Cricket is not Cricket without Shahid Afridi

Pakistan were so clinical in finishing Sri Lanka off on the fourth day that you wondered if this was the same group of players that is known for losing its way in the final furlong. They remained patient and persistent even when fortune didn't favour them or even when a late partnership held them up. The pitch with variable bounce and turn did the rest for them. Pakistan began the day 76 ahead with nine wickets to take, their bowlers shared the early spoils, and then Saeed Ajmal ran through the tail - no mean feat considering their recent travails with lower orders - to register his third five-for in Tests. The fielders turned up too, diving in desperation for every ball remotely within reach and not missing a single catch, and the batsmen made short work of the 94-run target. Pakistan attacks are reputed to be mercurial and extravagantly talented, but it is an underrated virtue that stood out today - patience. The biggest test of their patience came last afternoon when Kumar Sanga...

Finally, one of the worst chapters of Pakistani cricket came to an end as Ijaz Butt was removed as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. An official announcement is still awaited but it is understood that President Asif Ali Zardari has already decided on Butt’s successor. Ijaz Butt’s tyrannical rule started in October 2008 and was shrouded in controversy as Pakistani cricket hit rock bottom. The armed attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore followed by Pakistan’s isolation from international cricket was just a start. No team deems it secure to visit Pakistan to date. As a result we also lost out as co-host of the ICC World Cup 2011. Then, there were spot fixing scandals during England’s tour last year that led to bans on three Pakistani cricketers, two of whom could have led us to the number 1 ranking in world cricket. In the aftermath of these scandals, Butt made some ill-advised accusations against the English team. This ensured Pakistan lost one of the few friends it h...

RAWALPINDI EXPRESS