PAKISTAN WHITEWASH ENGLAND

England faces the humiliation of a first-ever series whitewash at the hands of Pakistan

NADEEM MALIK

Pakistan Whitewash England

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The sunny disposition of Saeed Ajmal and the stiff-limbed tenacity of Abdur Rehman have tormented England throughout this Test series and there was the slimmest likelihood of escape at tea on the fourth day of the final Test in Dubai as Pakistan sought to inflict a whitewash upon England for the first time.

There was plentiful spin for Pakistan’s spinners, leaping spin at times when the ball struck the rough, and England, still 151 runs short of victory with only four wickets remaining, looked bound for a 3-0 defeat in the series.

Ajmal, spinning the ball both ways, not extravagantly but often, dismissed Kevin Pietersen and Alastair Cook in the afternoon session, to add to Jonathan Trott before lunch. Rehman counted Andrew Strauss as his sole success as he bowled unchanged for two sessions, 30 overs sent down with unerring accuracy. He is the sort of spin bowler who looks slightly weary from the outset, but never noticeably tires after that.

Pietersen was bent upon playing enterprisingly. The first ball of the afternoon provided a reminder of his vulnerability when a bat-pad against Rehman flew high past short leg, but he had the fleeting satisfaction of striking him straight for six before Ajmal, from around the wicket, spun one through the gate and beamed at further bounty.

Cook put up statuesque resistance. Along the way he became the second youngest person, at 27 years and 43 days, to reach 6,000 Test runs. Only Sachin Tendulkar has reached the landmark at a younger age. His most attacking shot of the morning, a loft into the leg side against Rehman, caused the bowler to taunt him with applause. He lived on scraps, combating the turning ball with thoughtful defence and numerous works to the leg side and that proved his undoing as a leading edge was brilliantly held by Younis Khan, diving to his left at first slip.

The emphasis has been upon spin, but Umar Gul reminded England that the quicker bowlers should not be entirely discounted as he got the old ball to reverse swing as much as at any time in the series. Ian Bell’s state of mind is such that a long hop is quite enough. He averaged more than 100 last summer, less than 10 in this series, and when Gul offered up a gift he mistimed it wide of point. The ball that dismissed Eoin Morgan, caught by the wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal, who embarked upon a merry dance, was of higher quality.

England, 36 runs banked the previous evening, needed a further 288 at the start of play. Strauss fell in the sixth over of the morning, lbw on the back foot to Rehman. That was lbw No. 42 in this three-Test series, one short of the all-time record for a series of any length. Strauss reviewed it, although it smacked of a captain’s review and he would have been better to head smartly for the dressing room. But when it comes to captain’s reviews Strauss cannot match Misbah-ul-Haq. Misbah has been lbw on five occasions in this series and he has taken a review every time. It must be a captain’s prerogative.

Without lapses in the field, Pakistan could have been in a stronger position. They had dropped Cook the previous evening, a relatively simple chance to Taufeeq Umar at third slip and Gul’s drop in the shadows of the stand at deep square gave him another reprieve as Pakistan lost the efficiency that has characterised their cricket throughout this series. Rehman made his frustration clear when he caught Trott at deep square as he flung the ball into the turf with feeling at the errors that had gone before.

Adnan’s fumble behind the stumps to reprieve Strauss, although not costly as the England captain was out in the next over, was the worst miss of all. Adnan has had a good series behind the stumps and has the opportunity to be Pakistan’s first-choice keeper for many years to come but his excitable chatter had reached a peak. As Pakistan press for victory, it is in danger of becoming counterproductive. Strauss’ edge flew to him at comfortable height but he put it down. For a few minutes he was quiet and you could hear your ears ringing.

Adnan’s cacophony of cries often rent the air for inexplicable reasons. As do parrots, Adnan vocalises for many reasons. He may be excitedly greeting the day or summoning his family at sunset. He may be screeching when he is excited or when he is merely trying it on. He may screech when he thinks things have got too quiet or when he thinks it is his duty to scream. He just likes screeching. At one point he burst out coughing as if in sore need of a lozenge and Trott looked at him in deadpan fashion.

Adnan is also incorrigibly optimistic about reviewing umpiring decisions. “Do it, do it, yes, yes, all good,” you can sense him saying. Misbah has learned not to take his evidence into consideration and looks askance at him. But Pakistan challenged umpire Steve Davis’ not-out ruling when Ajmal beat Cook on the sweep. Hawk-Eye showed that the ball pitched outside leg. There again, disturbingly, it seems that Hawk-Eye also cannot read Ajmal’s doosra, probably because it is English.

Pakistan 99 & 365

England 141 & 252 (97.3 ov)

Pakistan won by 71 runs

• Pakistan v England Test Series – 3rd Test
• Test no. 2034 | 2011/12 season
• Played at Dubai International Cricket Stadium (neutral venue)
• 3,4,5,6 February 2012 (5-day match)

Pakistan 1st innings		R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
	Mohammad Hafeez	lbw b Broad	13	50	30	1	0	43.33
9.6 140.4 kph, loud loud cry for leg before referred has he hit this? Maybe not but probably too high…three reds on hawk-eye…gone! There wasn’t anything really conclusive on hot spot but perhaps there was enough doubt to give Hafeez the benefit of the doubt there. Either way, he claps sarcastically walking off, that’ll be a few pennies off the match fee 21/4
	Taufeeq Umar	lbw b Anderson	0	4	5	0	0	0.00
0.6 132.8 kph, out straight away cracker from Anderson, swinging in and catching the batsman on the knee roll on the crease. Finger goes up quickly from umpire Davis and after a chat with his partner, Taufeeq walks off. It looked pretty adjacent to middle stump and I don’t think any referral was going to save him. Fine inswinger from Anderson on a great length gets the early breakthrough 1/1
	Azhar Ali	c †Prior b Broad	1	20	14	0	0	7.14
5.3 full and beaten on the inside edge, referred for a catch behind, big nick on hot spot, this should be out and indeed overturned and Ali is gone. It was a nip-backer from Broad on a great length, Prior took it going to his left, which suggested it didn’t hit the pad, he was the one who said refer and it’s paid off. A great use of the DRS by England and a second strike with the new ball 8/2
	Younis Khan	c †Prior b Broad	4	10	8	1	0	50.00
7.5 140.4 kph, got him! Thick edge and this time Prior bags the catch at head height. A little bit of extra bounce from Broad, takes the shoulder of the bat and flies to Prior’s right, taken comfortably with two hands. Younis was pushing away at it and it’s a poor way to go 18/3
	Misbah-ul-Haq*	lbw b Anderson	1	17	8	0	0	12.50
10.5 137.5 kph, another one out and Misbah has played down the Bakerloo, Anderson was on the Victoria line, and bang in front, easy lbw decision, referred but nothing saving Misbah here, he’s got to go. Too slow to come forward and beaten on the inside edge to a full ball, it catches him on low on the front pad and hawk-eye has the ball hitting enough of leg stump to stay with Mr Davis 21/5
	Asad Shafiq	lbw b Panesar	45	120	78	3	0	57.69
39.6 out it was pad first as he backed away trying to cut and was caught bang in front so has to go. Just looking to give himself room but it slid on from Panesar and caught the flap of the back back right in front of middle stump, no doubt for the umpire 85/9
	Adnan Akmal†	lbw b Broad	6	36	30	0	0	20.00
18.6 132.1 kph, appeal for lbw, given! Reviewed. Broad once again slips in a big indipper after producing umpteen away seamers that somehow kept missing the edge. Adnan tried to get forward, but he didn’t get too far as it burst through past the inside edge and thudded into the pad, in front of middle and leg. Hawk Eye says it is shattering leg stump. Gone! That five-for before lunch might yet materialise. Take a bow, Stuart Broad. This is lethal bowling on a flat track in Asia. 39/6
	Abdur Rehman	c Pietersen b Swann	1	9	5	0	0	20.00
21.2 and he’s struck in his first over again. Golly, that’s the worst shot you will see today. Swann spins it away from short of a length, it was wide enough for Rehman to leave but he tried to blast it into the top storey of the Burj Dubai. The ball went halfway up there, but when it came down, KP was waiting in the covers. The sun was in his eyes, but he held on. Horror shot. 44/7
	Saeed Ajmal	lbw b Panesar	12	52	53	1	0	22.64
35.3 slider and given out78/8
	Umar Gul	b Anderson	13	34	27	1	1	48.14
44.1 133.6 kph, Pakistan do a Bradman, they have fallen just short of 100! Quite fittingly, it is one of those big indippers that does the final piece of damage. Anderson bends it in at pace, past Gul’s slog-heave, and leg stump takes a beating. 99/10
Aizaz Cheema	not out	0	18	7	0	0	0.00
Extras	(lb 3)	3
Total	(all out; 44.1 overs; 191 mins)	99	(2.24 runs per over)

Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	JM Anderson	14.1	3	35	3	2.47
0.6 to Taufeeq Umar, 132.8 kph, out straight away cracker from Anderson, swinging in and catching the batsman on the knee roll on the crease. Finger goes up quickly from umpire Davis and after a chat with his partner, Taufeeq walks off. It looked pretty adjacent to middle stump and I don’t think any referral was going to save him. Fine inswinger from Anderson on a great length gets the early breakthrough 1/1 10.5 to Misbah-ul-Haq, 137.5 kph, another one out and Misbah has played down the Bakerloo, Anderson was on the Victoria line, and bang in front, easy lbw decision, referred but nothing saving Misbah here, he’s got to go. Too slow to come forward and beaten on the inside edge to a full ball, it catches him on low on the front pad and hawk-eye has the ball hitting enough of leg stump to stay with Mr Davis 21/5 44.1 to Umar Gul, 133.6 kph, Pakistan do a Bradman, they have fallen just short of 100! Quite fittingly, it is one of those big indippers that does the final piece of damage. Anderson bends it in at pace, past Gul’s slog-heave, and leg stump takes a beating. 99/10
	SCJ Broad	16	5	36	4	2.25
5.3 to Azhar Ali, full and beaten on the inside edge, referred for a catch behind, big nick on hot spot, this should be out and indeed overturned and Ali is gone. It was a nip-backer from Broad on a great length, Prior took it going to his left, which suggested it didn’t hit the pad, he was the one who said refer and it’s paid off. A great use of the DRS by England and a second strike with the new ball 8/2 7.5 to Younis Khan, 140.4 kph, got him! Thick edge and this time Prior bags the catch at head height. A little bit of extra bounce from Broad, takes the shoulder of the bat and flies to Prior’s right, taken comfortably with two hands. Younis was pushing away at it and it’s a poor way to go 18/3 9.6 to Mohammad Hafeez, 140.4 kph, loud loud cry for leg before referred has he hit this? Maybe not but probably too high…three reds on hawk-eye…gone! There wasn’t anything really conclusive on hot spot but perhaps there was enough doubt to give Hafeez the benefit of the doubt there. Either way, he claps sarcastically walking off, that’ll be a few pennies off the match fee 21/4 18.6 to Adnan Akmal, 132.1 kph, appeal for lbw, given! Reviewed. Broad once again slips in a big indipper after producing umpteen away seamers that somehow kept missing the edge. Adnan tried to get forward, but he didn’t get too far as it burst through past the inside edge and thudded into the pad, in front of middle and leg. Hawk Eye says it is shattering leg stump. Gone! That five-for before lunch might yet materialise. Take a bow, Stuart Broad. This is lethal bowling on a flat track in Asia. 39/6
	MS Panesar	13	4	25	2	1.92
35.3 to Saeed Ajmal, slider and given out78/8 39.6 to Asad Shafiq, out it was pad first as he backed away trying to cut and was caught bang in front so has to go. Just looking to give himself room but it slid on from Panesar and caught the flap of the back back right in front of middle stump, no doubt for the umpire 85/9
	GP Swann	1	1	0	1	0.00
21.2 to Abdur Rehman, and he’s struck in his first over again. Golly, that’s the worst shot you will see today. Swann spins it away from short of a length, it was wide enough for Rehman to leave but he tried to blast it into the top storey of the Burj Dubai. The ball went halfway up there, but when it came down, KP was waiting in the covers. The sun was in his eyes, but he held on. Horror shot. 44/7

England 1st innings		R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
	AJ Strauss*	st †Adnan Akmal b Abdur Rehman	56	226	150	5	0	37.33
53.5 87.8 kph, five for Rehman and completely out of the blue Strauss has tried to swing one out of the park and been stumped. He didn’t get to the pitch and missed by a long way, looking very ugly in a big heave and miss, easy work for Akmal 133/9
	AN Cook	c †Adnan Akmal b Umar Gul	1	10	5	0	0	20.00
2.2 138.6 kph, Adnan Akmal has leapt right across first slip to pouch a beauty. The wickets continue to tumble. A dismissal that is so unlike Cook. It was short and it was swinging further away, he could have stayed in the crease and left it alone, but he dangled the bat feebly, looking for a high-risk steer. He feathers it along towards first slip. Adnan gets a good look at the ball, moves across and pounces on it. 5/1
	IJL Trott	lbw b Umar Gul	2	10	10	0	0	20.00
4.2 139.3 kph, Trott’s gone. He doesn’t even refer it, but should he have? Full, straight, angling in and Trott plays all over it. Hit in front of leg, and possibly clipping leg stump. The sort of dismissal you used to see a lot with Ricky Ponting. He just fell over as he looked to flick, and missed it. Umpire Davis sent him on his way immediately. We have to see what HawkEye says. Trott didn’t wait even a moment, he probably reckoned it was clipping leg. This could be one of those where the umpire’s verdict would have been right, irrespective of what it was. Replays are in – Missing leg. Trott would have got away if he’d referred it. England were spot-on with referrals when they were bowling.. Interestingly, captain Strauss was the non-striker here. 7/2
	KP Pietersen	lbw b Abdur Rehman	32	62	44	4	0	72.72
19.2 100.6 kph, caught on the crease and given out lbw. Referred and hawk-eye has it only just clipping the leg stump. Pietersen unlucky? He’s out once again to left-arm spin! Remarkable. Playing forward, caught on the knee roll, you could see middle and off stumps as Pietersen played it but DRS means you give those out nowadays 64/3
	IR Bell	st †Adnan Akmal b Saeed Ajmal	5	40	28	0	0	17.85
28.5 91.8 kph, is Bell out stumped? The doosra again. It goes upstairs and he is in trouble. he was pressing forward, for the offspin, but it went the other way and past the bat, even as the back foot slid outside the crease. Adnan could not collect the ball, but it bounced off the glove straight onto the stumps, faster than he would have been able to do it if he’d grasped the ball. Bell was pushing his foot back in, but it is on the line when the bail comes off. The 3rd umpire Shahvir Tarapore is taking a long time over this. But he’s pressed the right button. Bell. Ajmal. Doosra. Complete the sequence … Out! 75/4
	EJG Morgan	lbw b Abdur Rehman	10	17	14	0	1	71.42
33.1 Another referral. Boy, the 3rd umpire needs to be paid as much as the men in the middle. Short ball, Morgan goes back and looks to work it across the line. Not the safest option, in the middle of a horror series. Still, everything was going to plan. Almost. He just misses a straightforward shot as the ball turns in. It hits him high on the pad, but he is well back, and it is crashing into the stumps. Umpire Taufel has to cross his arms over once more. Morgan gone. Can Pakistan get the lead? 88/5
	MJ Prior†	b Abdur Rehman	6	17	19	0	0	31.57
37.6 96.5 kph, squared up and bowled! Prior is befuddled. Rehman runs riot. The crowd perks up. Pakistan on fire. Nervous stuff from Prior, so worried about the lbw, that he ends up playing inside the line of a regulation left-arm spinner, in an attempt to keep bat in front of and close to the pad. The bat is in line with leg stump, the ball lands on middle and leg and spins enough to miss the bat and crash into middle. Pakistan are still 1 run ahead, and into England’s tail. What a day! 98/6
	JM Anderson	b Abdur Rehman	4	24	22	0	0	18.18
43.6 94.0 kph, gone! Trying to drive against the spin and beaten between bat and pad and down goes the leg stump. A classic finger spinners delivery, tossed up, inducing the drive, and doing um through the gate. Nice work from Rehman and Pakistan will be delighted to have dislodged the nightwatchman so early 106/7
	SCJ Broad	lbw b Saeed Ajmal	4	25	19	0	0	21.05
50.5 91.4 kph, forward, another doosra, and struck on the front pad, not out given, and referred. Broad’s very tall and got a long way forward but three reds! Broad will go here…big blow for Pakistan. The doosra beats the inside edge and Broad is trapped lbw on review 121/8
	GP Swann	c Abdur Rehman b Saeed Ajmal	16	19	18	3	0	88.88
54.6 89.6 kph, swung away again but this is in the air and well taken down low from the man in the deep. It was another good connection but Swann couldn’t keep it down and the innings is over, England have a lead of 42 141/10
MS Panesar	not out	0	7	1	0	0	0.00
Extras	(b 1, lb 4)	5
Total	(all out; 55 overs; 233 mins)	141	(2.56 runs per over)

Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	Umar Gul	7	1	28	2	4.00
2.2 to Cook, 138.6 kph, Adnan Akmal has leapt right across first slip to pouch a beauty. The wickets continue to tumble. A dismissal that is so unlike Cook. It was short and it was swinging further away, he could have stayed in the crease and left it alone, but he dangled the bat feebly, looking for a high-risk steer. He feathers it along towards first slip. Adnan gets a good look at the ball, moves across and pounces on it. 5/1 4.2 to Trott, 139.3 kph, Trott’s gone. He doesn’t even refer it, but should he have? Full, straight, angling in and Trott plays all over it. Hit in front of leg, and possibly clipping leg stump. The sort of dismissal you used to see a lot with Ricky Ponting. He just fell over as he looked to flick, and missed it. Umpire Davis sent him on his way immediately. We have to see what HawkEye says. Trott didn’t wait even a moment, he probably reckoned it was clipping leg. This could be one of those where the umpire’s verdict would have been right, irrespective of what it was. Replays are in – Missing leg. Trott would have got away if he’d referred it. England were spot-on with referrals when they were bowling.. Interestingly, captain Strauss was the non-striker here. 7/2
Aizaz Cheema	4	0	9	0	2.25
	Saeed Ajmal	23	6	59	3	2.56
28.5 to Bell, 91.8 kph, is Bell out stumped? The doosra again. It goes upstairs and he is in trouble. he was pressing forward, for the offspin, but it went the other way and past the bat, even as the back foot slid outside the crease. Adnan could not collect the ball, but it bounced off the glove straight onto the stumps, faster than he would have been able to do it if he’d grasped the ball. Bell was pushing his foot back in, but it is on the line when the bail comes off. The 3rd umpire Shahvir Tarapore is taking a long time over this. But he’s pressed the right button. Bell. Ajmal. Doosra. Complete the sequence … Out! 75/4 50.5 to Broad, 91.4 kph, forward, another doosra, and struck on the front pad, not out given, and referred. Broad’s very tall and got a long way forward but three reds! Broad will go here…big blow for Pakistan. The doosra beats the inside edge and Broad is trapped lbw on review 121/8 54.6 to Swann, 89.6 kph, swung away again but this is in the air and well taken down low from the man in the deep. It was another good connection but Swann couldn’t keep it down and the innings is over, England have a lead of 42 141/10
	Abdur Rehman	21	4	40	5	1.90
19.2 to Pietersen, 100.6 kph, caught on the crease and given out lbw. Referred and hawk-eye has it only just clipping the leg stump. Pietersen unlucky? He’s out once again to left-arm spin! Remarkable. Playing forward, caught on the knee roll, you could see middle and off stumps as Pietersen played it but DRS means you give those out nowadays 64/3 33.1 to Morgan, Another referral. Boy, the 3rd umpire needs to be paid as much as the men in the middle. Short ball, Morgan goes back and looks to work it across the line. Not the safest option, in the middle of a horror series. Still, everything was going to plan. Almost. He just misses a straightforward shot as the ball turns in. It hits him high on the pad, but he is well back, and it is crashing into the stumps. Umpire Taufel has to cross his arms over once more. Morgan gone. Can Pakistan get the lead? 88/5 37.6 to Prior, 96.5 kph, squared up and bowled! Prior is befuddled. Rehman runs riot. The crowd perks up. Pakistan on fire. Nervous stuff from Prior, so worried about the lbw, that he ends up playing inside the line of a regulation left-arm spinner, in an attempt to keep bat in front of and close to the pad. The bat is in line with leg stump, the ball lands on middle and leg and spins enough to miss the bat and crash into middle. Pakistan are still 1 run ahead, and into England’s tail. What a day! 98/6 43.6 to Anderson, 94.0 kph, gone! Trying to drive against the spin and beaten between bat and pad and down goes the leg stump. A classic finger spinners delivery, tossed up, inducing the drive, and doing um through the gate. Nice work from Rehman and Pakistan will be delighted to have dislodged the nightwatchman so early 106/7 53.5 to Strauss, 87.8 kph, five for Rehman and completely out of the blue Strauss has tried to swing one out of the park and been stumped. He didn’t get to the pitch and missed by a long way, looking very ugly in a big heave and miss, easy work for Akmal 133/9

Pakistan 2nd innings		R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
	Mohammad Hafeez	lbw b Panesar	21	39	36	3	1	58.33
9.6 91.4 kph, swept and missed and now out trapped in front and not referred. Fine line between attack and defence says Nasser and Hafeez has got too keen after 10 from two balls. Was far too early on a big sweep, he missed and got struck on the thigh pad with his knee on the ground, look adjacent to the off stump 28/2
	Taufeeq Umar	c Strauss b Anderson	6	28	16	1	0	37.50
6.6 135.0 kph, but the extra ball does the work! Length ball outside off, Taufeeq nibbles at it and edges to slip where Strauss takes a solid catch. Right area from Anderson and the batsman – perhaps too keen to feel for the ball after a couple of solid strokes – decided to play where he could have left alone. A thick edge and Strauss pouches the simple chance into the midriff 16/1
	Azhar Ali	c Cook b Swann	157	533	442	10	1	35.52
149.3 82.2 kph, got him! And finally, finally, after what’s seemed like an ice age, Azhar Ali is removed from the crease. Pushing a full ball into the hands of Cook at short leg, who took a smart catch down low. But that’s some innings, a long vigil, grinding out the runs. He’s method has been very effective, a highest first-class score, and a contribution that could take Pakistan to a historic victory… 363/9
	Younis Khan	lbw b Broad	127	303	221	12	1	57.46
91.6 given out lbw going past the inside edge. Referred but looks out on the first replay and indeed Hawk-Eye has umpire’s call twice, so marginal but looked out in real time so fair enough to stay with Steve Davis. One that just nipped in off a length and hit Younis on the move, caught in front of off stump, just 244/3
	Misbah-ul-Haq*	lbw b Panesar	31	149	115	1	0	26.95
130.2 87.3 kph, Given out lbw, and Misbah refers it. Straight, quick armer from Monty that drifts straight in. Misbah pushes forward with bat and pad very close together. The ball hit him marginally in front of off stump and was crashing into the stumps. Bat first? Pad first? Hot Spot doesn’t light up and the referral is struck down. Definitely pad first. A wicket for England, their second of the day. 331/4
	Asad Shafiq	lbw b Panesar	5	24	17	0	0	29.41
136.2 90.4 kph, another one bites the dust. 40 lbws. Golly. Pakistan can’t review it. Monty angled it in from over the stumps. Did it pitch outside leg? It straightened as Asad got well across and looked to paddle it. He missed and was hit on the back leg. Was it hitting leg stump? It was clipping leg. And it landed on middle and leg, so that was a fair decision and would have been upheld on review. 339/5
	Adnan Akmal†	b Panesar	0	7	7	0	0	0.00
138.2 90.0 kph, Monty’s spitting fire with the old ball. He’s cleaned up Adnan with a classic left-arm spinner, angles in towards middle and off, dips on a length, grips and straightens past a hopeful forward prod to tickle off stump. Gone for a blob. England will be very worried by the amount of turn on offer now. 345/6
	Abdur Rehman	c Anderson b Swann	1	5	5	0	0	20.00
139.1 too many murmurs about Panesar outbowling Swann, and Swann responds with a wicket of his own. Ball lands on a length around off stump from round the wicket, kicks up a healthy puff of dust as it turns past Rehman and takes an outside edge to slip. 346/7
	Saeed Ajmal	c Anderson b Swann	1	10	12	0	0	8.33
141.6 91.8 kph, a wicket to end the session. Swann gets Ajmal to nick his version of the doosra – the slider – through to Anderson at slip. Ajmal hangs the bat outside limply and it jumps off the edge to the right of Anderson, who completes a good catch. 350/8
	Umar Gul	lbw b Panesar	4	31	38	0	0	10.52
152.4 87.8 kph, flighted up, big swing towards leg, missed and plumb lbw. Five more for Panesar. Jolly well done Monty, two five-fors in his two comeback matches. Thoroughly deserved after almost 57 overs! A fine effort. It was a length ball that Gul simply missed by a long distance, being done in the flight, easy decision for the umpire 365/10
Aizaz Cheema	not out	0	10	8	0	0	0.00
Extras	(b 10, lb 1, nb 1)	12
Total	(all out; 152.4 overs; 572 mins)	365	(2.39 runs per over)

Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	JM Anderson	28	7	51	1	1.82	(1nb)
6.6 to Taufeeq Umar, 135.0 kph, but the extra ball does the work! Length ball outside off, Taufeeq nibbles at it and edges to slip where Strauss takes a solid catch. Right area from Anderson and the batsman – perhaps too keen to feel for the ball after a couple of solid strokes – decided to play where he could have left alone. A thick edge and Strauss pouches the simple chance into the midriff 16/1
	SCJ Broad	24	7	55	1	2.29
91.6 to Younis Khan, given out lbw going past the inside edge. Referred but looks out on the first replay and indeed Hawk-Eye has umpire’s call twice, so marginal but looked out in real time so fair enough to stay with Steve Davis. One that just nipped in off a length and hit Younis on the move, caught in front of off stump, just 244/3
	MS Panesar	56.4	13	124	5	2.18
9.6 to Mohammad Hafeez, 91.4 kph, swept and missed and now out trapped in front and not referred. Fine line between attack and defence says Nasser and Hafeez has got too keen after 10 from two balls. Was far too early on a big sweep, he missed and got struck on the thigh pad with his knee on the ground, look adjacent to the off stump 28/2 130.2 to Misbah-ul-Haq, 87.3 kph, Given out lbw, and Misbah refers it. Straight, quick armer from Monty that drifts straight in. Misbah pushes forward with bat and pad very close together. The ball hit him marginally in front of off stump and was crashing into the stumps. Bat first? Pad first? Hot Spot doesn’t light up and the referral is struck down. Definitely pad first. A wicket for England, their second of the day. 331/4 136.2 to Asad Shafiq, 90.4 kph, another one bites the dust. 40 lbws. Golly. Pakistan can’t review it. Monty angled it in from over the stumps. Did it pitch outside leg? It straightened as Asad got well across and looked to paddle it. He missed and was hit on the back leg. Was it hitting leg stump? It was clipping leg. And it landed on middle and leg, so that was a fair decision and would have been upheld on review. 339/5 138.2 to Adnan Akmal, 90.0 kph, Monty’s spitting fire with the old ball. He’s cleaned up Adnan with a classic left-arm spinner, angles in towards middle and off, dips on a length, grips and straightens past a hopeful forward prod to tickle off stump. Gone for a blob. England will be very worried by the amount of turn on offer now. 345/6 152.4 to Umar Gul, 87.8 kph, flighted up, big swing towards leg, missed and plumb lbw. Five more for Panesar. Jolly well done Monty, two five-fors in his two comeback matches. Thoroughly deserved after almost 57 overs! A fine effort. It was a length ball that Gul simply missed by a long distance, being done in the flight, easy decision for the umpire 365/10
	GP Swann	39	6	101	3	2.58
139.1 to Abdur Rehman, too many murmurs about Panesar outbowling Swann, and Swann responds with a wicket of his own. Ball lands on a length around off stump from round the wicket, kicks up a healthy puff of dust as it turns past Rehman and takes an outside edge to slip. 346/7 141.6 to Saeed Ajmal, 91.8 kph, a wicket to end the session. Swann gets Ajmal to nick his version of the doosra – the slider – through to Anderson at slip. Ajmal hangs the bat outside limply and it jumps off the edge to the right of Anderson, who completes a good catch. 350/8 149.3 to Azhar Ali, 82.2 kph, got him! And finally, finally, after what’s seemed like an ice age, Azhar Ali is removed from the crease. Pushing a full ball into the hands of Cook at short leg, who took a smart catch down low. But that’s some innings, a long vigil, grinding out the runs. He’s method has been very effective, a highest first-class score, and a contribution that could take Pakistan to a historic victory… 363/9
IJL Trott	2	0	14	0	7.00
KP Pietersen	3	0	9	0	3.00

England 2nd innings (target: 324 runs)		R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
	AJ Strauss*	lbw b Abdur Rehman	26	98	76	2	0	34.21
25.2 gone now though biting out of the rough, catches Strauss on the back foot and given out lbw. It was reviewed but to no avail because Strauss was right on his stumps and the ball was hitting middle stump. It turned past the inside edge and hit the back leg, highlighting the problems England’s left-handers will face against those rough patches 48/1
	AN Cook	c Younis Khan b Saeed Ajmal	49	242	187	4	0	26.20
62.5 brilliant catch at slip. Cook’s had success turning with the spin but now produces a leading edge that flies to slip and a fabulous diving take by Younis Khan. Just gripped a little in the pitch which meant Cook was on the shot too soon, tried to turn it again and it flicked up to Younis who showed his team-mates how it’s done 119/4
	IJL Trott	c Abdur Rehman b Saeed Ajmal	18	79	64	2	0	28.12
44.3 91.8 kph, I’m not sure what came over Trott but Pakistan have broken a stubborn stand here, Trott aims to slog it over the on side but ends up top-edging a doosra, Rehman runs forward from deep backward square leg and takes the skier 85/2
	KP Pietersen	b Saeed Ajmal	18	54	45	1	1	40.00
60.6 bowled through the gate. Ordinary offspinner on a good length, Pietersen forward and playing with the bat away from the pad is done by one that spun. Nothing overly special about it, I don’t think Pietersen played it very well at all, maybe he thought it was the doosra 116/3
	IR Bell	c Asad Shafiq b Umar Gul	10	58	38	0	0	26.31
74.6 136.1 kph, Gul was as flummoxed as Bell! Hardly a wicket-taking ball, a half-tracker outside the off stump, Bell could have thrashed that or simply left it, instead he lobbed it tamely down to cover point where Shafiq ran to his right to take a sitter. Bell took a few seconds to comprehend what he had done and Gul couldn’t believe what he had done to deserve that wicket 156/5
	EJG Morgan	c †Adnan Akmal b Umar Gul	31	57	48	3	1	64.58
76.3 137.9 kph, Gul fully deserved this one, Morgan gave the bowler the charge and Gul saw that and cleverly dropped it short from round the wicket, the batsman suddenly changed his shot and tries to defend but it caught the faint edge, Taufel knew that immediately 159/6
MJ Prior†	not out	49	58	5	0	84.48
	SCJ Broad	c Taufeeq Umar b Umar Gul	18	31	24	2	0	75.00
82.2 133.2 kph, and gone. Broad holes out to long off trying to play a big shot again, off low on the bat and a comfortable catch in the deep for Taufeeq. Can’t blame Broad for trying. Attempted to go big off a length ball and didn’t quite get it right 196/7
	GP Swann	c Asad Shafiq b Umar Gul	1	14	6	0	0	16.66
84.4 132.5 kph, caught at point Swann driving off an outside edge and simply chipping at catch to point. It’s a very good catch down low, always difficult diving forward but that’s a fine grab. A long check for the no-ball but Gul is just, and only just, ok so Swann has to go 203/8
	JM Anderson	c Younis Khan b Saeed Ajmal	9	43	26	0	0	34.61
92.6 90.7 kph, outside edge and taken at slip! The ball straightened after pitching outside off and skidded through, Anderson was on the back foot trying to cut and it was taken neatly by Younis at slip who fell backwards after taking it 237/9
	MS Panesar	lbw b Abdur Rehman	8	15	0	0	53.33
97.3 90.9 kph, Pakistan seal 3-0! Panesar tries to sweep with the turn and the ball hits his thigh in front of the stumps, Steve Davis gives him out, Panesar reviews it but Davis’ decision stands 252/10
Extras	(b 4, lb 8, nb 3)	15
Total	(all out; 97.3 overs)	252	(2.58 runs per over)

Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	Umar Gul	20	5	61	4	3.05	(2nb)
74.6 to Bell, 136.1 kph, Gul was as flummoxed as Bell! Hardly a wicket-taking ball, a half-tracker outside the off stump, Bell could have thrashed that or simply left it, instead he lobbed it tamely down to cover point where Shafiq ran to his right to take a sitter. Bell took a few seconds to comprehend what he had done and Gul couldn’t believe what he had done to deserve that wicket 156/5 76.3 to Morgan, 137.9 kph, Gul fully deserved this one, Morgan gave the bowler the charge and Gul saw that and cleverly dropped it short from round the wicket, the batsman suddenly changed his shot and tries to defend but it caught the faint edge, Taufel knew that immediately 159/6 82.2 to Broad, 133.2 kph, and gone. Broad holes out to long off trying to play a big shot again, off low on the bat and a comfortable catch in the deep for Taufeeq. Can’t blame Broad for trying. Attempted to go big off a length ball and didn’t quite get it right 196/7 84.4 to Swann, 132.5 kph, caught at point Swann driving off an outside edge and simply chipping at catch to point. It’s a very good catch down low, always difficult diving forward but that’s a fine grab. A long check for the no-ball but Gul is just, and only just, ok so Swann has to go 203/8
Aizaz Cheema	4	0	9	0	2.25
Mohammad Hafeez	5	2	6	0	1.20
	Abdur Rehman	41.3	10	97	2	2.33
25.2 to Strauss, gone now though biting out of the rough, catches Strauss on the back foot and given out lbw. It was reviewed but to no avail because Strauss was right on his stumps and the ball was hitting middle stump. It turned past the inside edge and hit the back leg, highlighting the problems England’s left-handers will face against those rough patches 48/1 97.3 to Panesar, 90.9 kph, Pakistan seal 3-0! Panesar tries to sweep with the turn and the ball hits his thigh in front of the stumps, Steve Davis gives him out, Panesar reviews it but Davis’ decision stands 252/10
	Saeed Ajmal	27	9	67	4	2.48
44.3 to Trott, 91.8 kph, I’m not sure what came over Trott but Pakistan have broken a stubborn stand here, Trott aims to slog it over the on side but ends up top-edging a doosra, Rehman runs forward from deep backward square leg and takes the skier 85/2 60.6 to Pietersen, bowled through the gate. Ordinary offspinner on a good length, Pietersen forward and playing with the bat away from the pad is done by one that spun. Nothing overly special about it, I don’t think Pietersen played it very well at all, maybe he thought it was the doosra 116/3 62.5 to Cook, brilliant catch at slip. Cook’s had success turning with the spin but now produces a leading edge that flies to slip and a fabulous diving take by Younis Khan. Just gripped a little in the pitch which meant Cook was on the shot too soon, tried to turn it again and it flicked up to Younis who showed his team-mates how it’s done 119/4 92.6 to Anderson, 90.7 kph, outside edge and taken at slip! The ball straightened after pitching outside off and skidded through, Anderson was on the back foot trying to cut and it was taken neatly by Younis at slip who fell backwards after taking it 237/9

Filed under: CURRENT AFFAIRS

This is first part of a series of posts on Iran based on travel experiences in the country in 2011.

“Sir, can I ask why Iran?” asked the travel agent whom I called to book the flight for Tehran.

 “I have an interest in the culture, people and language”, I respond.

“Hmmm but people would normally go to Dubai for that… anyway”, he conveys his lack of cultural knowledge.

Just like a lot of people confuse us Pakistanis as Arabs, the Iranians have to face the same misery.

The country is so diverse in terms of culture, lifestyle and landscape that planning the trip to Iran was itself an exciting experience – from LonelyPlanet to Iranian travel agents, books and travel documentaries; I explored everything to ensure my time in Iran is well spent and I return with a better understanding of the country and its people.  With the variety it has got, its unfortunate Iran isn’t a hot tourist destination.

Getting a Visa

Iran Visa

Despite the bad press, the travel agency business seems booming in Iran. There are hundreds of them in the capital and tens in other bigger cities. They can help planning the trip, arranging accommodation, travel, guides and more. Most importantly, you may need them to get a visa. Although nationals of some countries can get a visa-on-arrival but the recommended option is to get in touch with a travel agency, email relevant documents (passport copy, itinerary etc), make the visa handling payment (30-50 Euro) and wait for them to get you a Visa Ref Number which you take to your local Iranian Embassy and get a visa stamped on the passport on-spot. I received my Visa Ref number in a week and didn’t even had to go to the Iranian Embassy. You can post your Passport, Visa Ref Number and payment details to the Embassy and they return passport with the visa fairly quick. The visa fee depends on your nationality.

I would highly recommend Shiraz based Pars Tourist Agency and specifically Marjan Owji in their Visa Department. She can help you in literally everything on your trip to Iran and she does that not from a customer-friendly-business perspective, its Persian hospitality at its best. She took only three working days to get back to me and the Embassy took another three days. The visa process was fairly straightforward. Everyone, except citizens of Israel can get an Iranian visa. The citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia and Turkey can stay for up to 3 months without a visa.  The maximum duration of tourist visa is 30 days while for the visa-on-arrival its 15 days. Once in Iran, extension is possible fairly easy.

Visa fee for every country is available here and here. We had to pay something around £20 on a Pakistani passport and £120 on a British passport. More information can be obtained by calling the local Iranian Embassy or browsing the MFA Iran website.

As a notable exception, the 90sq-km beach resort of Kish Island, south of Iran, easily accessible from Dubai, does not require advance visas for visits of up to 14 days, including Americans. This is Iran’s response to the Emirates and the state is promoting trade (by making it free-trade-zone) and tourism on the island. The island has facilities for scuba diving, jet-skiing, sailing, fishing, parasailing, reef walking, coral viewing, boating and water-skiing and offers gorgeous white sandy beaches for relaxing walks and plenty of huge malls if you fancy a retail therapy.

Air-lines

Most of the major carriers have flights to Iran but the favourite for travelling to Iran are Iran’s national carrier Iran Air, Azerbaijan airlines with stopover in Baku, Aeroflot (Russian airlines) with stopover in Moscow, Air France and other Middle East based carriers.  Other low-cost international carriers include Pegasus airlines (Istanbul-Tehran), Air Asia (Far East-Tehran), Air Arabia and Jazeera Airways both connecting through the middle East.

Launched in the mid of 20^th century, Iran Air started with domestic flights between Tehran and Mashhad. By 1970s, Iran Air was ranked amongst the safest airlines in the world (second only to Qantas; being accident free for decades). However, things changed suddenly after the revolution. Because of the US imposed sanctions, the airline could not buy new planes and even had to cancel deals setup earlier. The sanctions meant the airline had to rely on older planes, risking the security of the passengers and the staff onboard. At present, majority of the fleet is decades old with average age nearing 25 years. The Fajr Aviation and Composites Industry in Tehran is responsible for overhauling existing fleet and designing new airplanes. Recently, there have been conflicts over refuelling Iran Air planes as well when UK CAA and the Abu Dhabi Airports Company refused to refuel Iran Air planes. The EU has also recently banned Iran Air’s fleet of Boeing and Airbus because of safety concerns.

I choose to fly with Aeroflot – cheaper, good connections and short stopovers. The flight originated from London Heathrow, serving nicely done Salmon and landing three hours later in Tehran’s primary IKA airport (30KM from city). The two-hour stopover at Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport was an interesting experience – this was by far the best airport I have seen so far. It’s so huge it could take hours walking from one terminal to the other with duty free shops spread everywhere and the airport giving a fine, shiny, glossy clean look and feel. Plenty of Iranians on the airport – some praying, some gossiping or buying stuff; looks like this the favorite route from EU to get back home for them. It took another three hours for the flight from Moscow to Tehran with an amazing Omelet served for breakfast as we approached Iran.

Note that if not staying in Tehran and planning to get to any city other than Tehran upon your arrival, you would have to change airports, from Imam Khomeini to Mehrabad, 40 km away, to get to your domestic flight.

Accommodation in Iran

Courtyard of a traditional hotel in Iran

You do not necessarily need travel agents to book accommodation for you, although that’s the easiest way. Popular travel/hotel-booking websites like booking.com, venere.com, laterooms.com do not support Iranian hotels; again because of the economic sanctions. However, there are lots of websites voluntarily setup by Iranians who like to see more people visiting their country and these provide lots of information on hotels, pictures, locations, costs etc. You can use these websites, in addition to travel agent websites to choose hotels and then book by directly calling/emailing the hotel, many of which have their own websites as well.

There is no presence of international-chain-hotels like Marriot or Holiday Inn in Iran – if you have read this far, you should know why. The hotels in Iran come in three varieties:

(i)                  Cheap bed-n-breakfasts with private or shared accommodation – These can be found in pretty much every city and are  generally located in city centre with good transport links. Tehran is scattered with hundreds of them.

(ii)                Traditional hotels – These are Iranian version of premium-posh hotels. They are generally converted Inns, older mansions/houses, travellers and traders resting spots – called Sofrekhane Sonati in Farsi. Ponds, trees and fountains in the central lawn, tinted glass windows and beautifully lit at night, these are your best bet to experience Iranian culture.

(iii)               Mid-range to top-notch modern hotels – Larger urban capitals and tourist destinations like Kish Islands have a few modern hotels to compete with multi-star international hotels. Generally, they are not located in city centre and price range vary on a large scale, so one needs to be cautious to check prices from several sources.

Travelling between cities

Transportation between cities in Iran is comfortable, safe, timely, reliable, well managed and cheap as chips. Cities and towns are connected through buses, rail network and domestic flights while port-cities and towns both in North and South also enjoy ferry connections. Depending on the distance, time available to travel and cost considerations, one can make use of flights, trains, buses or even hire comparatively cheaper private taxis.

Buses: Iran enjoys a pretty extensive and competitive bus network from most of its major cities. Major cities have bus terminals a few miles outside the city, planned on the model of airports with separate terminals and connected to city through local transport links. Buses can take you from anywhere to anywhere in Iran – pretty much anytime of the day (or night), normally without long stop-overs and running on time. Police checkpoints on the highways ensure safety. Tickets can be booked either in advance by calling the bus station or on-spot if you reach sometime before expected time of bus departure.

Iran Buses

The buses generally come in two classes: lux/Mercedes/2nd class and super/Volvo/1st class. First class buses are air-conditioned and you will be provided with a small snack during your trip, while second class services are more frequent. There is little financial incentive to opt for the second class tickets.  Among the many bus operators, Royal Safar Iranian is the best, in terms of comfort and reliability, with a fleet of modern comfortable buses. They also run sleeper buses between major cities with reclining chairs, serving Iranian meals and sweets and movies on play – e.g. Shiraz to Isfahan all for $11; while regular buses cost $6. Apparently, you can book tickets online at http://www.royall.ir/ , if you can read their Farsi website or by calling the available phone numbers. Other bus operators are named Seir-o-Safar and Taavoni. Saipa Diesel, Iran’s leading manufacturer of trucks, trailer and mini-buses provides many of the buses you see on roads in Iran. The company also imported several hundred larger buses from China to serve on longer routes.

Trains: The train network is limited but comfortable, speedy and affordable. It has been expanding at 500KM every year for few years and major cities have been connected through contracts with Chinese companies. The under construction Chabahar-Zahedan-Mashhad railway line extending from northeast to southeast will enable Pakistan pilgrims to travel by train to Mashhad instead of the long bus journey from the border. Other international links include trains to Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Afghanistan and Central Asia. It is possible to travel from London to Tehran, by train!

Tehran Railway Station

The passenger rail system is called Raja Passenger Trains. The Sleeper berths in trains allow good night’s sleep specially on longer journeys like Tehran-Mashhad; will cost almost double the bus ticket but are worth it on longer journeys. The best of the trains are called 4 pax Ghazal or Plur train. The added benefit of travelling by train in Iran, like anywhere else, is that you get to see a lot of places on the way, sample food, see tourists and unlike many places, get a chance to meet, talk with and befriend locals. This is your best option to make a few good friends in Iran.

For Train timings, ticket prices and booking information, Google is your friend. If nothing helps, travel agencies can do it for you.

Domestic Flights: A leading oil producer can of course afford to have cheap domestic flights, sometimes dramatically cheap in comparison to international market. Planes are aging, and maintenance and safety procedures are sometimes well below western standards, but it still remains the safest way to get around Iran, given the huge death toll on the roads and longer distances between cities. The average price is in the range of $50 – $80.

Iran Air

Iran’s major domestic carriers Mahan Air, Iran Air, Kish Air and Aseman Air, all have websites and online booking system but you cannot make use of online ticket booking unless you have an Iranian bank account or a debit/credit card. The reason obviously is economic sanctions imposed on Iran means no international banking relationship with Iranian companies. The best way to book domestic flight tickets in Iran before landing in Iran is (i) find local office of above stated Iranian airlines in your city/country and they can do it for you or (ii) use an Iranian travel agent to book tickets for you, they will give you eticket and you pay them into their bank account normally setup somewhere in the EU.

Off Days in Iran

Thursday is generally half-day and Friday is the weekend break. Saturday and Sunday are normal working days. The biggest and most celebrated of all events in Iran is Nowrooz – the start of new year on Persian calendar which is marked with a week off. Other holidays are linked to the revolution and religious days (Muharram/Ramzan) as well as Eid festival.

Comparison Charts

Based on all the information I gathered from websites, Lonely Planet and talking to travel agents, I composed a comparative chart with compares price offers by four different travel agencies for hotel accomodation and travelling between cities (cab/train/flight). This helped me figure out which agency works best for me. The chart can be downloaded in image format here and more detailed Excel format here.

In the next posts, we’ll explore Iran from inside…. with pictures, videos and lots of interesting stories and interpersonal observations.

Some of the travel Agencies I spoke to….

• Setareh, Lotus Travel Agency
• Iran Paradise
• Tehran based Dornagasht
• Marjan Owji, Shiraz based Pars Tourist Agency
• Sara, Iran Tour Package/Lovely Iran
•  Zohreh Souki, Tehran based Sarvineh Tours, Welcome2Iran

Some of the websites I used for hotel search…

• http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotels-g293998-Iran-Hotels.html#T_CAT_HOTEL_MOTEL
• http://www.audleytravel.com/Destinations/North-Africa-and-The-Middle-East/Iran/Accommodation.aspx
• http://www.persiatravelmart.com/
• http://www.asemangasht.com/?blog=22
• http://www.iranbudgettour.com/iran-hotels
• http://www.irantour.org/hotel.html
• http://www.southtravels.com/middleeast/iran/index.html
• http://www.hoteltravel.com/iran
• http://www.bestirantravel.com/hotel/hotels.html
• http://www.irpedia.com/iran-hotels/

Great cricket! Pakistan’s that is. Some of Pakistan’s media described Pakistan’s crushing win over England in the second Test in Dubai as a miracle. To a non-cricketer like me, it didn’t look like a miracle. It looked like a very professional demolition job by some fine spin bowlers.

Of course I would have liked England to win. But on that performance Pakistan deserved the series. Pakistan suprising itself, finding self-confidence, staying focused, bounciing back to beat the best, working as a team, standing on their own two feet – is there a political metaphor in here somewhere?  At any rate the cricket has been great. A great reminder of the ties of history and culture that link the UK and Pakistan.

By Sebastian Abbot for The Associated Press

For decades, archenemies Pakistan and India have engaged in a dangerous nuclear arms race. Now they’re also competing in a more cheerful forum. The outcome will be mouthwatering curries and soothing Sufi ballads, not violent conflict.

The fractious neighbors are going head-to-head in a pair of reality TV shows that pit chefs and musicians against each other. Producers hope the contests will help bridge the gulf between two nations that were born from the same womb and have been at each other’s throats ever since.

But so far it hasn’t completely worked out that way. The top Pakistani chef on the cooking show, which is called Foodistan, quit the contest early. He accused the judges of bias toward India and is threatening to sue. The producers denied the allegations.

Pakistan and India were founded in 1947 following the breakup of the British empire. They have fought three major wars, two of them over the disputed territory of Kashmir.

The TV shows do not try to hide or brush over this painful history. They make light of it.

“Now the world’s greatest rivalry is going to get spicier,” said co-host Ira Dubey during one of the early episodes of Foodistan, which first aired in India on Jan. 23 and will be shown in Pakistan starting in mid-February.

Her counterpart, Aly Khan, said the aim of the two teams “would be to grind the opposition into chutney, to make them eat humble pie, to dice them, slice them and fry them on their way to culinary glory.”

Eight chefs from each country were scheduled for individual and team competitions over 26 one-hour episodes, with the winner authoring the first Foodistan cookbook and receiving a trip to three cities of his or her choice anywhere in the world.

There is significant overlap in the cuisines of both countries, as there is in language, music and culture. Pakistanis and Indians both love curry, kebab and biryani – a spiced rice dish. But they often use different ingredients, and dishes can also vary from one region to another within the same country.

Pakistani dishes often include beef, which is not eaten by many people in majority Hindu India for religious reasons. India has more vegetarian dishes, and the food is often cooked with ingredients like coconut milk that are rarely found in Pakistan.

Many Pakistanis and Indians have missed out on enjoying the varied tastes of the other country because mutual enmity has made cross-border travel difficult.

“Even though they are neighbors, Indians don’t know what Pakistani food is like and vice versa,” said Mirza Fahad, a production assistant at India’s NDTV, which developed Foodistan. “It was long overdue to get to know each other’s foods.”

During the first cook-off on the show, filmed in New Delhi, the judges gave four chefs from each side two hours to prepare a biryani, curry, kebab and dessert. Each of the three judges gave the team’s meal a score out of 10.

The judges loved the Iranian-inspired fish biryani cooked by the Pakistanis, their chicken kebab stuffed with figs, olives, bread and mango chutney, and their shahi tukda – a dessert of fried bread soaked in hot milk with spices. They scored 21 out of a possible 30, losing points because a dish of chicken in shalimar curry was a tad chewy.

The Indians ended up winning the first contest by one point with a menu that included chicken tikka with truffle cream, cheese kofta in a tomato and water chestnut curry, lamb biryani and phirni – a sweet rice pudding that they topped with strawberry granita.

The captain of the Pakistani team, Mohammed Naeem, executive chef at the Park Plaza Hotel in Lahore, alleged the judges didn’t have enough knowledge of Pakistani food and were destined from the beginning to pick an Indian to win.

The judges included a British chef, an Indian food critic and a Bollywood actress of Pakistani and French descent.

Another member of the team, Akhtar Rehman, a chef at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, said concerns about the judges were fairly widespread on the Pakistani side, but Naeem was the only one to quit.

It remains to be seen whether the music competition – Sur Kshetra, or Musical Battlefield – also will spark ill will.

The contest, which is being filmed in Dubai, is scheduled to air in Pakistan and India starting in mid-February, said Mohammed Zeeshan Khan, a general manager at Pakistan’s Geo TV, which is developing the show.

“Music can unite people across borders and bring them closer together,” said Khan.

The competition will include teams of six musicians from each country between the ages of 18 and 27. The teams will be mentored by two well-known pop singers and actors, Pakistani Atif Aslam and Indian Himesh Reshammiya. They will compete across a range of genres, including jazz, pop, rock and qawwali – traditional Sufi Muslim ballads that are popular in both countries, said Khan.

The grand prize is still being worked out, but Khan said the winner can claim to be “the new musical icon for the subcontinent.”

Filed under: Desi, India, Pakistan, Pakistanis, Peace, SAARC Tagged: Atif Aslam, Biryani, Foodistan, Himesh Reshammiya, India, Kashmir, Lahore, Pakistan, Sufi, Sufi Ballads, Sufism

By The Sydney Morning Hearld

Left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman took a career best 6-25 to help Pakistan humble England by 72 runs in the second Test in Abu Dhabi, to giving Pakistan unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
The 31-year-old twice took two wickets in successive overs to dent England’s chase after Andrew Strauss’s side was set a 145-run target on a weary fourth-day Abu Dhabi Stadium pitch.

England was all out for 72 – its lowest total against Pakistan in all Tests.
Rehman’s effort overshadowed Monty Panesar’s 6-62, in his first Test for England in 30 months, which finished Pakistan’s second innings at 214 in the morning.

This is England’s first series defeat after being unbeaten in its previous nine since a loss to the West Indies in early 2009 – a sequence which saw it rise to world No.1 in the Test rankings in August.
Pakistan won the first Test in Dubai by 10 wickets. The third Test will also be played in Dubai, from Friday.

Skipper Misbah-ul Haq said Pakistan wanted to make a match out of it after setting a tricky target.
“We knew that it would be difficult so we wanted to make a match out of it,” said Misbah, who has now won eight Tests with one defeat since taking over the captaincy in October 2010.

“Our bowlers, led by Rehman, responded well and this is a great win.” Strauss showed his disappointment at England’s woeful effort.
“It’s pretty disappointing,” said Strauss, whose side last lost two Tests in a row against South Africa in July 2008. “We must acknowledge how well Pakistan bowled and they thoroughly deserved the series win.”

Rehman was ably assisted by off-spinners Saeed Ajmal (3-22) and Mohammad Hafeez (1-11) in a match in which spinners dominated from the first day.
England lost its top four batsmen in the space of just 37 balls after an extra cautious start on a difficult pitch. Strauss top scored with 32 before he became one of Rehman’s victims during his maiden five-wicket haul.

In the penultimate over before tea, Rehman trapped Kevin Pietersen (one) and two balls later bowled Eoin Morgan (duck) to raise hopes of an unlikely win for Pakistan.

Sensing it could only upset its rival through early wickets, Pakistan opened the bowling with Hafeez, who responded well by catching Alastair Cook (seven) off his own bowling after England had edged cautiously to 21 by the 15th over.
Ian Bell, promoted to No.3 after Jonathan Trott was unwell, was all at sea against master spinner Ajmal and his tentative push went through his legs to hit the stumps. He made only three.

Pietersen, who has been woefully out of form with just 16 runs in the series, managed one before Rehman trapped him and in the same over had the equally out-of-form Morgan bowled to dent England’s hopes of a victory. Rehman then accounted for Trott (one) and Stuart Broad (duck) in the same over to leave England 7-68.

Ajmal dismissed Graeme Swann (duck) and Matt Prior (18) to reach 100 Test wickets in his 19th match, before James Anderson was caught off Rehman to give Pakistan a sensational win.

Earlier, Pakistan lost its last six wickets for 89 runs after resuming at 4-125, with all hopes pinned on Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq. Panesar took three of those wickets to finish with his eighth five-wicket haul in Tests. Azhar Ali (68) and Asad Shafiq (43) added 88 for the fifth wicket before Panesar struck.

Filed under: cricket, England, Pakistan, Pakistan Cricket Tagged: Abu Dhabi, Bangladesh, cricket, Dubai, England, England Cricket, Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan Cricket, Saeed Ajmal, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe

image credit: thedailygreen.com

Originally written for: http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/off-the-cuff-snowflakes-were-falling-1.970589

A hot mug of frothy latte warms my cold hands as I sit staring into its foamy cream, tempted by its aroma and comforted by its aesthetically pleasing presence. I am sitting cosy and snug on the couch on a chilly evening with soft lights and a good book to keep me company. I sigh contentedly. Thank God for winters!

I’ve always loved winters. From the surprisingly cold winters of Karachi, to the (usually) comfortable chill of Dubai to the biting frost of New York, winters for me are strangely tranquil and relaxing. New York, in fact, was the place where I first experienced a snowfall. It felt dreamlike when it began snowing in the dead of the night and as I saw the pretty sight of snowflakes descending from the sky, I couldn’t help but remember the inimitable Robert Louis Stevenson who once wrote: “It was late in November 1456. The snow fell over Paris with rigorous, relentless persistence; sometimes the wind made a sally and scattered it in flying vortices; sometimes there was a lull, and flake after flake descended out of the black night air, silent, circuitous, interminable. To poor people, looking up under moist eyebrows, it seemed a wonder where it all came from.”

When I woke in the morning, the world around me had turned a sparkling white colour and there was a soft blanket covering every withered tree and rooftop, just like I had seen in the movies. Everyone chuckled at my childlike wonder when I picked a handful of snow to eat it. It was light and refreshing just as I had imagined. After the snowfall I enjoyed taking long walks across the slush and snow, dressed to the nines in an overcoat and scarf, marvelling at how quickly the grime of the world had contaminated the white purity.

And in places where there is no snow, long walks as you trudge along in your woollies crunching over gravel can be a beautiful experience. Early in the morning when the sun is yet to shine bright, you notice the colour of the sky, the grass, and how perfect each blade moistened with the early morning dew looks. You listen to the morning birds, incessantly calling out to anyone who cares to pay heed.

Warm soup

I do detest the fact that the texture of my skin resembles that of a cardboard during winters unless I conscientiously slather moisturisers over it — or that my hair frizzes into an uncontrollable mess and emits static electricity when I brush it. However the arrival of this season also brings back some treasured memories. I remember supping on mum’s soothing chicken broth and her signature garlic bread in the evening as we huddled around the table, warming our hands and our hearts with soup, love and laughter. Soon after that night would fall and we would turn on the tap to find very cold water to wash up with. It was only after a few (long) minutes that the geyser’s heating would kick in and we would sigh with relief when tap water was hot enough.

And then as we cuddled into our duvets for the night, I would sometimes sneak a book and read in the still night under the lamp light — without the constant humming of the fan or the air-conditioner and relish how simple the pleasure of complete silence was. If I was found out by the elders I would be told off and the light would be promptly switched off. Otherwise, I’d wake up in the morning groggy and with circles under my eyes, secretly delighted with how the book ended.

The recent cold spell in Dubai, to me, has been a welcome surprise. The downside of course appears to be the fact that everyone seems to be catching a cold. Whilst I have to make sure runny noses and little cold feet are taken care of, and cardigans are taken to school, the frigid weather stirs up some pleasant recollections.

A morning show broadcast in Pakistan on Jan 17, 2012, on Samaa, a Pakistani television channel, has catalysed what could well be the beginning of a media consumer rights movement.

In the show, Subah Saverey Maya kay Sath (Early Morning with Maya), the host Maya Khan, charges through a public park looking for dating couples to interrogate. With her is a battalion of other women, who join her in self-righteously lecturing the couples they come across – does your family know you are here, why don’t you meet at home if you are engaged, and, most outrageously, if you are married, where is your nikahnama (marriage certificate)?

When the harassed couples ask for the camera to be turned off, the Samaa team pretends to acquiesce but carries on filming with sound. As several people have pointed out, this intrusive behaviour could result in putting those couples in life-threatening situations in a country where forced marriages and ‘honour killings’ continue to be the norm.

The first time I saw a link to this show was on Jan 22, shared on a facebook group, on Jan 21, 2012. I, and many others, began sharing the Youtube links on facebook and twitter. As it spread, the outrage grew. People were shocked at the level of intrusion and vigilantism on display. From India, came comments on twitter about the Saffron vigilante brigade that has been known to drag couples into temples and force them into instant marriage. Which reminded me that the mentality we are protesting is not limited to Pakistan – see my article ‘Peaceful Pink Panties to Tame Right-Wing Goons‘ about the Sri Ram Sene goons in India. This was in 2009 but I hear they’re gearing up again against Valentines Day… Of course it’s always the poor, who can’t meet in secure hotels and cafes, who are always most vulnerable against this kind of moral policing.

Maya Khan’s antics on Samaa TV triggered off several articles and reports – starting with blogger Mehreen Kasana letting rip in her post (with doodles) An Open Letter to Maya Khan, Jan 22, 2012.

But most importantly, the outrage was channelized into a loosely organised protest. Dozens of people sent in complaints to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) at the online feedback form, shared quickly via facebook. On Jan 22, lawyer Osama Siddique drafted a brief letter expressing outrage at the  :highly intrusive, invasive and potentially irresponsible behavior on the part of the host – a kind of vigilantism no different than the Lal Masjid variety” (referring to the black-robed women armed with sticks called the Hafza Brigade, associated with the Red Mosque in Islamabad, who went around beating up and terrorizing women whose behaviour or looks they deemed ‘immoral’ or ‘unIslamic’).

The letter protested this moral policing, and pointed out that “this kind of programming is likely to also lead to legal action for violation of dignity of man under the Constitution – which legal action we as signatories will support, propagate and promote.” It demanded an end to “this irresponsible programming”.

A group of citizens emailed the letter to the Samaa head Zafar Siddiqi (President CNBC Pakistan, with which Samaa is affiliated), and an expatriate Pakistani in California, Ali Abbas Taj, uploaded it to Change.org as an petition titled STOP “Subah Saverey Maya kay Sath” vigilantism like Lal Masjid.

Within 24 hours, the online activism had the following unexpected effects:

* In about 24 hours, there were over 2000 signatures, and by the following day 4,800 people, in Pakistan and around the world, had endorsed it.

* Maya Khan’s facebook page was closed, probably in response to the number of comments being made on it. Some of those comments were highly abusive and threatening, which we condemn and have nothing to do with.

* Maya Khan on her show of Jan 23, 2012 acknowledged that what she did could have hurt people and said that was not her intention – but she has not apologised, and appears completely unrepentant and unaware of the dangers of her actions.

* CEO Samaa TV Zafar Siddiqi wrote back to the people who had emailed him saying:  ”I have travelled to Khi to look at this matter and yesterday Maya apologised in her program for this. I can assure this will never happen again. Samaa is a progressive channel.
“There are certain other directives that have been put into place as of yesterday.
“I thank everyone concerned in bringing this matter to my attention. It’s really appreciated.”

The citizens’ response:

* We do not accept Maya Khan’s statement in her show of Jan 23 as an apology. Nor are we satisfied with Mr Siddiqi’s attempts to placate us. We want an unconditional, public apology from both Maya Khan and Samaa TV.

* We do not hold Maya Khan solely responsible for her actions; it is the producer and channel owner who set policy and allow this kind of programming to happen. We want to know what steps are being taken and what policy directives given to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

* Maya Khan should apologise publically not just to viewers but also to the couples she harassed in the park.

* There’s also outrage against a 2010 moral policing show by ARY reporter Yasir Aqeel, who is if possible even more offensive than Maya Khan, and takes harassment to another level. We protest these intrusive tactics by TV channel owners to boost ratings by harassing peaceful, law-abiding citizens.

* We would like to know what ethical guidelines TV channel owners and producers are setting down to ensure that this doesn’t happen.

* We are in contact with the commercial sponsors of television shows and will impress upon them the need to pull advertising from programmes and channels that violate basic media ethics.

BOTTOM LINE: Media is not a business like any other. It carries greater responsibility and we want its workings to be transparent and ethical.

In addition:

A college student in Karachi, started a facebook ‘cause’ on Jan 24 demanding that Maya Khan apologise to the youth of Pakistan, especially Karachi

Some activists began an sms campaign, sharing Zafar Siddiqi’s Dubai cell number with this message: Please send this sms to Mr. Zafar Siddiqui, CEO SAMAA TV if you want to raise your voice against the moral policing by Maya Khan: “Dear Mr Siddiqi, pardon the intrusion. I’m part of a citizens’ group protesting Samaa TV and its host Maya Khan’s irresponsible ‘moral policing’. We expect an unconditional apology, and this show withdrawn or at least suspended until new parameters are worked out. Thank you. “

It hasn’t all been about anger and outrage though. Predictably, Pakistanis have derived considerable mirth from the situation, some of it rather unkindly expressed. There’s this outrageous post by Urooj Zia: Things Maya Missed (relevant to my Pink Chaddis report for IPS linked above).

Some funny graphics were created – like park signs saying “Beware of dog – and Maya Khan” (unkind, yes, but then, people are angry), posted by Arif Iqbal (@eusuphxai on twitter), who also posted this, that I especially liked: a still from the old Indian film “Bobby” with its famous song “Hum tum aik kamre mein band hon…” with the next line changed to “Aur Maya aa jaye” (the original line can be translated as: “what if we were locked up in a room… and the key got lost” – changed to: “… and Maya turned up”

There have also been some really nasty shares, including videos of Maya dancing, and an animation in which she gets slapped, but let’s ignore those for now, with just this comment, that we do not condone abusive language, personal insults or threats of violence.

More important, the issue has catalysed some relevant, thought-provoking reports, analyses and discussions, including those listed here:

Wusatullah Khan in BBC Urdu website, Jan 22, 2012: ‘Aap tau naib khuda hain’

BBC Urdu report, Jan 23, 2012: ‘TV channel ka anti-dating squad’

BBC Urdu Radio report, Jan 24, 2012: ‘Sawerey ka chapa’ par sakht tanqeed’ in which Samaa senior producer Sohail Zaidi rejects civil society concerns, defends show, saying, “I am not answerable to anyone”.

Vigil-aunties (a term coined by Anthony Permal) by Bina Shah, Jan 24, 2012: ‘At the very least, the channel and the anchorperson owe an apology, if not compensation, to those two individuals who had hurt nobody on that day when they were ambushed and harassed by the television anchor and her Moral Aunty Brigade. The irony is that she describes herself on her Facebook page as “very fair and honest in her dealings”. I think that girl in the niqab, crying in the park, and her blameless friend, as well as any sane person with a conscience and a respect for other people’s privacy, would beg to differ.’

‘Big Brother (and Sister) is watching you‘ – Nadeem F. Paracha, Jan 23, 2102, on the history of what he calls ‘pussycat vigilantism’ – “This strange phenomenon is not just about simple hypocrisy, it is also and actually about glorifying this hypocrisy through gung-ho acts in which pussycat media vigilantes prey upon soft targets to exhibit their ‘bravery’ but squeak away if ever an opportunity arises to do the same to those who can and will bite back.” He says the first reported case of moral vigilantism that he stumbled upon was reported in Dawn, 1980. Must read.

In the parks of Karachi, by Ejaz Haider, Jan 24, 2012 - “From the terrible scarcity of information we now have a nauseating excess of it.”

Media ethics and responsibility at Afia Salam and Faisal Qureshi’s online talk show Off the Cuff, discussing the need for a legal framework.

p.s. Well before this issue blew up, Hosh media, which aims to bridge the gap between online and mainstream media, sat down with veteran journalist and former Editor of Dawn, Abbas Nasir to initiate “a crash course in some of the stickiest subjects that journalism in Pakistan now faces”. Four of the six part series are online at the Hosh website, that Sahar Habib Ghazi wrote about at The great ethics debate (published Jan 23, 2012).

Updates will continue to be posted on the petition link. Watch this space.

Every thing about her has this surreal symbolism. Even the fact that the Heavens opened up the day she left us in tears of our own.

In our culture, the dearly departed are only mourned but westwards, there is also a certain celebration of life just etched away. If life is about stories well lived and lessons well learnt, it is a tradition worth its weight in gold.

Arfa Karim Randhawa had a rather longish name for such a sweet little kid. The baby fat on her cheeks and those twinkling, inquisitive eyes never left her even as she was on the threshold of adolescence. For someone so special, she was like the daughter everyone felt was their own.

I never had difficulty remembering the long name though — which had 17 letters but in the end, not even one alphabet made up for each of her 16-year tryst with destiny — from the time she first got everyone to stand up and take notice in 2004.

I was living abroad those days and one of the first things I did on a vacation back home was to go to the PTV headquarters in Islamabad and fetch a copy of the first TV interview she gave after becoming the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) at the age of nine.

The market — including the limited private media — hadn’t yet wisened to the genius so I could only lay a hand on a videotape, not a CD, of the recording through an old acquaintance. To watch and hear the little darling, I had to pull out an old VCR from the attic!

But it was worth every minute, if only for the tremolo in her rendition of an old Bulleh Shah verse. You could be forgiven for forgetting in that profound sweep, that here was a prodigy whose first call to fame was being the world’s youngest MCP!

What — and who — is she, you wondered, even as she cast a spell on you. There was no escape from being awed — as many an obit writer has readily admitted following her demise last Saturday.

Fast forward to last month when one saw the shocking website image of Pakistan’s pride in death’s icy hands, barely recognisable from the sparkling form one had always associated with her.

At year-end, rumours first circulated that Arfa had died but one found out through Ali Nawazish Moeen, another world record holder with 23 A’s in A ‘Levels, that it wasn’t the case and subsequently, some miraculous movement was noted, leading to a fervent hope of recovery.

Microsoft co-founder and former CEO Bill Gates, who was wowed by the prodigy when she visited Microsoft headquarters at his invitation in 2004, contacted her parents and hired a panel of doctors, who advised their Pakistani counterparts through video link.

In the end, hope was short-lived — a bit like the 1990 Robert Di Nero starrer Awakenings, based on Oliver Slack’s 1973 memoir, in which a new doctor tries a chemical cure on a comatose patient. When the first patient awakes, he is an adult having gone into a coma in his early teens. The film then delights in the new awareness of the patients. However, all patients including the protagonist essayed by Di Nero, return to their vegetative state.

Arfa’s 22-day ordeal had captured the hearts and minds of a nation riven by strife and uncertainty. For a country struggling with existential threats, and a breeding ground for bad headlines, Arfa was like a beacon of light.

Even as short a life as hers encapsulated brilliantly the richness of endeavour, capacity for achievement and a heart in its right place. But while this maybe a universal sentiment, she found her way to every beating Pakistani heart because of how much she cared for her country.

For someone so young, Arfa swore by an ambition to improve the lot of her village Ramdewali. Significantly, she was running a computer training centre for the less privileged that she had herself established.

It was an amazing sight — the little Arfa driving home the importance of reading aptitude early and creating a conducive environment for the seed to grow, interview after interview, speech after speech at 10. She would quote from books and authors she read fervently to draw the context. Two years ago, she had run through the entire Oxford dictionary as well — every word and term practiced for comprehension. Arfa was also engaged with Nasa after winning a competition last year.

Removed from the academic, her flight was not imaginary — she earned certification as a pilot from a flying club in Dubai at 10 and remains the youngest recipient of the prestigious President’s Pride of Performance award in the field of science and technology. There were other awards but space constraints do not permit an elaborate appraisal.

Her desire to explore and reach the zenith was evident from a recent mail to former Higher Education Commission chairman Dr Attaur Rehman, where she sought consultation on venturing into “a field where there is more room to explore and which would benefit Pakistan”.

Everyone who met Arfa came away awe-struck by her confidence, never mind the special gift she had in her chosen field. Yet the only time, she was publicly seen emotional was when she said, teary-eyed, during a speech on stage: Pakistan hamari maa hai, is ke beghair hum kuch nahi (Pakistan is our mother, we’re nothing without her).

Words fail me at our loss. RIP, Arfa.

Jang group is the largest media group in the country and in recent times its power has only increased. Its electronic arm, GEO TV, is one of the most influential television stations in Pakistan and is known to promote populist narratives according to which politicians are corrupt and operate with no accountability.

Lifestyles of politicians is often targeted and any “exuberance” is projected as complete insensitivity to the plight of the suffering poor of the country. One would expect, that perhaps the owners of the this media empire would themselves try to set the example of simplicity. However, when it comes to contradictions, Pakistani media barons really take the cake.

Recently the daughter of the one of the owners got married in Dubai in a really expensive and high profile wedding ceremony. The interesting thing was that the ceremony was deliberately “hidden” from the expected media spotlight.

However one of the reasons may be the extremely high profile guests who made special appearance including former President General Musharraf, Shahrukh Khan, Kareena Kapur and Arjun Rampal. Now these Bollywood stars generally command an exuberant price to attend such events. One wonders as to why the same level of “simplicity” expected from “corrupt” politicians was not displayed by the top media barons of Pakistan.

Had it not been for this little report, we would have never known:

But Shah Rukh Khan, Arjun Rampal and Hrithik Roshan also attended a high-profile wedding on December 30 during their stay here in Dubai.

They made special appearance at the wedding of Pakistan media mogul Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman’s daughter, who tied the knot with the son of an investment banker who has made inroads into the media business. And the grand event happened in Dubai.

Atlantis Hotel was the main venue for the wedding reception where stars and famous personalities had gathered. But the icing on the wedding cake was when Shah Rukh Khan walked in with Kareena Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan and Arjun Rampal.

Just before SRK walked in another VVIP, former Pakistan President Musharraf, had been lapping all the limelight.

But King Khan’s entry saw the spot light shift and the guests went hysterical. The stage nearly collapsed under the onslaught of fans and the screams of joy could be heard a mile away and beyond

Read the full story here http://www.emirates247.com/bollywood/take-one/big-fat-dubai-wedding-bollywood-and-musharraf-2012-01-05-1.435923

By Tariq Butt for The Gulf Today

Funeral prayers of the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) Arfa Karim Randhawa, who passed away on Saturday night after protracted illness, were held in Lahore on Sunday.

The prayers, held in Cavalry Ground, were attended by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and her close family members. Her coffin was draped in the national flag. She was 16. The teenage genius suffered an attack.

She got recognition and became her a source of inspiration for young and old across Pakistan. Arfa had an epileptic attack on Dec.22 and had been in a coma since.

Well-wishers prayed and watched her progress closely.

On Dec.29, doctors said there was no hope for her survival, and that her life support could be switched off any time. However, she had then miraculously responded to certain stimuli, as recently as Jan.13.

Two more funeral prayers will be held for Arfa, one in Faislabad and another in her ancestral village where she is to be buried.

As Pakistanis mourned the loss of the child prodigy, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani also expressed their grief and sorrow over the sad demise of Arfa. They prayed to Allah Almighty to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear the loss with fortitude.

Jamaat-e-Islami head Syed Munawar Hasan expressed grief at the death.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain said that Pakistan has lost “precious talent” in Arfa. He expressed grief at Arfa’s demise and has sympathised with the bereaved family members and prayed for Arfa’s soul.

Arfa became the world’s youngest Microsoft certified professional in 2004 at the age of nine. She was also invited to the Microsoft headquarters in the US by Bill Gates for being the world’s youngest MCP.

Gates had also offered to conduct the child legend’s treatment in the US, but the doctors advised against transporting her to the US due to the risk involved. However, the doctors continued her treatment in consultation with specialists in the United States.

Arfa had earned the Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal in the field of science and technology and the Salam Pakistan Youth Award in 2005 for her achievements. She is also the youngest recipient of the President’s Award for Pride of Performance.

She earned her first flight certificate by flying a plane at a flying club in Dubai at the age of 10, and was invited by Microsoft in 2006 to be a keynote speaker at the Tech-Ed Developers Conference, where she was the only Pakistani among over 5,000 developers.

Arfa represented her country Pakistan on a variety of international forum. She was also included as the honourable guest by IT Professionals of Dubai for two weeks stay in Dubai. During that trip, Arfa was awarded by a number of medals and awards from various tech societies and computer companies working in Dubai.

Arfa was a genius who had left an indelible mark on the international IT scene, winning millions of hearts in Pakistan and abroad for her excellence. The death of the child sensation had left millions of people, along with her family, relatives and friends, grieved over this national tragedy.

Filed under: Pakistan, Pakistanis Tagged: Altaf Hussain, Arfa Karim Randhawa, Asif Ali Zardari, Bill Gates, Dubai, Lahore, Lahore IT Park, MCP, Microsoft, Microsoft Certified Professional, Pakistan, Pakistanis, Redmond, Washington, World’s Youngest MCP, Yousuf Raza Gilani

LAHORE: In what could simply be described as an enormous loss for Pakistan, Arfa Karim, the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), lost the battle of life after remaining admitted here at Combined Military Hospital on Saturday night,

Arfa Karim was only sixteen years old.

Her funeral prayers will be offered on Sunday at 10 AM in Cantt area.

Arifa Karim remained in intensive care at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) after suffering an epileptic seizure and cardiac arrest a few weeks ago. After battling for life for 26 days, one of Pakistan’s brightest brains left this world for good.

Born in 1995, Arfa Karim got the honor of World’s Youngest Microsoft Certified Professional when she was only 9 years old in 2004. Bill Gates, the Chairman of Microsoft, invited Arfa to visit the Microsoft Headquarters in the USA in the age of 10 only.

Later, in August 2005, Arfa was also honored by the Pakistan Government for the Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal in the field of Science and Technology which she received from then Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. She was also honored with Salaam Pakistan Youth Award in 2005 which has been set up by Pakistan’s only Nobel laureate Dr Abdul Salam. Moreover, Arfa has won the Presidential Award for Pride of Performance.

Arfa represented her country Pakistan on a variety of international fora. She was also included as the honorable guest by IT Professionals of Dubai for two weeks stay in Dubai. During that trip, Arfa was awarded by a number of medals and awards from various tech societies and computer companies working in Dubai.

Amazingly, she was certified for flying a plane at a flying club in Dubai at the age of 10.

Arfa also participated in Microsoft keynote session in the Tech-Ed Developers Conference held in Barcelona, in 2006. The theme of the conference was “Get ahead of the game” and Arfa was in fact a great example of being ahead of the game.
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By D. Asghar

Statutory Warning: For those who would be seething in rage and resort to the usual profanity, and abuse; I would humbly request to refrain from reading the post. This post may not be feasible for your brain cells.

Most of Pakistan, loves to hate a man. A man to them who is the “inventor and master of corruption”, who has supposedly “robbed” this resourceful nation blind. According to them, he is the reason for all the evils, that plague the promised land of Quaid. Simply speaking, how could someone, who is so villainous, a plunderer, who gets so much disdain, can possibly survive. There are people who are baying for his blood and utter nothing but filth about him. Subject of almost every possible and imaginable form of character assassination, ridicule and remembered in the ugliest terms of any language, spoken or understood in Pakistan.

As much as people hate and loathe him, berate and chastise him, he emerges with a smile. The other thing that irks his opponents is, with every single such instance, he never retaliates, in that fashion and disregards all the petty nonsense. OK, all the haters, abusers, you can deny all you want, but you cannot deny the following 10 things about, the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari:

1) Ever since he has taken office, he has relinquished the power of his office, rather than usurping or hoarding it.

2) He talks about supremacy of Constitution. He wants the institutions to work within their framework.

3) He is not vindictive, has not followed the politics of enmity.

4) He has tried to forge alliances with all parties across the isle to move this fragile democracy forward. His politics is based on dialogue and not dislodge.

5) AAZ is a statesman of a President. He takes decisions based on consensus of the Parliament and not his personal whims.

6) Despite his endless character assassination, he has not retaliated with low blows or other nonsense.

7) What ever he says he tries to live up to it. Case in point his recent departure to Dubai for medical reasons and his timely return as promised.
His mind is much sharper than his adversaries. He comes up surprises and ideas, that no one ever anticipates.
9) He demonstrates patience and practices that in every adversity.

10) He represents a party that strives to build a strong, collective and cohesive federation.

Now with all of this being said, is he perfect? No he is not. Has he made mistakes, Of course a lot. But the bigger question here is who hasn’t. With a year or so left in his Presidency, his recent interview on TV with GEO, has been quite an eye opener for many. Like a very famous anchor of TV tweeted that, “AAZ is the most misunderstood politician in Pakistan, and he should appear in media more often.”

Folks, people come and go. Like everyone he will too. Disagree with him all you want, but there are certain things that are undeniable and quite irrefutable. I am not a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), nor an office bearer. I am just an observer, like many of you, and I disagree with a lot of his moves. But cannot and will not be able to come up with anything, that refutes the items mentioned above.

P S: Now opponents, ready set go…..ready to catch the abuse. Hope that moderation at PTH is still being enforced to edit the foul language