Vision against Propaganda

Sir Allama Muhammad Iqbal's historical presidential address in Allahabad introduced the Two-Nation Theory which outlined a vision for the creation of Pakistan on 29th December, 1930.

Muslims of the Subcontinent, who were supporting All Indian Congress to get rid of the British government, now had a different agenda. Iqbal's vision made them realize that Muslims would have to suffer even more once the Britishers are gone after restoring the power with the Hindu's.

Had it not been for Iqbal's vision, who thought for a separate land for Muslims on the ground of religion, Muslims would have been living as a minority with socio-religious  problems.

Does the campaign of 'Aman ki Asha' by Geo and Jang Group compliment with the Two-Nation theory of Iqbal? Can Muslims and Hindu's live in peace together having complete religious freedom? Which perspective is correct?  The one coming from a particular Media Group or the one from a great visionary philosopher?

You are the one to Decide.

Ghalib-A-Day-Series: Lover's Street

Couplet:

Phir tere kuche ko jaata hai khayaal

Dil-e-Gum gashta magar yaad aaya

Translation:

Once again my thoughts have taken me back to your street

But as I thought about it, I just remembered my lost heart

Explaination:

Ghalib's imagination takes a walk back to the street of his loved one where he seems to have some sweet memories. He now has not been in touch with his loved one so he is sentimental about his lost heart - the heart which he lost in that street of his loved one.

Ghalib-A-Day-Series: Silence

Couplet:

Hai kuch aisi he baat jo chup hoon

    varna kya baat ker nahi aati

Translation:

This matter is such that I am prevented from speaking of it


Otherwise what is there that I cannot speak of

Explanation:

Ghalib speaks about his helplessness on a complicated and a controversial matter which can raise many eye brows. Ghalib understands the sensitive nature of the matter so he decides to keep silent in order to avoid any controversy. He reminds his readers in the second part of the couplet that it's not as if he doesn't know how to play with words, but the sensitivity of the matter has silenced him altogether

25 December: The Actual Date of Birth of Jesus (Pbuh)?

Background: A False Prophecy
The Jews of Jerusalem were awaiting a Messiah, who would end their slavery against the Romans - the governors of Jerusalem (the holy city to Jews and later to Muslims and Christians) at that time. Jews were shocked to know about the birth of a girl instead of a boy on the night when Messiah was predicted to be born. The girl that was born in the house of Imran, was named Maryam (A.S) or Mary. Jews were disappointed at nature's decision and hence they never really gave Mary the due respect although she was a pious lady. When she gave a miraculous birth to Hazrat Eesa (A.S) or Jesus, they alleged her of adultery.

Reason Why Jesus was rejected by his own people:
Jesus was never accepted as a prophet by his own people because they were told in their distorted holy books that the Messiah would be from the lineage of Hazrat Daud (A.S) or David and since Jesus (A.S) was born without a biological father, his lineage was from his maternal grandfather (who was not from Daud's descendents).

Jesus was sent to Bani Israel, as a Muslim just like Moses:
One important clarification which even most of the Muslims today are unaware of is that Jesus was sent to Bani Israel, as a Prophet of Allah and as a MUSLIM. Jesus (PBUH) did not lay the foundation of Christianity. According to the New Testament of Holy Bible, Jesus has quoted the fact that he was sent to the 'Lost sheep of Israel'. Christianity never existed at the time of Jesus (PBUH) or before him. There's no doubt that Jesus (PBUH) was just one out of thousands of prophets that were sent to the people of Israel as Muslims.

Alleged Crucifixion that never really happened:
Jesus (PBUH) was given a scripture - Injeel (not the current bible), which was revealed to restore the true message of the distorted Toraat (Torah). Some of the influential but corrupt Jewish Rabbi's (just like Islamic Maulana's) saw this as a threat to their own agendas. They conspired with Roman authorities by implicating that Jesus of Nazareth was trying to brainwash the local people against the Jewish as well as against the pagan Roman religion. The authorities ordered to crucify Jesus (PBUH) however according to Islamic belief, they couldn’t do so and Jesus (PBUH) was lifted to the heavens alive.

12 Apostles of Jesus (PBUH):
The Question arises that how did the Christianity came into existence? Hardly 12 people, who are known as the apostles of Jesus Christ, embraced his message and after the alleged crucifixion, those apostles traveled across distant regions to preach the message of Jesus (PBUH) . The prominent apostles were Mark, Luke, Thomas, Matthews, John, Barrabas, Peter and Paul.

Reality of Barrabas, the Apostle: 
Out of the 12 apostles, Barrabas was more closer to Jesus and possessed the original Injeel. He also authorized the authentic compilation of life of Jesus (PBUH) but due to the propaganda of various origins - which is a separate debate, Barrabas is never considered to be a prominent apostle by the Christians today. The original injeel was taken from him and was kept hidden. He is portrayed as a thief in the modern Gospels, who was set free in a swap to the crucifixion of Jesus - a shameful example of historical inaccuracy. Such a portrayal of a prominent apostle gives rise to the suspicion overlying the Christian faith itself.

The Foundation of Christianity as a Religion:
Gospels were written by Luke, Mark, Matthews and John. All of them claimed that their Gospels were a word of God. Interestingly , each of the four Gospels contradict from one another at various places. Paul and Peter went to Rome and were able to convince a huge number of Pagan Romans to the teachings of Jesus (PBUH). Paul, famously known as Saint Paul, in additions to the original teachings of Jesus, also added various other aspects into his preachings. Hence, Saint Paul but not Jesus (PBUH), is the founder of Christianity. The religion of Paul spread like a wildfire.

Constantine the Roman becomes a Christian:
The Roman emperor, Constantine the Great, was converted to Christianity and so did the Roman empire. He called a gathering of the representatives of all the different sects of Christianity in 325 A.D. The sect which truly believed that Jesus (PBUH) was a true prophet of God still existed at that time but their numbers were scarce. Constantine burned all the different versions of Gospels except for the above mentioned four and made further changes in them. Real sample of Injeel was again kept hidden and was sent to Vatican.

 Sun God, Not the Son of God:
Constantine made the amendment in Christianity faith by imposing that Jesus was 'Son of God' (Nauzubillah). Constantine was of Pagan origin (worshiping different gods). It is to be noted that he never became a Christian by his heart. He used to worship 'The Sun god' who lived in 3000 B.C and was worshiped by Egyptian and Roman Pagans. The date of Birth of The Sun god according to Roman calendar was 25th December. Constantine killed two birds with one stone . For his Christian fellows, he associated this day of 'Sun God' as the day of 'Son of God (Jesus)'. Note the similarities between ‘sun’ and ‘son’ when you pronounce it. So basically he made half of the world's population to worship and remember his Pagan God instead of what people thought. Have you ever thought about Christianity’s Cross sign? Why would they symbolize their religion with something which is associated with the death of the person they brag about being as son of the God? Jesus was Crucified according to the Christians on a cross so why is it Holy for them? The answer is simple. Cross was a distinctive method of giving deaths to people by the Romans, and Constantine was a Roman.

Jesus (PBUH) was not born on 25th December: 
It is evident that Jesus (PBUH) was not born on 25th December. The forefathers of early Christians, the Jews, rejected the message of Jesus, raised fingers on his mother's character and helped the Roman pagans to crucify him. How could they note down the date when a son was born to a women whom they hated right from the day when she came into this world? They didn’t even accept Jesus as a prophet rather they accused him of blasphemy. His apostles were not even there at the time of his birth. So who could have given an exact date of the birth of Jesus (PBUH) when he was even rejected by his own people? Think about it. Do not glorify an ancient Pagan’s Sun god by thinking that Jesus was born on this day. 

This was a Historical background to prove that Jesus was not born on 25 December. The Religious proof from the Holy Quran on the same topic will discussed later.

Ghalib-A-Day Series: Better Expression of Love

Couplet:

Ya Rabb Na Wo Samjhay hain na Samjhaingay meri baat

Dey Dil Aur he unko, Jo na dey mujhko zubaan aur...

Translation:

O God, she doesn't, nor will understand me

Give her a wiser heart, if you wont give me a better expression.


Explainantion:

Ghalib seems to be dejected by the fact that his loved one is unable to understand the hidden hints of love and affection that he has been trying to give her. He expects things not to change either and is hopeless in her regard. But the next thing he does is to pray to God that either He would soften her heart and make her wise enough so that she could understand his love for her, Or either God teaches him a better way of expessing his feelings, so that she is able to understand the love he has been trying to show.

Rafi - The Legend

24 December 1923 - a day when arguably the best playback singer of Hindi Cinema was born. It has been more than three decades since the demise of the great Rafi, as he rightly mentioned in one of his songs : 'Ye zindagi ke melay dunya mai kam na hongay, afsos ham na hongay'  - Translation: The amusements in the world will not come to an end but alas, we'll be no more.

May his soul rest in peace.

Ghalib-A-Day-Series: Hypocricy

Couplet:

Kahan maykhaanay ka darwaaza Ghalib aur kahan waaez

Par itna jaantay hain kal wo jataa tha ke ham niklay

Translation:

Door of the Tavern and a preacher are two entirely different things

 but I saw a preacher going inside a tavern yesterday as I was coming out of it.


Explanantion:

Ghalib describes the double-faced nature of some of the preachers or so called molvi's of his time. This couplets tries to explain that idealy, a saint and a place like tavern- where alcohol is consumed, should be poles apart. But in reality, those hypocrites who mask their faces and hide them under the cover of religion, are themselves involved in the activities which they tell others not to do.

Ghalib tries to indicate that even though he himself may not be a pious one, as he visits the tavern as well, but atleast he does not hide it from anyone because he does not fear what people say. He is trying to say that he visits the tavern at a public time without any fear unlike the preachers, who wait for the dusk to take control before going to the tavern, so that no one is able to recognize them. This act, according to Ghalib, is an act of hypocricy which according to him, is a graver sin than the consumption of alcohol.

Ghalib-A-Day-Series: Prison of Life

Couplet:

Qed-e-hayat o band-e-gham asal mai dono ek hain


Maut se pehle aadmi gham se nijaat paaye kyun.....


Translation:

The prison of life and the bondage of grief are one and the same

Before the onset of death, how can man expect to be free of grief?

Explanation:
Mirza Ghalib has gone philosophical in this couplet by describing life as a 'prison'. An imprisonment which is imposed on every soul without a warrant and a crime.

Ghalib describes the prison of life and the bondage of grief as one and the same. In his view, it is impossible for a person to set himself free from the harsh prison of life and the cruel tragedies that are encountered throughout the life itself. The only way out or perhaps the only bail out of the jail of life and bondage of grief is death; the death which has no specific time.

Paulo Coelho's Aleph: A Book Review

Paulo Coelho takes his readers to an adventurous journey across Russia through the never ending Trans-Siberian train in his new book, Aleph.

Aleph, as described in the book, is a place of convergence of time and space. The book is an autobiographical account of Paulo's journey to 'rediscover' his spiritual self during the year 2006.

The initial portion of book reminds of The Pilgrimage, Paulo's previous work, where he is talking about a ritual with his Master. The book, however, takes a completely different route in the following chapters.

Aleph is about time-less love. It is about seeking forgiveness and repentance for past mistakes. It is about reincarnation and spiritualism. Aleph is one of the most personal novel written by Paulo Coelho.

Aleph tells the story of Paulo Coelho's magnanimous journey across 3 continents in 6 months in search of spiritual growth. It reflects upon Paulo's life as a writer and how the matters are arranged with his publishers worldwide. It tells the role of Yao- Paulo's translator during the journey, in assisting Paulo's search for spiritual peace. It tells the story of Hilal and her relationship with Paulo- a relationship that lasts for centuries.

If Alchemist was too much fiction and The Pilgrimage was too much spiritualism for you, The Aleph is a blend of everything which makes it one of the finest work of Paulo till date. Highly recommended.

Mohsin Khan as Chief selector: Give the Credit where it is Due

Take a look at the following scenario:


A humiliating tour of Australia followed by stepping down of the Chief selector; Indefinite Life-bans on several star players along with heavy fine on others; few key players out of the side due to injuries and a much speculated player power in the team. This was the time when Mohsin Hassan Khan took over the charge as a Chief Selector, with a tough task of choosing a team from a very limited pool of individuals.
Mohsin Khan selected the team for T20 World Championship in Carribean, Asia Cup and the England tour. Induction of new players to replace the old ones in order to rebuild a team was bound to take some time in order to make any impact. As the young unit was coming in terms with international level, another jolt of 'spot fixing' came out on the scene which resulted in the ban of 3 integral members of the squad to make it further worse for Mohsin khan. These were the initial 6 to 7 months of his tenure; the worst possible.

Today, almost a year later, there has been a complete turn around, a miraculous one. The Test side of Pakistan has never been this stable and consistent in all those past years. The One day squad has depth and the bench strength is heartening to see. To build and erect a shattered team on its feet in just about a year's time is a remarkable achievement. Let's take a closer look at Mohsin Khan's tenure as a chief selector.

The analysis will be according to the Test match side as this format of the game requires more stability than the limited overs cricket- in which teams can afford to experiment with their combinations every now and then. 

  Pakistan Team was struggling to make an impact as a solid Test playing country with dismal performances in Sri Lanka and Australia while managing a drawn series in New Zealand. After disciplinary actions were taken on several big names like Younis and Yousuf, Mohsin Khan faced a challange to select an inexperienced team for the difficult tour of England in 2010, which included 6 Tests in total. This was the first time Azhar Ali, Umar Amin, Zulqarnain Haider and Wahab Riaz were selected in the Test side. As expected, the team combination could not settle during the tour, because the team was still in a rebuilding phase with number of its key players out of the side for diverse reasons. To put salt on the wound, first Afridi and then Salman Butt had to leave the captaincy after the tour. Azhar Ali and Wahab Riaz justified their selection though.
South African series in UAE was a turning point in revival of Pakistan's test position. A shocking appointment of Misbah as a captain, rebirth of Younis as a player and a promising start to Azhar Ali's career suddenly provided the middle order with a much needed stability. Asad Shafiq's debut performance was highly encouraging. But the most important selection for this tour were the openers; Hafeez and Taufeeq. Both earned their places through strong domestic performances and for some of you, who have been following Pakistan's test cricket for a long time, it will be a surprise to see that these two have opened together consecutively in last 8 Test matches of Pakistan, which has always been a  rarity in unstable batting line up. 


The Team since than has more or less been the same along with being consistent. They had a drawn Series against South Africa and West Indies while a series win over New Zealand and Zimbabwe. Top 5 batsman have a guaranteed place in the side which include Toufeeq, Hafeez, Azhar, Younis and Misbah, due to their strong consistent performances. Number 6 has been closely fought by two young talents, Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq, so this place is relatively open to any one of them along with Shoaib Malik to a lesser extent. Adnan Akmal is yet to prove his talent with bat but his glove-work has been better than the older Akmal for sure. He was also selected by Mohsin Khan for the South African series. Bowling department, after many experimentations, have a bunch of names which were scarce when Mohsin Khan took over. With a bowler like Wahab Riaz struggling to find his way in the playing eleven, the fast bowling department has a certain depth. Junaid and Cheema have been a promising finds along with Tanvir Ahmad in reserve. Umar Gul, being the spearhead, is leading the bowling attack with responisibility. Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman fill the shoes of spinners. Pakistan's Test side has never looked this settled.


Who would have imagined to see Pakistan cricket team in its current balanced outfit after the miserable tours of Australia and England last year? The credit goes to Mohsin Khan for transforming a shattered team into a stable unit. May be I am going too far but Mohsin Khan, according to me, has been the most successful Chief Selector Pakistan has witnessed in the last few years.

Noisy Niazi

She walks like a guy, talks like a guy and gawks like a guy. She's the MAN of her group. She has everything in her style which discriminates her from being a girl. She's Bossy, She has a masculine gait, She's high on pranks, She's always over the top with her voice - She is a 'Noisy Niazi'.

On a tense day of an Exam while students are going through last-minute revision, the Niazi leads her group into the cafe with her characteristic care-free gait, headphones in her ear and hands inside the pockets of her jeans. She orders a cup of tea, sits back and shuffles the play-list on her Ipod while her friends are suffering from pre-exam panic disorder. She grabs a book about 10 minutes before the start of exam; goes through the pages halfheartedly; cheats to the maximum fearlessly in the examination hall and eventually gets more marks than her friends. She celebrates her 'minimum input maximum output' effort in a loud voice - She's a 'Noisy Niazi'.


She's notorious. She has a dominant personality but there's the other side of coin too. The Noisiness of Niazi is restricted to the premises of University only. Back home is a complete turn around of her personality. She restricts herself to her room. The play-list shifts from heavy metal to sentimental. The notorious spark of eyes are transformed into tears. The person, who boss around others during the day, has almost no control over her own emotions back home.


She's very much a girl for her close friends. She speaks softly in a beautiful voice. She likes to dress and wear make up like a girl. She likes to be looked after. She's caring and she has a quality to absorb the pain of others. She has a soft heart; Not-so-Noisy Niazi.

The reason for this split personality is even unknown to her. Even if it is a broken heart or any familial problem, one thing is clear for sure; a person, who tries to be strong in front of others having a fake smile, is the one who is empty inside. She may sound noisy to other but deep inside, she is as calm as standing water. Although the Niazi is noisy for others, so is the Volcano, which remains silent for most of its life.

PPP, Qaddafi and Nusrat Bhutto

Within a span of last few days, Pakistan Peoples Party has lost two of their close affiliates. Nusrat Bhutto, wife of the party founder, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Colonel Muammar Al-Gaddafi. Yes, you have read the name correctly - Qaddafi. Both deaths, however, have met with obvious discrimination by PPP.

Qaddafi's sad demise is a matter of concern for Muslims all over the world. Fine, he was a tyrant and he carried out some controversial actions during his rule but he was a strong and influential political leader for the Muslim world. Qaddafi was the first Leader who declared his support for Pakistan to pursue the development of Nuclear weapons against the will of United States during Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's government. He was in tremendous relations with Pakistan during Bhutto's government and It was Qaddafi who gave Pakistan the honorable title of 'Fort of Islam', which we Pakistani's brag about without remembering the actual person who came up with it. Qaddafi's subsequent relations with Zia and Nawaz Shareef were horrible. The relations were back to normal during Benazir Bhutto's government. In short, Qaddafi had a prosperous relationship with PPP, the current governing party of Pakistan.

A public holiday was observed today after the sad death of Nusrat Bhutto along with the announcement of 10 days of grief. She had been battling hard with death while being on a ventilator for few years now in Dubai. She was the one who kept the Party on its feet after the death of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and it is mainly due to her efforts that were made in those tough circumstances that PPP is in the government today.

I question the logic of a public holiday on the death of a person who was surviving on a ventilator since last 4-5 years. In a country like Pakistan where we are facing economic, electrical and industrial crises, three consecutive holidays is nothing less than a suicide. Where our government departments should work 7 days a week to overcome the shortcomings in every field, they are working 4 days a week. Ridiculous!

On one hand, the government is being gracious to this nation by providing them with an extra holiday on the death of a person who had been dying each moment for the past few years on vent but on the other hand, there has been no condolence over the brutal humiliation, before and after the death, of a person who was a staunch supporter of the founder of PPP, the current government, by the hands of rebels and NATO in front of whole world. Don't you think the current government should have shown some concern over the demise of Qaddafi and treated it equally with the death of Nusrat Bhutto?

Famous Personalities with Depression

Depression is well known as 'The Silent Killer'. It is a state of low mood that can affect a person's thoughts, behavior, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, empty, hopeless, helpless, anxious, worthless, guilty and restless. They may lose interest in activities that once were pleasurable. Depressed people may restrict themselves from family and social life altogether. Depression comes under the field of Psychiatry - a branch of Medicine.

Prevalence of this state of low moods among common people is widespread but there have been a number of famous people who have also suffered at the hands of Depression. The list includes the following:

1) Lady Diana, Princess of Wales: She might have been a princess to world but in hearts of hearts, she was a normal person. Diana's married life was never a perfect one. She died ultimately in a road accident near Paris.

2) Heath Ledger, An Australian Actor: Joker of 'The Dark Night' had almost nothing to laugh about during the last days of his life as he suffered from severe depression. Overdose of drugs brought his life to a full stop.

3) Eminem, An American Rapper: As obvious from some of his songs, his family life has always been in tatters. Eminem went into severe depression which kept him out of the scene for a good few years. Fortunately, he went into a Rehab and has recovered well. His new album, 'Recovery', speaks clearly for his revival.

4) Christian Bale, A British Actor: Batman of 'The Dark Night' also went through a severe depressive phase before his back-with-a-bang effort as a new Batman.

5) Isaac Newton, a British Physicist: He was probably in a state of depression while he was sitting under an apple tree and following his law of gravitation along with other discoveries, he has been a cause of depression among physics students worldwide.

6) Britney Spears, An American Pop Star: Another pop star who has been undergoing a rehabilitation after severe depressive state.

7) Abraham Lincon, 16th U.S President: Due to early death of his sons, Lincon went into a condition of Melancholy- Clinical Depression, before being assassinated in 1865.

8) Ronnie O'Sullivan, An English Snooker Player:  3 times World Champion in Snooker, O'Sullivan suffers from clinical depression and has had drug related problems.

9) Michelangelo, An Italian Painter and Sculptor: Michelangelo, the greatest sculptor of all time, was known to be anti-social and was often known to be in a lonely and depressive state. He never used to care about his outlook and the impression he used to leave on people.

10) Angelina Jolie, An American Actress: Angelina Jolie had a tough 1997 when she had a horrible experience with drugs and depression. She even thought about hiring a Hitman to kill her and she remained in a Psychiatry ward for 3 days just before her marriage. She's a top Star and an active social worker now.

Life after Ijaz Butt

October 8 has Brought two major calamities for the people of Pakistan in the recent history; 1) The devastating Earthquake of 2005 and 2) The start of a horrible tenure of Ijaz Butt, the Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board, in 2008. As Cricket is followed like a religion in this country, these 3 years have been like a nightmare for every cricket lover in Pakistan.

Fine, Ijaz Butt was not responsible for the terrorist attack on Sri Lankan Team's bus which happened just a few months after his tenure started. It wouldn't have been easy for any administrator to run the cricket affairs at that time but blunders after blunders along with weak leadership was enough to put Pakistan Cricket astray. From change of captains till the removal of coaches; from receiving resignations by 3 senior cheaf selectors till the imposition of life bans on senior players, from U-turn on life bans till the favoritism in the management staff, Ijaz Butt didn't leave any stone unturned in disgracing Pakistan at the world level. No efforts were being made to bring International Cricket back in Pakistan. Minnows like Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Afghanistan could have easily visited Pakistan to revive international cricket in the country but the 'business minded ' Butt's first priority was a healthy financial gain. Team shattered during his reign when 8 players swore upon The Holy Book to remove an honest captain when he was on giving solid results. His tenure gave rise to players power as he was a weak administrator.  

Butt's tenure is taking its last breath and it has been in the news that Ali Raza, a business man, is about to fill in the big shoes of Ijaz Butt. Some people will argue that a non cricketing administrator cannot run the affairs of PCB but i have my own opinion. Life after Ijaz Butt can be like a sunrise after a prolonged state of darkness.

A businessman will first of all bring a variety of sponsors and attract them to invest on Team which is going to enhance the performance of players. 

He'll sort out the sour relationships of PCB with other boards and will try to regain the lost reputation in ICC.

A new chairman means that Shahid Afridi is going to announce the cancellation of his retirement, can a Pakistani fan ask for more than to see Boom Boom playing as soon as possible for Pakistan?. The musical chair of captaincy, team selection and U-turns on previous decisions will cease most probably which is going to provide a stable environment for players to perform on the field. 

In short, even though a non-cricketing chairman will not be accepted whole-heartedly by masses, Pakistan Cricket Board is in a dire need of a strict and staunch administrator who does his own job and let others do their own work without interference. We all hope for a better future of Pakistan Cricket under a new chairman as it can't get worse than what we have have been seeing during the last few years. Life after Ijaz Butt is a sign of hope and as far as I can see, the new tenure will mark the rise in Pakistan Cricket again.

Tough time for Asian Cricket Teams

The Subcontinent teams are going through a horrid phase these days in Cricket- A game which is followed like a religion in this region. The four teams of subcontinent; India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are facing serious problems both on and off the field, which is a matter of concern for the world Cricket because of their vital contribution to the game over the years.


SRI LANKA: Life without Muttiah Muralitharan was never going to be easy at first place for the Lankan Lions. They are on verge of losing a test series at home against a new-look Australian side. The Sri Lankan think tank has also gambled by appointing Tillakratne Dilshan as a test captain. Thilan Samaraweera would have been a better choice since both Jayawerdene and Sangakkara have excused to lead the side. Along with their On-field problems, the off-field problems are also dominant in Srilankan Cricket recently. The previous Sri Lankan Cricket board has been dissolved by the government on the charges of corruption just a few months ago.

BANGLADESH: A Test match defeat at the hands of a side which returned to this format after 6 long years tells the sad story of Bangladesh Cricket. The defeat was followed by a One-day series loss as well, which ultimately lead to the sanction of their most successful captain and vice-captain, citing disciplinary issues as another major reason. Bangladesh is yet to finalize a captain for their upcoming home series next month and whoever he might be, the situation on field is least expected to get better since hardly any Bangladesh captain has been given a complete autonomy over his team both on and off the field.

INDIA: It never rains but it pours. The success has poured over the Indian team during the last couple of years but the last couple of months have seen the worst of Indian Cricket Team. Be it a whitewash at the hands of England in Tests, Loss of number 1 Test rank, Limited over defeats, long list of injuries or strange selections; Indian Team is facing a nightmare on the field. The excess of leagues like IPL and Champions League is not doing any good to their players. BCCI is still unwilling to blame the financially beneficial league as a reason for their dismal English Summer.

PAKISTAN: With Pakistan, both on and off field controversies are expected all the time. The team itself is unpredictable while playing and so is the Cricket Board. A player is banned for indefinite period without any justification and he is again brought back in the team without any proper explanation. A player is dropped and later he returns as a captain; this is how Pakistan Cricket has been running under the present Chairman, Mr. Ijaz Butt. A fast bowler, who is nominated in the emerging player of the year category in ICC Awards, is 'rested' for a tour although he needs to play more cricket and has hardly played any cricket since last 3 months. That is how Pakistan Cricket runs. Afridi steps downs as captain and retires due to a conflict with Head coach, the Head coach resigns on personal grounds forcing Afridi to think about a comeback; this is the dramatic Pakistan Cricket for you. Although the On-field performance has been a lot better in last year or so, they are always in news for their off field controversies.

How Long is it going to take the Asian Teams to regain their lost pride in International Cricket?

Solar Energy and the End of Time

As the situation of middle-east stands right now, it's not going to take long before the Israel wages a war in the region for the establishment of their 'Greater Israel'. The promised land for Jews in the Bible is from River Nile to River Euphrates; that is the region between Egypt and Iran. There will be a war by Israel, backed by the United States of course, for the accomplishment of Biblical prophecy as well as to save the steadily declining economy of Israel by taking over the oil resources of the region. Israel is facing a rage of severe public protests over the inflating prices due to economic crises. There will be a major conflict over the possession of resources between Israel and the Arab world very soon and the World will witness the rise of a new Ruling state replacing United States, as prophesied by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on several occasions. The steady downfall Dollar's value will mark the end of US reign as a super power, as it happened with British Empire when the pound lost its value. It will be a tough time for believers when the major energy resources will not be in their access but Allah has mentioned a solution in Quran which can be beneficial for them if they apply themselves for the tough days ahead from now onwards.

According to an interpretation of a Hadith, Dajjal or Anti-Christ will be present on earth in a form of system before appearing in a phsyical dimension at the end of his time. The Hadith states that 'Dajjal will stay on earth for 40 days, 1 day like a year, 1 day like a month and 1 day like a week while rest of the days will be like our days'. According to Sheikh Imran Hosein, an Islamic Scholar, in 'a day like a year', Dajjal was present in United Kingdom and during that period of colonialism, United Kingdom was the ruling power of the world. During 'a day like a month', Dajjal will be present in United States. The duration of this stay will be shorter than the first one. We are living in the age when Dajjal's day like a month is about to end. In the next phase of 'a day like a week', Dajjal will shift his headquarters from U.S to Israel for the shortest period of his rule and after that, he'll appear in physical form and will be killed by Jesus, the son of Mary at a place known as Ludh- having a vast Airport now. That will mark the end of Judaism and Christianity from the world and only Islam will prevail.

During the 'day like a week' when the followers of Anti-Christ will bestow their resources upon their favorite nations only, those countries who will reject their policies will be at the receiving end. The oil supply to these countries will be suspended and their life will come to halt as oil is a major source of energy. Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) has told us that whoever encounters Dajjal should recite the first few (ten) verses of Surah- Kahf (The Cave). The Surah mentions in its first few verses, the story of a few young men who went to seek refuge of Allah from the people who wanted them to abandon their religion. Allah made them to go in a state of deep sleep for about three-hundred years without causing any sort of change to their bodies. Atheists will argue that it is not possible because such a phenomenon is in contradiction with science. But Allah mentions how their bodies were kept in unharmed and unchanged even after the passage of hundreds of years, in the following verse of this Surah:

"And [had you been present], you would see the sun when it rose, Inclining away from their cave on the right, and when it set, passing away from them on the left, while they were [lying] within an open space thereof. That was the signs of Allah. He whom Allah rightly guides is the [rightly] guided, but whom He sends astray - never will you find for him a protecting guide" (Surah Kahf, Verse 17)

The Quran is clearly mentioning the role of Sun as a source of causing the turnover or movements of men in the cave. The direction of Sun determined the direction and movement of bodies. This means that the Sun, or the Solar energy has been indicated as a major source of energy by Quran which can help believers in the times of hardship.

It is a high time that Muslim governments should not rely entirely upon the fuel energy as the only source of generating power. They should start investing on mega projects which involve the manipulation of Solar energy for providing the energy needs for vehicles, electricity and for rest of the basic requirements of life. The Engineers will have to play the most significant role for the development of cheap and accessible methods in order to set up the large scale solar energy plants along with easy-to-purchase devices, which can make use of solar energy for diverse functions of general use. Although there is a warning by Allah's apostle about the harsh time his Ummah will face towards the end of time, He has also provided them with the solutions in Quran and Hadith in order to tackle the hard time they will have to face with relative ease. Understanding the Quran, Identifying the solutions and implementing a proper strategy remains the key.

Son of the Soil

(A humble tribute to Pakistan Armed Forces, who are always defending our borders while we are enjoying a luxurious life)

 September the 6th, 1965- It is indeed a beautiful morning in Lahore. I have just offered my prayers and as I am about to put my heavy shoes back on, there is an ear-splitting sound- It's an attack from across the border. Without a second thought, I have swiftly picked my Kalashnikov, reciting kalma-e-shahadat and following the commands of my battalion commander. I am waiting for an order to open the fire. I can see a well-prepared army in front of my eyes who have attacked us at a time when the anticipation of such an action was least and while most of my countrymen are still asleep. Here comes the order 'In the name of Allah' to fight the enemy and protect our motherland. It is true that I have an old mother at home; a two-year old daughter who has seen me just once and a wife whose eyes are stuck at the door all the time, but all these relations have taken a back-seat right now. The only thing of my concern at the moment is to guard the honor of my motherland, and I shall do it till the very end of my life for I am a Son of the Soil- A proud soldier of Pakistan.



As the release of bullets from my Kalashnikov is steadily rising, I can unintentionally see the flashbacks in front of my eyes about some of the vague aspects of my life . When my friends were enjoying their youth in the busy streets of Lahore, I was going through a strict training routine at my Military Academy.  When they were busy in flying kites on top of roofs, I was being ordered to perform strenuous physical obligations. And now, when they must be having a tired sleep with their kids alongside them, I am trying my level best to make sure their sleep is not interrupted, for I am a Son of the Soil. 




Although I have been hit by a bullet on my right shoulder and left thigh, I am still not eager to see the angel of death as yet. I am holding the gun in my left hand. It is difficult to hold and fire from my weaker upper limb, I am still able to fire the odd shot. I am limping but I am not bothered. I am down but I still have my spirits high. I have been fighting since 4 days now; without sleep and without food. I, along with my battalion, has made sure that the enemy is unable to proceed forward even by a single meter, for I am a Son of the Soil.

Is it due to lack of sleep or is it because of excessive bleeding that I am starting to feel the darkness in front of my eyes? Whatever the reason may be, my left index finger is still up to the task. It is not until the last bullet of my gun that has crossed the border, I am now lying at the ground, unconscious and breathless, nourishing the soil with my patriotic blood; for I am a Son of the Soil.

Melbourne: The Most Livable City

Melbourne, the capital of Victoria state in Australia, has been rated as the most livable city in the World in a recently conducted survey which is carried out twice a year. Melbourne has overtaken Vancouver, a Canadian city which has been up there at the top according to survey for the past decade or so. It is a remarkable achievement for Melbourne to be the world's most livable city out of so many big names- a list in which a city like London is placed at number 53.

Exactly a month ago at this time, I was in a bed at Hilton Hotel, Melbourne. Although a short trip of around 4 days, the memories of Melbourne are going to stay with me forever. Having been there just about a month ago, I can definitely rate it as a livable city.

The fact that you will find a lot of interracial people coming from all over the world is one proof of Melbourne's magnetic influence upon masses. You will find a lot of strangers like me walking in the Melbourne City, capturing the sensational locations in their cams, and sitting anywhere the want at anytime of the day or night, without having any sort of fear. Even the birds are 'Human friendly' :)

I will not go into detail of what I was up to during the 4 days that I spent in 'the most livable City', as they call it now, because it might not interest the readers. However, I would like to acknowledge some of the experiences that I had while at Eureka Skydeck 88, On Ferry across the Yarra river, exploration of the City alone on foot without knowing where I was heading to, late midnight dinner at Crown Plaza , Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the time at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center- one of the largest of its kind across the whole country.


There was an Old man with me on the ferry who had his mother in the hospital on the previous night due to heart attack but he was sight-seeing the next very day alone without any sign of worry. He told me to continue my higher medical education from Australia. Since Melbourne is now the most Livable City on the planet, I think there will be a lot more people like me from various parts of the globe belonging to diverse fields, to consider the advice of the old man much seriously.

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. 

Peshawar Blast and the Massacre of 1947

August 1947 and August 2011 have two things in common; Firstly, the Holy month of Ramadan and secondly, the turmoil in the region of western Indian Subcontinent – now known as the Islamic republic of Pakistan.  The havoc in the region at present, however, is poles apart from the one which was witnessed 64 years back.

Indeed, oceans of blood were being shed at the time of partition. Thousands of entire families of Muslim origin, who were migrating to a newly announced separate Muslim state, were butchered mercilessly by Hindu and Sikh extremists. It was an atrocious time on Muslims and pioneer Pakistani’s, and that too, in the Holy month of Ramadan. It was due to blessings of this Holy month that Muslims of Indo-Pak subcontinent ware given an enormous courage to remain steadfast in their honest motives, without fearing about the apparent deadly consequences.

Today’s situation is no different in terms of bloodshed. However, people who are playing with innocent lives of the residents of this country are not Hindus or Sikhs. They are not Muslims either because a Muslim is not allowed to take an innocent life. These people belong to the brain-washed black sheep community of our society; our own country. Just as I am writing this, I am listening to extremely sad news of a recent bomb-blast by 2 women suicide bombers in Peshawar, which was targeted at a police van, and has killed 5 up till now. This incident has also injured at least 17 people up to latest news; most of them while in a condition of fasting.  

I doubt whether Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the nation, would have wasted half of his life in a gigantic  struggle to establish an independent country for Muslims, had he knew about the killing of innocent Muslims in the blessed month of Ramadan by their fellow Muslims.

We, Pakistani’s, were being blessed with a country of our own; having freedom to obligate our religion without fearing any intervention by a Non-Muslim in our religious practices. Ramadan of 1947 should have seen the last massacre of Muslim in this land because of the establishment of an Islamic state; which would implement the Islamic law with its people spending their lives according to the teachings of Islam. 64 years later, a person, most probably a Muslim by birth blows up naive people at the time of fasting.  What a tragedy!

Can a Muslim kill another Muslim in this Holy month during fasting time? Is there any difference between a Hindu or a Sikh of 1947 and a so-called Muslim who is responsible of today’s Incident? Can we say that the real motive of acquiring a separate state for the Muslims has been accomplished? Is there any dissimilarity between Pakistan of 1947 and Pakistan of 2011 in terms of turmoil? Have your say .  

Cricket Team India: Number 1 Position at Stake

Lackluster, outclassed, and miserable – All these words can fit in well for Team India after the conclusion of first two test matches against England. Is it the pressure of being Number one which has taken better of Indian team or is it the absence of key players like Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan which has demoralized them? Whichever the case may be, Indian Team is on verge to lose their number one position once they will get out in the field at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

The biggest letdowns for Dhoni's eleven in two out of two defeats are 1) an unsettled opening pair. 2) Consecutive rare failures for Sachin Tendulkar. 3) Mahendra Singh Dhoni's dementia of how to keep the wickets. 4) Harbhajjhan Singh's batting friendly spells. 5) Zaheer Khan's Unavailability and last but not the least, England team's outstanding performance.

As expected, Sehwag and Zaheer Khan are going to play the next text match which will be a huge boost for Indian team as they will be trying to rule the ICC ranking for some more time. Yuvraj has been ruled out of the test match which will be a setback. Harbhajjan's unavailability might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Sachin Tendulkar has a big score due on him. Dhoni should start consider to play county cricket instead of IPL as his poor wicket keeping has been exposed by English conditions. He needs to step up as a batsman and as a skipper too. India needs to be aggressive like they have been in the last couple of years to give mighty Englishmen a tough competition.

Can India prove their worth as number one side in the world? Can they raise their game to maintain their supremacy over rest of the test playing nations? Indeed, it's going to be a mammoth task. That's where the number one teams step when the pressure is humongous. Let's see if team India can rise to the occasion and play like champions. All eyes on the Edgbaston test.

How I Met Your Mother - 2030 version

It's a mesmerizing summer morning in Glasgow; a perfect one for a holiday. Ah, holiday! What a strange word it seems right now. When was the last time I went on a holiday? I probably must get out of my bed and think about it later as I am already late for the hospital. Following the usual routine, I am preparing a low calorie breakfast as well as a high energy breakfast simultaneously; one for me and one for Danny boy (Danish) – my 14 year old son. I am now going to his room to wake him up and it's going to take another 10 minutes to make him open his eyes. After imposing a compulsion to finish his breakfast, I am reluctantly giving him 20 pounds which he had asked for. I am not going to drop him all the way down to his school since I am already late for the hospital. Being a consultant in UK is a very hectic job. I am missing Danny's mother right now.

Danny is not happy with me as he should be. I hardly take him out because of my work commitments. He has no siblings to play with and in all these years, he has been playing the role of a post man between his mother and his father. It has been 10 years since the separation of Aaliya and me for the reasons which are still not fully understood by any of us. I had to be both father and mother for him. I have done justice with this responsibility, but I could never be like Aaliya.

'I will never make my life hell by having an arranged marriage just like you' Danny says to me out of the blue while playing PS. 'What makes you say I had an arranged marriage?' I am in a state of shock. 'Because I have never seen any love between you both, it doesn't happen in a love marriage'. Danny boy has a logical point. 'Let me tell you how I met your mother'. I've decided to reveal the untold love story to my only son.

It was a summer of 2008; 22 years back. I was a bit older than you. No, I didn’t meet her in school, college or through a friend. I met her on Facebook. Yes! Facebook. She didn't have a profile picture so I didn’t have a clue how she looked like. I used to see her comments in one of my friends wall. Out of envy, I sent her a friend request. Boyhood is an immature stage of one's life so I can only blame my immaturity for such an action. My friend was not that good looking hence I fancied my chances even more with that girl whom I didn’t even know at that stage. 'If this girl can talk to him, she can definitely talk to me'. A few days later she was in my Facebook friend list and windows live messenger. I found her very arrogant and it was always me who initiated a topic of discussion. The case was opposite on my friend's wall. There was a drastic change in her behavior with my friend. I decided to turn the tables in my favor as soon as possible. 2 months after the acceptance of my FB friend request, I asked for her digits which she rejected right away. I didn’t stop trying. On the same very day, I used the tactics of emotional blackmailing that worked in the right way. And now I had her number. Things started to change. Initially she was always in her full attitude but a month later, she used to get curious if I held back myself. Your dad used to be good with words, my son! And girls always fall for such guys who are good at this art. That's so stupid of them. Anyhow, my FB wall started to be invaded by her more frequently. After another month, I asked her out to date me, which she accepted. I was on cloud 9.

Winning a girl from another guy gives you such a triumphant feeling. We attended our high and medical schools together. Life was perfect. We both made the most happening couple of our college life. We got engaged in our final year and were tied in the most beautiful relationship – marriage; a Love Marriage.

That's how I met your mother; a couple of decades ago! I have never been as lonely as you have been watching me in all these years.  I had an impeccable love story, but it was sad for all of us that we could only be together for 5 years after marriage. Perhaps, we spent more than enough time together before we actually got married. Excess of everything is dangerous. So my dear son, it's not about love or an arrange marriage; it's about how you carry on a relationship inside a well-defined boundary. Let's go to sleep Danny boy, may you tell the same story of how you met his mother in the presence of your wife.

Imran Khan and PTI: A revolution we need.

There is a widespread perception that the stauncher you are, the more hardships you encounter. This fact perfectly fits the current scenario of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI); a political party which was launched by Imran Khan Niazi. PTI has been a struggling political party in terms of lack of following just because of one simple reason that it defies the law by flowing against the tide. It defies the basic ideologies of a successful political party particularly in Pakistan where favoritism, horse-trading, double policies and so-called democratic motto are predominant. This is the only Political Party right now which is here for a change; a change in the fortune of this limping country and a change in an uncertainty regarding the country's future. This is a change which is meant to bring revolution and a revolution does not occur every day as Professor Dr. Allama Iqbal has rightly said:

Hazaron saal nargis apni be-noori pe roti hai

Barri mushkil se hota hai chamman mai deedawar paida

This piece of thought can rightly fit into the personality of Imran Khan, a man with a vision and a man who is capable of revolutionize this nation.

Imran Khan possesses all the basic qualities of making a good state leader but alas, the baraadri system has never allowed his party to gain significant voters. Pakistan is probably one of very few countries in which illiterate people blindly cast their votes on the basis of their affection to a dead person or to a person of same caste as their, irrespective of the level of incapability of a representative member of the party of their choice who is standing in the elections. The whole village ends up casting their vote by the manipulation of an influential rich person having a political ancestry without using their own brains and hence they end up in choosing a wrong person every time. This is a reason why PTI has not been able to emerge as a threatening contender for some of the other popular parties in the elections. There are, of course, several other reasons for a disappointing show up of PTI at country's elections.

The masses in our country have not yet accepted Imran Khan as a political leader; rather his sportsman's image is still fresh in their minds. A typical criteria set up by local people for a political leader is that he has to have a strong political background. An ex-cricketer is not yet acceptable to them no matter how capable he is as compared to rest of the so-called inherited politicians. For me, Imran Khan’s greatest victory is right now the biggest hurdle between his successes as a politician but it will not be the same forever. Had Imran Khan not made us win the 1992 World Cup, he would not have been remembered as much as he is now as a cricketer nearly after two decades. Of course he was a world class player even before but winning a world cup is a different thing altogether. If people start to think logically, they’ll find a right person to vote for the next time. Logically speaking, Imran Khan proved the whole world that what a true leader can take out of a highly disappointing and lackluster team by miraculously making them lift the come-from-behind World Cup. Imran used to select players, coach them, appoint their individual roles and last but not the least, he used to lead them from the front.

 I apologize for including too much of cricket here but it’s necessary because it shows his strength and capabilities as a leader. Most of the people will argue that there is a massive difference between politics and cricket but I’ll say that leadership remains the same. A 39-year old captain who made a team on his own authority and took the best out of them when they were down and out completely was nothing less than a miracle. Such was the level of his authority and self believe which he had in his players that during the 1992 World Cup warm up match where Aamir Sohail got a half century, he told the youngster that even if you continuously score zero in next 9 matches and Pakistan qualify for the final, you’ll still be playing in my team at the same batting position. Such was the level of confidence by a skipper which ultimately took the best out of his player.

People should be aware of his triumphing leadership which made Pakistan World Champions in cricket. Why can't we, as a nation, trust him to lead our country? The scenario in our country can’t get worse than this and since we have nothing to lose but everything to gain, we should give Imran Khan at least a single chance. He has shown us a glimpse of his successful miracle-making leadership in a complete different field so why not try him in state affairs instead of tried and tested horses? Has anyone else made a free of cost cancer hospital for this country yet? Does anyone else speak more bluntly and openly against the American policies than him? Does he have any kind of corruption or immoral charge against him? The answers are no. But sadly, majority of public here is either illiterate or unreasoned, which is the biggest hurdle that Imran Khan has to overcome before he can take up the leadership of this wobbling country.