An Apple

Have you ever wondered why an apple at the back of your Iphone Ipod or Ipad  has been a bitten one? Why would a company make one defected object as its logo? Why the company is called 'Apple' and not any other fruit out of a range of different fruits? Have a look at this story first which I'll summarize briefly:

Adam and Eve (Hazrat Adam and Bibi Hawwa- may peace be upon them both) were instructed by Allah Almighty to avoid a specific tree in the heaven and its fruit was forbidden for them to eat. The fruit was a kind of Apple. When Satan invoked Adam and Eve to eat that apple, Allah Almighty discarded all three of them to the Earth. In a nutshell, a 'bitten apple' was the root cause of first sin by a Man.

The company's logo conveys its message loud and clearly - To eat the forbidden apple and please the Satan or in other words, do what Allah has forbidden and follow the commands of Satan. Live a sinful life.

I have not carried out any research on the company's background but this is my own point of view which I have concluded after observing some of the logo's of Apple and their striking resemblance with the symbols of Freemasonary- a dark secret Satanic religion.

Did you notice the resemblance in both symbols?

May God protect us all from biting a forbidden Apple and make us strong enough so that we are not tempted by the instuctions of Satan.

Dravid: A Multi-dimensional Player

There has always been a wrong general perception about Rahul Dravid's role in the Indian team over the years. Dravid has a reputation of being a solid test batsman with immense temperament and a kind of player who can provide calmness in the middle order.

No doubt that Dravid is considered to be one of the very best India has ever produced in longest format of the game, his limited-over brilliance is mostly neglected. Although he has not been a regular member of Indian One day International Team for the past four years, he is still one of the most successful Indian One day batsman.

It is my personal analysis and most of the people would agree with me that Rahul Dravid's general impression of having a uni-dimensional role in the Indian Cricket Team is nothing but a mere speculation. Dravid, by far has been the most multi-tasking member of Indian team over the years which is specifically true as far as his now-almost-forgotten glorious one day career is concerned. I would like to share my insight on Dravid's diverse roles in the limited-over World Cups in which he has featured.

1999 in England: Rahul Dravid came into the tournament as the most In-form Indian bastman along with Sourav Ganguly. Since Tendulkar was out of the side before the tournament and Azharuddin on the verge of retirement, the onus was on the shoulders of Dravid to hold the innings at one-down. Who can forget his mammoth 153 against the defending Champions Sri Lanka? The role was simple and clear: he was the prime batsman of India and he did justice to his role.

2003 in South Africa: Rahul Dravid had a completely different role in the side this time. He was no longer a one-down batsman rather he was asked to bat at number 4 or 5 in order to play an anchor role in the middle overs. In addition, Dravid held another important role in the side in field where he was seen behind the stumps with gloves. A prime batsman who could keep the wickets allowed the Indian management to play an extra batsman or a bowler. Dravid served his team brilliantly well as a wicketkeeper from 2002 till 2004 while simultaneously being a prominent batsman.

2007 in the West Indies: This time Rahul was seen in another significant role. He was the skipper of Indian team and of course, a main batsman in the middle order.

In my opinion, If 2011 World Cup was to be held in any country outside the Subcontinent, Rahul Dravid would definitely have featured in his fourth World Cup. The class, quality and experience which he possess is still beneficial for Indian Team even in limited overs format specially in the alien conditions such as England or South Africa where youngsters struggle.

There is not even the slightest of doubts in the fact that in the history of Test match Cricket, the name of  Rahul Dravid is always going to be remembered in golden words. However, the services he has done for India in One day Internationals must never be forgotten. He has been a multi-dimensional servant for Indian Cricket Team in One Day Cricket and he will always be remembered as one of the very best India has ever produced.

The Sin City

 Archaeologists believe that both Sodom & Gomorrah as well as the city of Pompeii were destroyed by an identical calamity - A volcanic eruption. The only difference between the two towns however, is the era in which both of these events took place.

24th August 79 A.D was the last morning which was seen by the people of Pompeii. Pompeii, an old Roman City located in the present day Italy, was a well-developed and a prosperous city. Pompeii lived in a lot of luxury. Like the people of Prophet Lot (PBUH), they were also involved in sexual perversity. The art of Pornography started in this dissolute city. They used to draw pornographic pictures on public walls. They believed in God of sex and used to glorify him to get his satisfaction by drawing pornographic pictures. Researchers found drawing for pornographic pictures in this city as an evidence that adultery and homosexuality were in every place in the City of Pompeii.

The height of immorality and licentiousness was so shameful in the city of Pompeii that adultery was even done in front of kids and people were not shy of it. Fornication was so common as it could be seen by marked rise in prostitution that even the number of brothels was not known. Male genital organs in their original sizes were hung on the doors of the brothels to indicate that sexual organs and sexual intercourse should not be hidden but displayed openly.

Allah Almighty test his people through different ways. He tries the Nations by showering upon them all the Luxury, Glory and Prosperity. Allah wants to see whether they become thankful to him or whether they go astray. The more Pompeii prospered, the more evil they became. They crossed all the limits of unchasitity. Allah says in Surah Al-Araf verse 95, ' So we seized them all of a sudden while they were unaware.' Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Volcano Vesuvius- a mountain which is still present in Italy. The Eruption happened so suddenly that everything in town was caught in middle of everyday life and remains today exactly as it was two Mellinnium ago. It is as if the time is frozen for us to see their punishment and repent on out mistakes.

The City of Pompeii was rediscovered in 18th century by a wide scale excavation by the Archaeologists. They were amazed to see that the human bodies were fossilized and petrified in exactly the same position as they were at the time of volcano eruption. Some bodies were found to be having breakfast when the eruption happened and they became still like a statue at their place. There are many indications of people having sexual intercourse when the calamity was struck on them. Petrified bodies of very young girls and young boys in the position of intercourse can still be seen in Pompeii. There is enough evidence of existence of Homosexuals from the fossilized excavated bodies from the Pompeii. Some excavated bodies have their faces unharmed, the general expression on those faces is bewilderment. Allah says in Surah Yasin, 'It was no more than a single mighty blast and Behold! they were (like ashes) quenched and silent.' The mountain which they thought was harmless and considered it as a glory for them ultimately became their own death. They didn't even know that it was a volcano. In fact, there was no word in Latin for 'Volcano'

Today, Island of Capri in Naples- Italy, is a base where Homosexuals and Nudists reside. It is a major tourist attraction where all kinds of immoral activities take place. The Mount Vesuvius is silent since August 24, 79 A.D. It is observing the same filthy deeds which made it break its silence at the City of Pompeii about two thousand years ago. People of Prophet Lot (PBUH) were destroyed by a Volcano eruption in year 2000 B.C. People of Pompeii were destroyed by the same calamity about two thousand years later in 79 A.D. Today, in 2011, after about two thousand years when the Pompeii was destroyed, the morality of the world is not so different from the past two occasions. Shall we expect a similar calamity anywhere in the world any soon?

The Wall

One of the major reason why Indian team remained at top Test spot for about two years was the aggression in their batting right from the start. Both Viru and Gambhir have been happy to take on the opposition with their free-flowing stroke play followed by Tendulkar, who himself is a positive player. Influence of shorter version of the game has been evident from the way Indian batsmen have taken their Test Cricket in the past few years and that too, with immense success.

It was during last year when people started to question the role of Rahul Dravid in India's test side, primarily due to 3 reasons. 1) He was the odd one out in India's batting line up, being unable to score as much and as quickly as rest of his team-mates were doing consistently. 2) The growing age factor and the youngsters like Kohli and Pujara waiting for a place. 3) The defensive approach of Dravid which used to get outplayed by Sehwag's aggression.

People started to demand Dravid's retirement in an honorable way during 2010, claiming that his peak time was gone.

Rahul Dravid had just one answer to all the building pressure and criticism; to perform with a bat that has scored tons of thousands of runs in the past. When Tendulkar, Sehwag, Gambhir were resting for different reasons after hectic World Cup and IPL, Dravid was getting himself prepared for the all important English summer by playing in the Caribbean. He played a vital role in a series win against the West Indies which included a well crafted Ton at Jamaica. It was enough to make his critics shut for the time being. A real slap on the face of critics however, has just come recently.

Rahul Dravid has scored 461 runs in 4 tests with 3 hundreds in England; A performance which declared him the Indian Man of the Series. This performance came at a time when all Indian batsmen were struggling to face the ferocious English attack. The likes of Tendulkar, Sehwag, Gambhir, Laxman and Raina failed miserably without even managing a single three figure score between them. Dravid, on his own, passed that figure on 3 occasions which also include a bat carry. The greatness was shown by one of this all time best batsman when he came out to bat again as an opener in space of 10 minutes, after a follow-on was enforced on his team while he carried his bat in the first innings during the Oval Test. The critics must have received a clear message that form is temporary while the class is permanent. Dravid, indeed, is a Class act.

Dravid clearly mentioned in the post-match presentation ceremony that the reason behind his success in England was the confidence which he carried into the series by playing in Caribbean; which was an indirect indication why others coudn't perform well enough as he did. He also ruled out the possibility of this tour of England being his last by saying, 'One series at a Time'. Indian Team would surely need 'The Wall' in these conditions if India qualifies for the ICC Test Championship to be held in 2013. Let's see if the Great Wall can remain intact till the age of 40.

Cricket Pakistan: Mission 2013 ICC Test Championship

No matter how much commercialization has occurred in Cricket by the involvement of heavy sponsors or by the introduction of T20, Test cricket is still the ultimate form of the game. No other format can test the ability, talent and temperament of a player as much as the Test Cricket does. Due to this reason, many analysts and experts consider the performance of test cricket as the criteria for judging a players capability.

It is an honor for any country to occupy the Top rank in Tests. England has recently snatched the number one spot from India, who enjoyed the privilege to be at Top for about 2 years. Pakistan is currently placed at number 6 in the ICC World Test Ranking. It will take some time before they can actually rule the world in Test cricket because it is the kind of format which does not suit them naturally.

Top spot should not be in the minds of Pakistan's think tank right now as they don't even have a stable Cricket Board and team to achieve the honors. The prime target, however, should be the ICC Test Championship to be held in England in 2013. Top 4 Test teams are going to feature in the prestigious championship. Let's see if there is any chance for Pakistan to play the 1st ever Test Championship in 2013.

To start the proceedings, Pakistan will have to stick with only one captain till 2013 at least in Tests. The captain should be visionary enough to think about the future and play his cards accordingly. Misbah-ul-Haq, 37, needs to be fit till that time. He's performing well with the bat as shown by his stats. His fitness will remain a million dollar question.

Being realistic, the aim of Pakistan Cricket team should be the number 4 spot in the rankings till 2013 in order to qualify for the championship. Let us consider the the scheduled Test matches of Pakistan before the Championship in order to analyze the chances of Pakistan Team to get the 4th rank.

After a one-off Test match away in Zimbabwe, Pakistan are scheduled to play Sri Lanka in a 3-match series at Home (UAE). They will tour Bangladesh for a two-match series later this year. Beating Sri Lanka, a better ranked side, would definitely boost some points for Pakistan. In 2012, Pakistan will face the number 1 side in the world, England, at their home conditions. Does anyone remember the England-Pakistan series of 2005 where the Ashes winning England side were outclassed by Pakistan on flat tracks? If the government allows, Pakistan will tour India, another better ranked side, and everyone knows that ranking is never a hurdle between an Indo-Pak game. Anything can happen in that series. Then there will be a Home series against a low ranked Bangladesh; good for preparation i suppose, and an away series against Sri Lanka. Winning an away series is sure to have a positive affect on ranking points. In 2013 before the Championship, there are away tours of Zimbabwe, South Africa and West Indies.

Hence, South African series is the only potential series that can be tough for Pakistani's. 2 Series against Sri Lanka and a series against England and India (subject to clearance) in very much favorable conditions can definitely boost the chances of Pakistan to enhance their rank. They will, however,require a lot of stability in terms of selection matters. Let's see what it should be like.

Identify a group of 3 openers and stick with them. There's no need of Imran Farhat. Taufeeq Umar and Muhammad Hafeez have good techniques and the right temperament. A youngster like Sharjeel Khan can be injected along with them. He has a solid technique in collaboration with controlled aggression. Azhar Ali has been the find of 2010; a genuine test match player. This guy has a big future ahead of him. He must utilize and learn from the experience of Younus Khan and Misbah- both of them should be available till 2013 if they mainatain their fitness. For number 6 batting position, there is already a tough competition among several talented players. Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Ramiz Raja Jnr and Usman Salahuddin are some of the contenders. Fawad Alam would have been a good choice but Mr. Ilyas, member of selection committee and father-in-law of Imran farhat would definitely not let him get selected. Team management should work with all these players and pick the best one out of them; the one who has a right attitude towards the Test Cricket. All of them are equally talented.

Pick a keeper once for all and give him a proper go. The musical chair of keepers is not going to help the cause. One out of Adnan Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed and Jamal Anwar should be given a proper chance. Kamran Akmal and Muhammad Salman are not capable of Test Level.

As Pakistan Team is going to play most of their matches in spinning-friendly conditions, they must have some match-winning spinners in order to boost their ranking. Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rahman, along with youngsters like Raza hassan and Yasir Shah can occupy the spin department. Danish kaneria's availability will be a huge bonus.

It will not be easy to fill in the gap left by Asif and Amir but fast bowling department has never been an issue for Pakistan Cricket Team. Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul will have to step up. The Management must groom Junaid Khan, Sohail Khan, and Muhammad Talha as well.

Fast bowling department is the weakest link right now. If Pakistan can find a couple of good swing bowlers, rest of the team looks fairly stable and the bench-strength has some equally talented back-up players. If there is a proper vision with proper implementation like Andy Flower had for England team 2 years ago to take a 6th ranked side to 1st rank, Pakistan can definitely take part in the prestigious Test championship. To do that, Pakistan will have to make a proper policy right from the Sri Lankan series in October this year. If Pakistan is able to achieve 4th ranking and play the Test Championship in 2013, It would be a great acievement for them. 

Mouse away from House: Indian Team

Before the England Tour:

Dravid: Let’s have some practice guys; English tour is round the corner.

Yuvraj: Oh come on man we are tired after winning the World Cup while you were sleeping at home.

Tendulkar: Are you mad Dravid? A player like me does not need any practice. I’ll start making centuries right away in England. You go to Caribbean and play against a low ranked West Indies. I will play IPL and have some rest.

Dhoni: Even I don’t feel like playing against the West Indies but it will give me an opportunity to boost up my average by remaining NOT OUT.

Raina: I am not afraid of Short-Pitch stuff anymore as I hit them out of the park in IPL. English tour is going to be a piece of cake.

Harbajjan: I have over 400 test wickets. We are the number 1 side in World. We need to celebrate our success.

Zaheer: Okay guys since I’ll give my 200% to Mrs. Ambani’s IPL team, don’t expect me to be fully fit for no-so-important English tour. We are the WORLD CHAMPIONS after all.

Gambhir:  I don’t feel like playing without my partner Sehwag L. I can not score without his support.

Sehwag: Even though I am injured, but by the time I return to the side, we will be already 2 up in the series and I’ll straight away blast a Triple ton on my return as I have been doing it on Indian pitches. . Even Ajit Agarkar and Anil Kumble have scored centuries in England. I will score the big ones.

BCCI: Yes boys, enjoy the glamour of IPL, skip the tour of West Indies and go to England without any fear. ICC will make sure our authority over Cricket World. Money speaks after all.

After the Tour of England:

Team India: Walls are supposed to have ‘ears’ alone, idiomatically, but this Wall (Dravid) has a brain too. Perhaps we should have listened to him instead of playing IPL and skipping the tour of West Indies.

BCCI: Sorry guys, English Cricket board refused to take bribe. We couldn’t buy the series like we bought the World Cup. Get ready for the upcoming Champions League though.

Moral: 1) Every pitch is not a batting paradise like Kanpur. You can not play in India forever and claim                     

                  to be the World’s best.  

              2) Arrogance leads to downfall.

England Cricket: A New Era of British Imperialism.

Take a look at this scenario: An uncertain team suffering from a musical chair of captaincy in 2009 just a few months away from Ashes under a coach who used to play for Zimbabwe not so long ago. A team which played a series against a crumbling West Indies and lost to them 1-0 in a 5 match series including a total of 51 all out at Kingston within a session. A team that ranked 6^th in the world without showing any prospects for improvement.

Take a look at another scenario: The same team defeated the mighty Australians twice in 5 match ashes series, both home and away; the same team defeated Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies and drew against South Africans; the same team has recently humiliated the Number 1 side in the world by defeating them 3-0 to snatch the number 1 spot. The rise of ‘British Empire’ in Cricket from 6^th to Number 1 rank in two years time span is a remarkable achievement. This is arguably the strongest English side to have taken the field with equally strong bench-strength. The players are of right age to dominate the world cricket for at least a decade. I know it is a big statement but I have strong analysis to support my statement.

Alistair Cook- the run machine is barely 27 and has played 71 tests already with almost 6000 test runs. He is definitely up for breaking many records in future. Kevin Pietersen has good 6 to 7 years left to serve English Team. Bell and Morgan, two positive and technically sound players are still in mid 20’s while the bowling line having Broad and Bresnan, who can play as genuine All-Rounders too, are also in their half twenties. Andersen is still 29 and the backup seam attack consist the likes of Steven Finn and Chris Tremlett to make up one gem of a bowling attack for future along with the service of Swan. There is a vast improvement in talent that is showing up at county level where players of ages 21-22 are making heaps of runs. They have a big future ahead of them. Matt Prior, the best keeper-batsman today without any doubt, has the likes of Kieswetter and Davies in the waiting list to fill his space.

Rarely will you find such a team which is at Top ranking with almost each players below the age of 30 (except Strauss) along with evenly talented youngsters in the waiting list to succeed the supremacy unlike the Australian side of last decade which ruled the world for almost 10 years by help of all the greats who were over 30 and once they retired, their was not enough back up to fill in the big shoes. Now Australia is ranked 5 in the world. England has enough back up to retain their domination after the retirement of this bunch of players, which is not happening any soon.

I have seen the English test side at the bottom of rankings in 1999, even below Zimbabwe and the West Indies and now seeing them at top of the lot after 12 years, I can do nothing except applauding the English Cricket team, the radiant policies of ECB and most of all, the mastermind behind this success, Andy Flower – the Coach. English supremacy over the original form of the game is not temporary; It is here to stay for long.