wasn’t a hell of a lot of   the competition we’ve played against and
seaons and their situation was made worse with the bans imposed                                                                                      total of 340 or more.But Last’s game did         positives out of that day,” said Arthur.”We    match-fitness,” explained Arthur, previously
on Smith and Warner in the wake of the 2018 Sandpaper Gate fiasco.                                                                                   see Babar Azam follow up his 115 at Trent        sit here having taken a huge amount of         a coach of both his native South Africa and
However, the Australians have seen a reversal in fortunes in 2019.                                                                                   Bridge on Friday with 80, while captain          positives out of this series.”I thought our    Australia.”All I know is the players are very
They beat Virat Kohli and boys 3-2 on Indian soil and most recently                                                                                  Sarfraz Ahmed made 97 before being run           batting has gone to another level.”People,
recorded a 5-0 win over Pakistan.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    determined to do well.

 16 May 2019                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 May 2019      17
World Cup 2019 ICC Cricket - Stand by the spirit of togetherness - Teletimes International
International

A project of Corporate Communication Service

Shadab Khan fit for World Cup

The young Pakistani leg-spinner Shadab                         World Cup warm-up matches, scheduled            stone unturned in helping Pakistan put up a
Khan reached London for consulted senior                       for May 24 and 26 against Afghanistan           strong show.”
gastroenterologist and hepatologist before                     and Bangladesh respectively, are subject        Shadab Khan said it was difficult for him to
joining the Pakistani’s squad for the Cricket                  to his fitness and the team management’s        stay away from international cricket and
World Cup. Shadab Khan was declared fit                        decision.                                       watch Pakistan play outstandingly—both in
for the World Cup after his latest test results                                                                Cardiff and in Southampton.
reflected zero viral loads in his blood, the                   “I am delighted to know that the blood
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced in                      tests are negative and I can now return         “As a professional cricketer, you want to be
a press release. The leg-spinner consulted                     to competitive cricket. I was always very       part of such games. In both the matches,
Dr Patrick Kennedy before joining the team                     confident that I would fully recover from       Pakistan have shown their capability and
in Bristol.”Bags packed, all geared up for                     the viral infection and will be available for   ability, and I am sure with some fine tuning,
England to join team Pakistan. I am working                    the World Cup,” said the leg spinner.”Having    we will be ready to take on the world,” he
hard on my treatment and with your                             played and won the ICC Champions Trophy         added.
support and prayers I will be able to achieve                  2017, I understand the importance, flavour
my goals. #PakistanZindabad,” Shadab said                      and glamour of global events and what           Coach Mickey Arthur expressed his delight
in a tweet.                                                    success in such events means to the players     over the development and said that he is
                                                               and the public. I am looking forward to         looking forward to welcoming Shadab back
However, Shadab’s appearances in the                           featuring in the World Cup and will leave no    in the squad.

 18 May 2019
International                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    International

A project of Corporate Communication Service                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    A project of Corporate Communication Service

Loryn and Rudimental partner with ICC                                                                                                                          Mike Atherton, the Buffoon
to launch official song of CWC19                                                                                                                               and a Pakistani journalist
By Maryam Khan

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   “Buffoon: Me or You?”
Rudimental have sold in excess of 2 million                    across the 48-match event.                     Flintoff.
albums since their formation in 2011 and                                                                      Cricket fanatic and World Cup Ambassador         The rift between English and Asians has         While talking to media in presence of             unmarried. He wistfully said, “If I had got
have a track record of discovering emerging                    Piers Aggett of Rudimental said:               Greg James said: “For cricket nerds it’s         been coming to the surface in different         Mr. Shomeresh Shetty, ICC marketing &             married in 1996 I might have been father of
talent and giving them a platform. Such is the                 “Celebrating our diversity is a key message    always so brilliant when our favourite thing     shapes, even in the field of sports which       promotion officer and special representative      23-year-old boy or girl but I am still single.
case with rising star LORYN who hails from                     of the band. Obviously, we’ve all got          becomes the national talking point and I         promote harmony and friendship. Different       for ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour 2019        “He further disclosed that during his visit to
the wilds of Deep Cove, Northern Canada.                       different heritages, we’re from London –       can’t wait for the World Cup to get going.       incidents may be cited from different fields    world over, the Pakistani journalist Asghar       India few years back, he approached Aysha
Having heard her demos, Rudimental knew                        one of the most diverse cities in the world    Music is obviously my other love so to be        especially from cricket in which the white      Ali Mubarak shared his memories about             Siddiqui, the ex-fiancé of cricketer Shoaib
they had to work with LORYN and the rest                       and we like to celebrate our differences.      part of this launch with an enormous act like    seem to enforce their ethnic superiority over   the post-match press briefing in Wills World      Malik, asking for her hand but he got no
is history.                                                    That’s our vibe.”                              Rudimental is very exciting.”                    Asians and Africans. Though there must be       Cup 1996, when England captain Mike               response from her. He lamented that his life
                                                                                                                                                               sportsman spirit on and off the field but       Atherton lost his temperament and called          was badly affected after that incident.
Available across all streaming platforms                       Fellow band member Locksmith added:            ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019,                still a few psychologically depraved figures    him a “buffoon” during the 14th post match
from 17th May, LORYN and Rudimental                            “The key message of this single is about       Managing Director, Steve Elworthy added:         forget all ethics and morality. But we cannot   interview at Rawalpindi stadium.                   Atherton always received feisty reception
are now excited to reveal “Stand By”, the                      togetherness, bringing people from all walks   “It is important to acknowledge the power        blame all the whites for that. Sometimes the                                                      whenever he visited Pakistan. Michael
official song to this summer’s tournament.                     of life through the music that we create.”     of music in sporting environments – from         negativity springs from the other side.         “I still had some bad memories of the             Atherton walked into a post-match press
One of the world’s biggest sporting events,                    The partnership will be launched in London     a motivational platform for players to                                                           historic World Cup of 1996 during my              conference during the 1996 Cricket World
it attracts one million sporting fans soaking                  at an event later today, hosted by BBC         providing a common voice for fans to             These incidents should be condemned             journalistic career, when the world’s top         Cup after his team had just lost to South
up Cricket World Cup action in the UK and                      Radio 1 DJ, Greg James and former England      celebrate together I am sure we will see the     and people who perpetrate this must be          players were in action in Rawalpindi. But         Africa by 78 runs at Rawalpindi Cricket
a further billion fans watching world-wide                     captain and broadcaster, Andrew ‘Freddie’      Official Song at the absolute heart of this      discouraged. We are living in an era where      I prayed that Rawalpindi may again host           Stadium. He had been dismissed for a duck
                                                                                                              tournament.                                      technology and education has developed          a world cup match in future. I am quite           after facing only four balls. The match itself
                                                                                                                                                               manifold and if we still behave like savages    hopeful that Pakistan will win 2019 World         had been poor with batsmen struggling
                                                                                                              “And when England and Wales host the ICC         and extremist especially in matters related     Cup in England.” Asghar said.                     to make big runs on either side. Graham
                                                                                                              Cricket World Cup this summer it will be         to sports then we do not deserve to be                                                            Thorpe had top-scored with 46 in the game.
                                                                                                              a truly multi-national event and this track      respected as normal human beings.               “My personal, professional and financial          During the post-match inquisition, Asghar
                                                                                                              brings to life the unique mix of cultures that                                                   life was badly affected after that incident.”     Ali managed to get under the skin of the
                                                                                                              guarantee a warm welcome for both players        Such an incident related to the cricket         He claimed, while telling that he was still       England captain. After making several
                                                                                                              and fans.                                        world cup not only spoiled the face of this     unmarried, “the woman he was going to             attempts, Ali asked a question on which
                                                                                                                                                               gentlemen’s game but also ruined the life       marry had left him because she “did not           Atherton was recorded as saying,” Can
                                                                                                              “The collaboration with LORYN                    of a sports enthusiast and journalist. Asghar   want to be the wife of a buffoon.”                someone get this buffoon out of here?”
                                                                                                              and Rudimental is hugely exciting and            Ali Mubarak, a renowned sports journalist
                                                                                                              provides the tournament with another             from Pakistan and (now) Assistant Editor at     Asghar stated, “That incident destroyed           The story grew legs and the England
                                                                                                              great way of inspiring and engaging a new        Sports Times International became victim        my life, my engagement was broken                 Cricket Board (ECB) was forced to issue an
                                                                                                              generation of cricket fans through this          of the hatred displayed by English cricketer    and now I have decided not to marry any           apology on Atherton’s behalf. Ali attempted
                                                                                                              Cricket World Cup.”                              and Captain, Mike Atherton.                     Pakistani girl.” He disclosed that he was still   to sue Atherton for defamation for (£ Six

 20 May 2019                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             May 2019      21
International                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      International

A project of Corporate Communication Service                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      A project of Corporate Communication Service

                                                                                                                                                                   Sana Mir - First Pakistani Woman
million) on numerous occasions, but never                      of the British people, particularly Princess      “My younger brother now has two children,
even gleaned an apology for his efforts.                       Diana, but I cannot respect Mr. Atherton.”        and I am still alone. I know there are other
He disclosed during his visit to India few                                                                       women in the world, but when the heart
years back. He later wrote a book in which
he launched several objections against
Atherton titled as “Bufoon; you or me?”
                                                               Some sense of proportion and perspective
                                                               needs to be maintained. The remark doesn’t
                                                               even seem that rude, to Western ears at
                                                                                                                 loves one, nothing else in the world is for
                                                                                                                 you. She was my love, and because of
                                                                                                                 Atherton, it is not to be.
                                                                                                                                                                   Cricketer to top ICC Rankings
                                                               least, and this relentless pursuit of Atherton
He even managed to include comments                            renders Ashgar faintly ridiculous. He insists     “When my fellow journalists see me they           By Shumayl Muskan
former South African skipper Hansie Cronje                     that the phrase is loaded with particular         snigger and say, “Here comes the buffoon.”
and Sri Lanka great Arjuna Ranatunga.                          significance, and believes that his dark          No one in Pakistan has supported me. Even
“Later, I took the matter to Islamabad                         complexion (“you would think I’m West             my friends and family taunt me, but I thank
court in 2000, on which TCB, ICC and British                   Indian” he says) prompted the remark.             the international media for keeping the
High Commission were summoned and in                                                                             incident in the public eye. I take sleeping
response they submitted a written apology                      “A buffoon is a phrase linked to monkeys          pills every night to help me relax,” he says,
on behalf of Mike Atherton, and the matter                     and apes,” he tells me. “I know in England        although whether or not the “international
was settled,” he added. He demanded that                       the word can mean “joker”’ or “fool”, but         media” are reporting on the incident
there must be some rule at ICC level under                     here it has greater significance. It is a very    because they see it as part of their crusade
which players should be bound to respect                       bad thing. It means I am a chimpanzee.”           to see justice done is debatable.
others and punished for insulting journalists.
                                                               This isn’t quite right though. Buffoon            Ashgar has written a book: “Buffoon: Me or
It wasn’t Atherton’s finest moment.                            does not have “ape” derivations in any of         you?” and is currently looking for a publisher.
Although John Barclay issued an apology on                     the dictionaries I’ve checked. Ashgar is,         It contains all sorts of claims that amount
behalf of the English team (in his role as tour                perhaps, letting himself be influenced by his     to a character assassination. How that will
manager) at the time, Ashgar has sought, in                    initial understanding of Atherton’s remarks.      help is beyond me, but Ali thinks that by
vain, a public apology from Atherton himself                   He originally thought he heard “baboon”.          undermining the credibility of Atherton he
ever since.                                                    He points to the “dirt in the pocket” affair,     will show that his remarks are baseless. This
                                                               and, somewhat tenuously, Atherton’s               is a flawed argument. The more he brings
Asghar claimed that Atherton had offered                       declaration against Australia in Sydney in        attention to the incident, I suggest, the
him 5,000 pound sterling to shut out after                     1995, as illustrations of the true character of   more it will be remembered.
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ)                   the former England captain. Hick was left 98
and Sports Journalists Association took                        not out, in Ashgar’s view “because he wasn’t      “It is only now that I ask for damages,”
strong exception to the English skipper’s                      English.”                                         stresses Ashgar. The damages he is seeking
behaviour.                                                                                                       are split into several categories, with the
                                                               This is nonsense. To suggest that Atherton is     bulk caused by damage to his credibility. He      Former Pakistani women cricket team           rankings.                                        (180) from Australia.
“In the surfeit of spot-fixing allegations                     racist is not credible, and the fact that Hick    is also seeking damages for “lost practice        captain Sana Mir, who took seven wickets      From playing street cricket to playing in        “It’s a proud moment,” said Mir. “Pakistan’s
against Pakistani players, I want to add my                    is white and was born on the same continent       and mental agony.”                                during the series, has become the first       grounds and moving to stadium, donning           flag is flying higher. I never thought I’d reach
own experience with Englishmen,” Asghar                        as Robin Smith and Allan Lamb, amongst                                                              Pakistan woman to top any ODI table. She      the Pakistan kit has been a moment of            so far when I started out ... Of course, I would
said while talking to media here.                              others, renders the whole argument plain                                                            has advanced from number four, in the         immense pride, Mir told. “The journey            have been happier had we won, but still,
                                                               silly.                                            Ashgar Ali claims to have received letters        process overtaking two Australia bowlers      started by proving in every street where         it’s a tie, it’s not a bad result.”The 33-year-
He said a person who introduced himself as                                                                       from a wide variety of sympathizers. He           - Megan Schutt and Jess Jonassen - as well    I played cricket that girls could play this      old, who made her ODI debut in 2005 at
media relations manager had approached                         But it would be wrong to doubt Ashgar Ali’s       has interviewed several past international        as South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp. Nahida      sport.”                                          the age of 20, spoke about the challenges
him with Atherton’s 5,000 pounds sterling                      sincerity. He is a university graduate and        team captains, not all of whom are fans           Khan (up four places to 25th) among batters                                                    she had to overcome to get to where she is
offer. The said person called Asghar to a local                has been vice-president of the Pakistan           of Atherton. Arjuna Ranatunga, and in             and Diana Baig (up 10 places to 58th) are     The former Pakistan captain added that it        now. “My father was in Army, so, we had to
hotel where the English squad were staying                     Sports Journalists’ Association. He is an         particular, Hansie Cronje, Ashgar claims,         among the other Pakistan players to gain in   was uncommon for girls to play in cricket.       move around a lot. This meant making new
and told him: “You can take this amount and                    experienced journalist and relates the            have provided interesting interviews for his                                                    The 33-year-old was praised on becoming          friends, but at the same time proving my
keep quiet.”                                                   extent of this personal tragedy with genuine      book.                                                                                           the most successful women’s ODI spinner.         cricket abilities to them again and again,”
                                                               emotion. Several times in our conversation                                                                                                        She bagged her 147th wicket in the third and     she said.
Asghar said that while rejecting the bribery                   his voice broke with emotion.                     He furter told that the ICC on the connivance                                                   final game against South Africa.
offer he told the media manager that he                                                                          of ECB England and Wales Board refused                                                                                                           “The more your intention is to contribute for
only wanted an apology from Atherton.                          “What you have to understand is that in           to issue accreditation to him due to past                                                       Sana Mir became the most successful              the team, the more success comes to you.
“Through that offer I was being trapped and                    Pakistan there are two things that matter;        litigation over that particular incident at                                                     spinner in women’s one-day international         This journey has taught me that keeping the
same has happened with our cricketers,” he                     money and social stature,” he explains.           Pindi Cricket Stadium. He after following                                                       history when she dismissed South Africa’s        team goal ahead of everything else brings
said.                                                          “When I became a cricket writer I turned my       the instructions submitted the media                                                            Sune Luus in the third ODI of the ICC            satisfaction along with fame, recognition
                                                               back on money. I wanted to be respected as        accreditation application properly which                                                        Women’s Championship in Benoi. Mir, who          and success,” said Mir, who picked up six
Ashgar told in an exclusive interview, “I was                  a journalist. Now everyone knows me as ‘the       was refused by ICC on the direction of the                                                      picked up her 147th ODI wicket in her 118th      wickets at an economy of 3.88 in the three
an accredited journalist and it was a press                    buffoon’, the respect has gone. It is hard for    host country UK. He was shocked to learn                                                        game, finished with figures of 1/53 in the       matches against South Africa women. She
conference. I hadn’t bothered Atherton in                      me to find decent work as my reputation is        about the refusal of media accreditation                                                        thrilling tied match. She is third on the list   is also the highest overall wicket-taker in
the dressing room or in his hotel. We respect                  tarnished. I have nothing to offer. My fiancé     even when he had completed all his                                                              of all-time leading wicket-takers in women’s     the Women’s Championship games with 35
guests in our country, but we do require that                  didn’t want to be known as the wife of a          arrangements for covering the mega event                                                        cricket, behind fast bowlers Jhulan Goswami      wickets in 15 matches, which include four
they respect us too. I am a great admirer                      buffoon, and I can’t blame her for that.          5th time in his journalistic career.                                                            (218) from India and Cathryn Fitzpatrick         four-wicket hauls.

 22 May 2019                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               May 2019      23
International                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            International

A project of Corporate Communication Service                                                                                                                                                                                                                            A project of Corporate Communication Service

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Q. What will you say about the Pakistan
Polo is the Game of Kings                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Polo Association? Is it doing well to encourage
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         the private sector to invest in Polo?

and requires investment                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Pakistan Polo Association has always
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         done a great job to promote this game.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         You can clearly see the effort put in by our
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         association by the number of new Polo fields
Shah Shamyl Alam                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         that have been made around the country.
Internationally renowned Pakistani Polo player                                                                                                                                                                                                           Besides the Polo association the Pakistan
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         army has been instrumental in helping
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         promote Pakistan Polo in the country and
Interview: Tahir Amin Malik                                                                                                                                                                                                                              abroad.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Q. What is your highest rank as a player in
                                                                                                              Q. Please tell us about your educational                                                                                                   Pakistan?
                                                                                                              career and how and when you drifted
                                                                                                              towards Polo?                                                                                                                              My highest rank as a Polo player was 4 Goals
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         handicap.
                                                                                                              I was educated at Aitchison College and grew
                                                                                                              up at boarding school. I was the youngest                                                                                                  Q. Which event of Polo is more enjoyable
                                                                                                              captain of the Atchison College riding team.                                                                                               to play?
                                                                                                              I finished my schooling at Atchison College.
                                                                                                              I am from a Polo playing family and grew up                                                                                                Everybody wants to win the Quaid e Azam
                                                                                                              playing Polo. My father, grandfather and my                                                                                                Gold Cup. Along with my brother Qubilai
                                                                                                              brothers all played Polo. Polo in our family    so far as a player?                       in Argentina, England, Australia, India,         Alam, I have won the championship many
                                                                                                              is not just a game but more a way of life.                                                Singapore, Scotland and Malaysia.                times. And off course it is always a matter
                                                                                                              We start riding horses before we started        I have played in many countries around                                                     of honor and pride to play for Pakistan team
                                                                                                              walking.                                        the world. To name a few, I have played   Q. Who is your most favorite player in Polo      internationally.
                                                                                                                                                                                                        game in Pakistan?
                                                                                                              Q. What is your significant achievement as                                                                                                 Q. Can you recall your feelings after
                                                                                                              a Polo player?                                                                            There have been so many great players over       winning the match for Pakistan against
                                                                                                                                                                                                        the years that it is difficult to pick any one   India in the World cup as a captain?
                                                                                                              I think that Polo has given me a lot of                                                   player as the best.
                                                                                                              recognition and direction in life. I had been                                                                                              When we played against India in the World
                                                                                                              probably the best Polo player in the country                                              Q. Do you think that investment in               Cup play off matches in Lahore it was
                                                                                                              for the longest time. In Polo my greatest                                                 Polo is gradually increasing and has             probably one of the most memorable game
                                                                                                              achievement is playing for the country and                                                resulted in the creation of Polo ground of       I have played. There was a huge crowd of
                                                                                                              captaining the Pakistan Team.                                                             international standard?                          25000 people cheering up our team.Beating
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         India on our home ground is something I still
                                                                                                              Q. What is your handicap of goal?                                                         Polo has a big following in the corporate        look back at with pride.
                                                                                                                                                                                                        sector and we get a lot of sponsorship for
                                                                                                              My handicap in Polo was 4 goals, the highest                                              Polo .We have many teams sponsored by            Q. What are your ambitions as a Polo
                                                                                                              in the country at that time                                                               Banks and others big names in business           player in future?
                                                                                                                                                                                                        who manage teams during the Polo season.
                                                                                                              Q. Do you think that the Lahore Polo club                                                 Every year we see new Polo season. Every         I have attained all my ambitions as a Polo
                                                                                                              has made its contributions to produce                                                     year we see new sponsors waiting to be part      player. I was the first Polo professional in
                                                                                                              international Polo players in Pakistan?                                                   of this great “Game of Kings and King of         Pakistan, infact I started professional Polo in
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Games”                                           the country. The young players are reaping
                                                                                                              Lahore Polo club has produced many top                                                                                                     its fruit today. My ambition now is to play
                                                                                                              class Polo players who have played on                                                     Q. Do you think if there is still need for       with my nephew and sons and to coach
                                                                                                              the international stage. My grandfather                                                   sizeable investment to promote the game          them to grow up to be great Polo players
                                                                                                              Masood Ali Baig was the highest ranked                                                    at grassroots level?                             just like our father did for us. I also want to
                                                                                                              player in the country. He was great friends                                                                                                see them play for Pakistan.
Shah Shamyl Alam is an internationally                         brought laurels for Pakistan. He is playing    with Prince Philip of England and had played                                              There is always a requirement of investment
renowned Pakistani Polo player and hails                       a major role in promoting this majestic        with him a lot. There have been many great                                                in all sports and Polo is no different. The      Q. Which is your favorite international
from the family of Polo players.                               sports and making it popular among the         Polo players produced by Pakistan over the                                                more the investment comes the better the         Polo team in the world?
                                                               youth. He spared his time for interview        years.                                                                                    facilities are to promote any sports. Polo
He has played many national and                                which is given below for the interest of the                                                                                             is an expensive game so investment and           My favorite international Polo team would
International Polo tournaments and has                         readers of Sports Times International.         Q. How many countries have you visited                                                    sponsors are a major requirement.                be Argentina.

 24 May 2019                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     May 2019      25
International                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   International

A project of Corporate Communication Service                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   A project of Corporate Communication Service

UEFA Europa League final                                                                                                                                          Trump confers Highest Civilian Award
Experience live in Baku                                                                                                       By Fakhar Dawar                     upon Tiger Woods
                                                                                                                                                                  By Khurram Khiraam

                                                                                                                                                                  At a ceremony in the sun-splashed White         under the influence.                          his mother, Kultida, his two children, Sam
                                                                                                                                                                  House Rose Garden, Trump made the                                                             and Charlie, his girlfriend, Erica Herman,
                                                                                                                                                                  43-year-old Woods the fourth, and youngest,     Trump eagerly leapt onto the Tiger            and his caddie, Joe LaCava.
                                                                                                                                                                  professional golfer to receive the nation’s     bandwagon. The two have played golf
                                                                                                                                                                  highest civilian honor, after Arnold Palmer,    a number of times, most recently with         “You’ve seen the good and the bad the highs
                                                                                                                                                                  Jack Nicklaus and Charlie Sifford.              Nicklaus in February at Trump’s course in     and the lows, and I wouldn’t be here without
Azerbaijan is excited to welcome global                        Islamic Games and the Formula 1 Azerbaijan        history. From Baku’s modern Flame Towers,        When Tiger Woods won the Masters on             Jupiter, Florida.                             your help,” Woods said.
football fans to enjoy the final of Europe’s                   Grand Prix this April, Baku, the capital of       to the UNESCO- protected Old City, mud           April 14, President Donald Trump declared
second biggest club football tournament,                       Azerbaijan, is well placed to accommodate         volcanoes and timeless rural villages, there’s   he was going to award him the Presidential      At a ceremony attended by several US          Speaking directly to his loved ones, Woods
the UEFA Europa League, at the Baku                            a large influx of visitors for this important     something for everyone in Azerbaijan.            Medal of Freedom, and ordered his aides to      lawmakers, Trump called Woods “a true         added: “You guys have meant so much to
Olympic Stadium. The 68,700-seater Baku                        game.                                                                                              schedule the event as soon as possible.         legend.”                                      me in my life. I’ve battled and I’ve tried to
Olympic Stadium will host the final between                                                                      Baku’s buzzing bars and bazaars make             With 81 PGA Tour victories, Woods is one                                                      hang in there and I’ve tried to come back
Arsenal and Chelsea later this month. The                      Besides watching the game, Azerbaijan             it an ideal destination for fans to enjoy        shy of Sam Snead’s all-time record, and with    “He’s a great guy,” said Trump. “He           and play a great game of golf again.”
match will see two English teams – Arsenal                     hopes to tempt spectators to explore              both before and after the match. The             15 major tournament victories, he trails only   introduced countless new people to the
and Chelsea – battling it out for European                     the country’s many offerings of outdoor           country’s unique geography and location          Nicklaus, who has 18.                           sport of golf, from every background and      With the golf world wondering if he has
glory, attracting the excited fans around                      pursuits and high-energy activities to ‘Take      have resulted in a cuisine infused with the      But it was his dramatic Masters victory at      walk of life. ... Tiger Woods is a global     enough high-level golf in him to match
Europe and the world.                                          Another Look’ at all it has to offer. As one of   flavours of the Caucasus, the Caspian and        Augusta National Golf Club last month,          symbol of American excellence, devotion       Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors, Woods left a
                                                               the safest family-friendly destinations in the    the Great Silk Road. From traditional bistros    ending an 11-year major championship            and drive.”                                   clue as to his aspirations, calling his recent
After hosting a series of successful high-                     region, the country is blessed with endless       serving local delicacies to chic international   drought, that capped a years-long comeback                                                    Masters experience “certainly one of the
profile sporting events over the last few                      natural beauty, modern architectural              restaurants, tourists can revel in a vibrant     from injuries and drama in his personal life,   Woods, wearing a blue suit (not the Masters   highest that I’ve accomplished so far in my
years, including the European Games, the                       wonders and remnants of rich medieval             and affordable culinary scene.                   including an arrest two years ago for driving   green jacket) was joined at the ceremony by   life on the golf course.”

 26 May 2019                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            May 2019      27
International                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          International

A project of Corporate Communication Service                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          A project of Corporate Communication Service

                                                                                                                                                                    Pakistan and South Africa share
                                                                                                                                                                    trophy after 3 match series tie
                                                                                                                                                                    Azmat Ali

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       set Pakistan back, before Aliya underlined
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       that her side were still in it with a six next
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       ball. She fell to an excellent catch over the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       shoulder from Shabnim Ismail later in the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       same over, giving Masabata Klaas her third
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       scalp of the day, and with just tailenders to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       bat, and boundaries hard to come by, that,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       it seemed, was that.Aiman Anwer was run
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       out on the second ball of the final over,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       leaving Pakistan needing almost three runs
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       to win, but a penultimate-ball maximum
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       from No. 11 Nashra Sandhu mean that two
        Novak Djokovic records clinical                                                                                                                                                                                                                                were needed off the last ball. Only one was
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       possible, and the spoils were shared.

        victory to win Madrid Open
Novak Djokovic showed he is moving                             break.                                            lacked the intensity and aggressiveness that
into form ahead of the French Open with                                                                          he showed against second-ranked Nadal
a convincing 6-3 6-4 win over Stefanos                         And the Serbian needed four championship          and was overpowered by Djokovic. He had
Tsitsipas in the Madrid Open final. Tsitsipas                  points to serve out the match and seal the        beaten Djokovic in Toronto last year in the
played a grueling semi-final against Rafael                    33rd Masters 1000 title of his illustrious        first meeting between the two players.
Nadal and it showed early on as Djokovic                       career.
broke him in his opening service game.                                                                           Djokovic had struggled after winning the
                                                               It was the second title of the season for the     Australian Open, with his best result since
The world No 1 was then in cruise control as                   top-ranked Djokovic, adding to his triumph        then having been a quarterfinal appearance
he dominated from the baseline and won                         in the Australian Open. He hadn’t won in          in Monte Carlo at the start of the clay-court
84 percent of points on his first serve on the                 Madrid since 2016, with his other title in the    season.
way to winning the opening set 6-3.                            Spanish capital coming in 2011. Nadal and
The second set with serve until 4-4 when                       Djokovic have five more Masters 1000 titles       He was coming off a confidence-boosting
Djokovic showed incredible defense and                         than Roger Federer, third in the all-time list.   win over an in-form Dominic Thiem to make
finished with a backhand down the line to                                                                        it to the final in Madrid.
                                                               Djokovic was in control from the start against
                                                               his 20-year-old Greek opponent, who had           Tsitsipas won titles in Estoril and Marseille,
                                                               defeated Nadal in the Madrid semifinals and       and reached the final in Dubai, where he           Pakistan and South Africa and shared the           seemed a distant dream when the tourists
                                                               was trying to become the first player to win      lost to Federer. He was beaten by Nadal in         third ODI at Benoni to leave the series            slipped to 37/3 soon into their chase but a
                                                               three tour titles this season.                    the Australian Open semifinals for his best-       between them level at 1-1.The first two            pair of 70-plus scores from Javeria Khan and
                                                                                                                 ever showing in a Grand Slam. The Toronto          matches in the series had been one-sided,          Aliya Riaz – her ODI best – and contributions
                                                               The Serb broke Tsitsipas early in the first       final, when he lost to Nadal, was his first in a   with Pakistan thrashing the Proteas in the         elsewhere helped repair the damage.
                                                               set and late in the second to comfortably         Masters 1000 event.                                first, and the hosts hitting back in the second.   Consecutive half-century stands between
                                                               close out the match at the Magic Box center                                                          But the third was a classic, as Pakistan almost    Javeria and Nida Dar and Javeria and Aliya
                                                               court, securing his 14th clay title without       In the doubles final, Jean-Julien Rojer and        completed their highest ODI chase. Their           took Pakistan past 150, before a pair of 16s
                                                               dropping a set.                                   Horia Tecau defeated Thiem and Diego               eventual 265/8 was their highest ODI score.        from Umaima Sohail and Sana Mir left them
                                                                                                                 Schwartzman 6-2, 6-3 for their second              It was Pakistan’s first-ever ODI tie, and only     243/6 with three overs to play, and 23 to
                                                               The ninth-ranked Tsitsipas, the tour’s            Madrid Open title, adding to their 2016            the sixth overall in all women’s ODIs. South       complete a famous win.Sana Mir fell to the
                                                               winningest player in 2019 with 27 victories,      victory.                                           Africa has now been part of three.Victory          first ball of the ante-penultimate over to

 28 May 2019                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   May 2019      29
You can also read