World Cup 2015: Former stars back in the mix

First they lit up the ICC Cricket World Cup stage with bat and ball, now these former players are guiding the current generation of cricketers towards the ultimate prize.

These former superstars will now take on coaching duties at the 2015 tournament:

Pakistan: Waqar Younis (coach), Grant Flower (batting coach) and Mushtaq Ahmed (spin coach)

Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis knows what it is like to be part of a World Cup.

The quickie was a part of Pakistan’s 1996, 1999 and 2003 squads, playing 13 matches and taking 22 wickets.

Younis is joined by batting coach Grant Flower, who scored 512 runs in 21 World Cup matches for Zimbabwe in the 1996, 1999 and 2003 tournaments.

Spin coach Mushtaq Ahmed has also seen his share of Cup action, playing 15 matches for Pakistan in 1992 and 1996. His finest moment came in the 1992 final where he picked up 3-41 to help lead Pakistan to its first World Cup crown.

Australia: Darren Lehmann (Coach):

 The man affectionately known as ‘Boof’ will be in a perfect position to prepare his charges for the 2015 World Cup, having played 19 matches in the 1999 and 2003 tournaments.

His World Cup honour roll includes 360 runs in 16 innings at an average of 32.73.

Lehmann’s best knock was in 1999 against New Zealand, when he scored 76, while he also picked up 2/22 against Kenya in 2003 with his handy left-arm orthodox.

A member of two Australian World Cup champion teams, Lehmann will no doubt be keen to add to the trophy cabinet in March.

Bangladesh: Chandika Hathurusingha (coach), Heath Streak (bowling coach) and Ruman Kalpage (fielding coach)

There is plenty of World Cup experience in Bangladesh’s coaching panel. More than 30 matches worth, in fact.

Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha played four Cup matches for Sri Lanka in 1992, taking a total of five wickets. His standout game was against West Indies when the allrounder snared 4/57.

Meanwhile, bowling coach Heath Streak brings by far the most experience to the coaching line-up. The Zimbabwe allrounder played 22 matches across the 1996, 1999 and 2003 tournaments, taking 22 wickets and scoring 328 runs.

He captained eight matches during the 2003 tournament, while his best performance with the ball at Chelmsford in 1999, taking 3/35 against South Africa. Playing New Zealand in 2003, Streak produced his best knock – 72* from 84 balls.

Bangladesh fielding coach Ruman Kalpage represented Sri Lanka in seven 1992 World Cup matches.

India: Duncan Fletcher (coach)

World Cup fans would have fond memories of Duncan Fletcher leading Zimbabwe to an upset victory over Australia during the 1983 tournament. In Zimbabwe’s first World Cup match, Fletcher scored an unbeaten 69 before taking 4-42 to mastermind a memorable win for Zimbabwe over Australia.

It was one of six World Cup appearances Fletcher made for Zimbabwe. The Former all-rounder and Zimbabwe captain was named coach of India in 2011, replacing Gary Kirsten.

Ireland: Phil Simmons (coach)

Ireland has only played in two World Cups to date but already have some impressive scalps including Pakistan and England.

They will be coached by former West Indies all-rounder Phil Simmons in the 2015 tournament.

Simmons, who took over the role after the 2007 tournament, played more than 140 ODIs for West Indies and was part of the 1987, 1992 and 1999 Cup squads.

In 13 World Cup matches, he scored 336 runs at an average of 30.55 and took eight wickets at 28.38.

New Zealand: Shane Bond (bowling coach)

New Zealand’s bowlers will head into the 2015 World Cup under the tutelage of former New Zealand speedster Shane Bond.

Bond was part of New Zealand’s World Cup squads in 2003 and 2007.

In a memorable outing at Port Elizabeth in 2003 he picked up 6-23 against Australia, including the scalps of Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn.

Scotland: Paul Collingwood (assistant coach)

Scotland want to make a splash at its third World Cup and have secured the services of former England batsman Paul Collingwood to aid their mission.

Collingwood donned the coloured clothes for England on 197 occasions, including 18 times at the 2003, 2007 and 2011 World Cups.

His 474 tournament runs came at an impressive average of 39.50.

Collingwood, who took temporary charge of the team earlier in 2014 and helped guide Scotland to qualification for World Cup, will help head coach Grant Bradburn for the World Cup campaign.

South Africa: Allan Donald (bowling coach)

South Africa’s fearsome bowling line-up boasts the likes of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel.

The imposing attack is under the guidance of a man who took part in four World Cups – Proteas legend Allan Donald.

The paceman was part of the 1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003 tournaments, picking up 38 wickets in 25 matches at an average of 24.03.

Sri Lanka: Marvan Atapattu (coach)

Sri Lanka’s head coach scored plenty of runs in his 15 World Cup matches.

Part of the 1999 and 2003 squads, Marvan Atapattu blazed 521 World Cup runs at an average of 43.42.
The batsman has previously coached Canada and Singapore and was appointed Sri Lanka coach in April 2014.

UAE: Aaqib Javed (coach)

United Arab Emirates returns to the Cricket World Cup for the first time since 1996 and will be led by a man who knows what it is like to win cricket’s most coveted prize.

Head coach Aaqib Javed was part of Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup winning team. He played 15 Cup matches in the 1992 and 1996 tournaments, picking up 18 wickets.

West Indies: Richie Richardson (coach)

West Indies haven’t made the semi-finals of the World Cup since 1996.

Former batsman Richie Richardson was captain of that team and will be keen to see his men repeat that form when he leads them into the 2015 tournament as head coach.

Richardson’s 244 ODIs for West Indies included appearances at the 1987, 1992 and 1996 Cups. In 20 World Cup matches, Richardson racked up 639 runs at an average of 37.59 with a highest score of 110.
ICC Media

Mahira Plays Quirky Urban Girl In Up-coming Sheharyar Munawer Venture

Mahira Khan. - Photo courtesy: Official Mahira Khan Facebook page.

Sheharyar Munawer Siddiqui, who is known for his notable role in Meray Dard Ko Jo Zuban Miley, numerous advertisements and prom king-esque looks, will soon be seen on the big screen in Hamza Ali Abbasi's Kambakht. 

However, the actor is not stopping there. He is currently producing and acting in a movie titled Ho Mann Jahaan (working title) that stars the gorgeous Mahira Khan as well as hearthrob Adeel Hussain.

Speaking to Dawn.com, Sheharyar shares: "The movie will be directed by renowned ad filmmaker Asim Raza. I am producing the venture as well as acting in it myself. Mahira Khan, Adeel Hussain, Sonya Jehan will also be seen in prominent roles. The movie is an urban contemporary youth story."

He also revealed, "We are done with 20 days of shooting. We have 40 days of shooting left so we have a long way to go still."

While the cast and crew were tight-lipped about details, we do know that it is a coming of age story focusing on three friends.

Mahira Khan tells us that her role in the movie is unlike her usual shalwar kameez clad damsel in distress characters on TV.

"She is an urban girl. Even Shehr-e-Zaat's Falak, which was a modern character, wasn’t like this. She’s a musician, she’s just a nice, sorted girl of today, a real person. She has her quirks but she’s a regular girl. Feeha Jamshed will be doing most of the wardrobe for this character and has designed some outfits especially for this role. "

The Humsafar star further adds: "For me, it’s a departure of sorts. When I do dramas, I feel like it is usually around a specific character. But this is about three friends, about a slice of life."

The movie is slated for release sometime in 2015.

India and Pakistan: The fault is not in our stars

In the hands of zealots and fanatics, the stories become an argument against all peace initiatives, making the journey all the more strenuous. —Reuters

“The fault, dear Brutus”, Cassius says in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar,” is not in our stars, but in ourselves”.
Years and years of ‘Aman ke Aashas’ and cabinet level meetings, of confidence-building measures and sari exchanges, of showing up at swearing-in ceremonies and civil society initiatives ... and then they all come tumbling down.

Slowly, painfully, assiduously we pick up the beads and start threading them. Each pearl is accounted for, each step pondered over, but then one slip and the process has to start afresh.

Extravagant, excessive preparations are made to make an omelet of reconciliation. Then a singular egg turns out to be bad, and the food gets spoil.

It is not that we do not comprehend the need to establish friendly relations. The inevitable falling back to the narratives of peace and of building goodwill, the talks of overcoming the barriers and the friendly gestures all betray the understanding of the necessity of peace that persists among members of the public. If there was a lack of will, these processes would never have initiated, ab initiation.

When the anger subsides, the realization returns that belligerence is not a sustainable model; it cannot persevere, it has to stop.

Why, then, do these initiatives fail time and again?

It is because the animosity is too deep, the sentiments too fragile, the composure too fickle and the hurdles too many. It is this peculiarity which exists in men the world over, but most of all in the men of the subcontinent – the unyielding hubris, and the vanity. That is all it takes to lose focus of the objectives.

All it requires is one Vikram Sood and one Amir Liaqat, and a single moment of commentary in the presence of a jeering, thumping crowd.

All it demands is a single brainwashed soldier, who knows nothing better, and a moment of inhumanity that clouds the mind, to undo years of hard work.

This then gets shared, accumulates airtime, gains public attention and plays on the minds of the two nations – the nations, mind you, who are not wary of barbaric reactions themselves.

Gojra and Gujrat; Babri mosque in Ayodhya and Sri Krishna Ram temple in Karachi; the forced conversions in Uttar Pradesh and the forced conversions in Upper Sindh; all indicate to one aspect of the two nations: despite the animosity, and the overbearing pride in individuality, we are not too different.

We are more alike in treating our minorities than we would feel comfortable to admit.

In the hands of zealots and fanatics, the stories become an argument against all peace initiatives, making the journey all the more strenuous.

Patriotism becomes analogous to war cries, and public representatives, forever ready to pounce on a chance to gain some cheap publicity, dish out threatening statements, basking in their bubbles and relishing the short-lasting pertinence.

Unfortunately, the hawks always take over the narrative in these moments. The cardinal rule of perception is that the more intense, the more enduring statements would be perceived more readily by the public. These bring in ratings, and popularity. They ring home with the fable that has been etched in the conscience of the two countries. In the river of peace, the few ripples of pugnacity get noticed, and the relative sustaining calm gets easily ignored.

Philosophy believes the solutions do exist. Saadi Sherazi, the Persian poet had written:

Garat Khoway man amad nasazawar;


Tu khoway naik-e-khawaish az dast maguzar

[If my nature does not bode well with you, you don’t have to lose your own good nature because of it.]
Or like Marcus Aurelius, one of the five good emperors of Machiavelli, puts it: “The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury”.

 

One of the two nations would have to show magnanimity; one of the two would have to sacrifice; and one of the two would have to take a leap of faith.

 

The warmongering would have to take a backseat, despite the excesses from the other side. Hearts would have to be won, foremost. Paranoia would have to be placated. Without this, the current state of affairs would persist.

Building any relationship requires working, but the one that comes with this much baggage requires the most. This is a rut, escaping from which requires considerable courage, ability to forgive and a lot more forbearance than we have shown the capability of.

The fault is not in our stars, but in ourselves.

Zikris Under Fire

Women standing on the steps of a Zikri praying area in Teertej, Awaran. —Fahim Siddiqi/White Star

 

THE traditionally secular nature of Baloch society has been under threat for some time, and things appear to be taking a turn for the worse. A report in this paper recently detailed the growing persecution of the small community of Zikris — a little-known Islamic sect — who are concentrated mainly in southern Balochistan. In July, several Zikris were injured when a bus carrying members of the community was the target of a roadside bomb in Khuzdar, and the following month their Khana-i-zikr in district Awaran was attacked. Six worshippers were killed and seven injured. Around 400 Zikris have moved out of the area after the incident. Members of the community have also been singled out in various cases of looting in Awaran and Turbat. These incidents have reportedly begun to vitiate the traditionally harmonious relationship between Zikris and other Muslim sects whose lives are often intertwined through ties of kinship.

Although the Zikris — unlike the Hazaras — are ethnic Baloch, there has been a consistent effort led by religious parties in the province to marginalise them on account of what are considered their unorthodox practices. These efforts gained further strength from regional developments, such as the Afghan war of the early ’80s, which led to the proliferation of madressahs in the province churning out jihadis for the next-door theatre of war. Upon returning home, the governance void that has long been Balochistan allowed them to entrench themselves, and sow discord among the Baloch along religious lines. By doing so, they also served the interests of state elements cynically patronising ideologically-driven extremist groups to counter the Baloch insurgency which, like the society from which it arises, is secular in character. A people divided are, after all, easier to control. This provincial government, with its nationalist credentials and representative aspects, is better placed than many others to demonstrate a real understanding of the problems that bedevil the province. But it has yet to demonstrate it has the courage to do something about them.