KheloPakistan.com recently met young Pakistan Fast bowling prospect Rahat Ali and had a exclusive conversation. Rahat, from Multan in Punjab, has been a consistent performer in the Domestic circuit recently and has caught the eye of many pundits. At the time of doing the interview Rahat was hoping to get the recognition that his performances deserved; he has since been invited to the Fast bowlers camp at the NCA in Lahore, under the watchful eye of Pakistan National team coach Dav Whatmore.

[quote] 

KheloPakistan.com: You have a great domestic record, with a handful of Five fors recently, which one is your favorite?
Rahat Ali: Few weeks ago I claimed 5 wicket haul in just around 4-5 overs in a Pentangular cup game against Federal area XI, they had star batsmen like Umer Amin, Hammad Azam and Awais Zia; I guess that spell has got to be my favorite.

KheloPakistan.com: In modern day cricket, a bowler must have variety. A yorker, slower ball, bouncer and swinging the ball both ways, any that you lack in?
Rahat Ali: I have got good Yorker as well as the slower ball, but we don’t usually bowl bouncers here on the flat tracks. Although I have got good pace and can also bowl accurate shorter ones, hopefully I will make use of that skill once I get an opportunity to represent Pakistan on some lively tracks.

KheloPakistan.com: Pakistan have many left armers, Wahab, Junaid and Sadaf to name a few; do you think you can break into the Pakistan reckoning?
Rahat Ali: Yes why not? I believe I am good as any you have named, they all are good bowlers within their own right. From the others around, my teammate Rizwan Haider also bowls left arm medium, he is more of an all-rounder though; good clean hitter and controlled bowling are his forte.

Opening the batting is a vital art of batting & a difficult one. The openers have a duty to provide a strong start & a base from where the rest of the order can capitalise from. Openers come in all different types nowadays defensive or attacking. They set the tone for the rest of the innings. The start is crucial to lifting the confidence, spirit in the dressing room & winning the first tussle with the opposition always provides an important edge going into the rest of the match. It is very much a specialist job. Here we look at some of Pakistan's finest.

Saeed Anwar
A role model for many a left hander Saeed Anwar was a stylish genius full of grace, elegance & magical touch. Saeed dominated bowlers  & more often than not got the innings off to a flying start, but more importantly & effectively converting the starts that he got into bigger more meaningful scores for the team cause. Saeed held the highest score in an ODI for approximately a decade. Saeed was the leading run scorer for the Greens in 1996, 1999 & the 2003 World Cup. Saeed also claimed 28 man of the match awards in his career in the one day format which was the highest by anyone from his country, a record which has just been over taken this year by one of his former  opening partners. Saeed was an educated player too so a well polished individual in different walks of life. One of the first names when putting pen to paper in a Pakistan all time XI.

There have been numerous reports about Pakistan starting their own version of a major Twenty20 tournament. Pakistan, at large, is a cricket-loving country and has been deprived of seeing not only International stars but National too. Players like Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal are world-class performers. They would enlighten any tournament with their presence. 

The name that is doing the rounds is the 'Pakistan Premier League' (I will call it PPL as it has no name as of yet). The PPL has many pluses to it. Such a league comes with an enormous reputation and is followed worldwide. Here are some of the positives and negatives that the PPL would/might bring to Pakistan and its cricket in large. 

Finance: The financial implications of such a tournament are absolutely monumental. Players in the recent Faysal Bank T20 were paid the equivalent of £20-£25 per match. A top player in the PPL might come close to the £1million mark. The financial security is not just for the players and officials but for the general public too. Merchandise selling, food and drink, and hotels are some of the business opportunities that will arise from the PPL. 

Poor administration: If there are poorly made decisions then this can be detrimental to Pakistan. The financial implications are a massive incentive but Pakistan cricket’s big need at this moment is exposure to games getting played within Pakistan. 

“If isolation tempers the strong, it is the stumbling-block of the uncertain.”

Paul Cezanne was not thinking about Pakistani cricket when he said this but he has inadvertently summed up the realityfaced by the cricket loving nation. Following the decision by the Bangladeshi High Court to ‘block’ the tour to Pakistan later this month, the would-be hosts are facing up to further increased uncertainty as cricketing hosts in an isolation that is anything but splendid.

Whatever deal the Pakistan Cricket Board had thought they struck with their Bangladeshi counterparts has ultimately resulted in yet another side not touring the country. While the politics surrounding the deal itself warrant discussion as well as criticism, to overcome the new levels of uncertainty, they need to be put aside with a clear focus on the future.

The Pakistani public is right to feel let down; not only by the blocking of the tour but the way their own board went about trying to secure the tour and their handling of the subsequentfallout from this.

Certain truths must be confronted by Pakistan as a whole – the rulers, the PCB and the people. The country is deemed unsafe by many and understandably many seek great assurance before committing to visit. It is a perception perhaps more than a reality, but words are not enough reassurance; there needs to be a great drive at all levels to change this perception. There needs to be a focus in highlighting the positives of a culturally rich nation, proud of its heritage and the pockets of development in the big cities need to be popularised.

While acknowledging that there are valid concerns, the frustration held within the nation can be fully appreciated. The vast majority of the population goes about their everyday business without any fear and scores of visitors enter and exit the country safely. My own wife, a non-Pakistani, visited Karachi in 2011 and not only experienced the nation’s great hospitality, she had a wonderful time and crucially did not feel unsafe.

He was young, he was a bolt, and he was the light at the end of the tunnel. Pakistan prides itself for being home to the game’s greatest bowlers of all time; Mohammad Amir was not an exception.Though, exceptional he was when it came to outwitting his counterparts at the other end of the wicket.

On 7th June 2009 when a young man at a tender age of 17 made his T20 debut at The Oval, drought of fast bowlers in Pakistan came to an end as they began to unearth a lethal combination that had been their hallmark in the 80’s,90’s and the early 2000’s. Bowling has never been a worry for Pakistan but after the two W’s retired, in spite of abundant talent, the bowling was either inconsistent to sustain at the top level or lacked the killer instinct. More importantly it lacked the traditional principle of Pakistani attacks hunting in packs.

Nobody knew the glistening teenager would leave the world’s best batsmen perplexed in the days to come. His debut marked the initiation of filling of an enormous space left after Wasim Akram’s retirement. Aamer had all the ingredients of being Akram’s successor. His first tournament in Pakistani colors culminated to an amazing climax as Pakistan lifted the World Twenty20 trophy at Lord’s.

Pakistan will be touring Sri Lanka from June 1st to July 8th this summer. Both the teams will face off in 2 T20I's before locking horns in a 5-match ODI series. The tour will culminate with a 3-Test battle. 

One of the things I have come to appreciate most about cricket is that it is a huge force in bringing about cultural change and democracy in the social setting.  Cricket is the forerunner, and works in the same way that art and philosophy work to pave the way for a huge shift in social thinking.  Politicians and governments lag behind when it comes to these societal changes , and governmental reforms  are reactive, not proactive when it comes to equal rights for all.  Social changes, and women’s liberation in particular, usually come with a hefty price tag including violent protests, governmental resistance, and at times, total revolution, anarchy and chaos.

Sports however, can be and are a part of the arsenal of a Quiet Revolution for women in countries where females are actively discouraged from participating in public life. Cricket, for women in Afghanistan and the rather conservative areas of Pakistan, is a non-violent, inoffensive and religiously acceptable way for women to fight for their God-given equal rights. Slowly but surely these women who are on the frontlines of the women’s liberation movement are changing the archaic, outdated modes of thought on women’s role in present day society.

Back after a long time... Here's my take on how a Real Madrid felt when the team beat Barcelona 2-1...

Rafa Nadal blazed to an eighth consecutive Monte

Carlo Masters title as he ended a seven-match 

losing streak against Novak Djokovic with an

emphatic 6-3 6-1 victory on Sunday. Djokovic

had dominated Nadal like no one else could since

the start of 2011, beating the Spanish superstar

in seven consecutive finals.

Nadal picked up an early break and rolled from

there. He closed out the first set in 46 minutes

with a second break, as Djokovic blew a shot

wide after saving one set point with a perfect

serve and volley. Djokovic sent a backhand long

to give Nadal a break for a 2-0 lead in the second

set and the 10-time Grand Slam champ solidified

it with a hold at love in the next game. 

KheloPakistan.com are proud to present an exclusive interview with young Pakistani pacer Bilawal Bhatti. Bilawal, born in Muridke, is still 20 years of age. A Fast bowler by nature, Bilawal is also a handy batsman. He has picked up a handy 180 wickets in 39 first class games, and also recently was apart of the Sialkot Stallions squad that won the Faysal Bank Super eight T20.