Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq and Imran Farhat head the list of stars joining the rebel Indian league.

I am not sure why but I have very mixed feelings about it. I feel bad for these players as well as for Pakistan. I can think of only two reasons behind this decision. First, omission from the Twenty20 World Cup and second is money.

I tried to collect some Twenty20 statistics for these players and here is what I have found:

Name Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR
Abdul Razzaq 12 11 2 327 63 36.33 218 150
M. Yousaf 8 7 0 135 30 19.28 113 119.46
Inzamam-ul-Haq 2 2 1 32 21 32.00 37 86.48
Imran Farhat 11 11 1 363 115 36.30 220 165.0

Looking at the stats above, Imran Farhat should have been a clear choice ahead of all four. An amazing average of 36+ with an astonishing strike rate of 165 is an automatic qualification for the team. Scoring a century requires some sheer hitting and talent, and stats indicate Farhat has all of it.


Abdul Razaq is not far behind. He averages 36 with a strike rate of 150. I really don’t understand the reason behind his omission from the team. PCB states that Razzaq’s form in past two years has deteriorated. Which is true if you go by the stats, but can you replace his experience? What made them think that he would not be able to perform in Twenty20 either?

I can understand Inzamam and Yousuf not being included. No doubt they are the greats of cricket but may not be useful for this type of cricket. Average score for Inzi and Yousuf (32 and 19 respectively) is not enough to prove their skills in this fast paced format.

On the other hand one thing bothers me a lot. If they went to ICL for money, does it mean they never played for the pride? Was it always money? I hear them all the time saying, "I play for my country. I am a Pakistani first and then a cricketer". Where did that pride go? I feel disgusted by the thought that they were playing cricket as a profession and not passion.

I wish best for PCB and the players. I hope, one day, we will see the same level of cricket we saw decades ago.

Good bye and good night.

-Shaheed

President Musharraf marked the anniversary by staunchly defending sovereignty and calling on the nation to unite against terrorism.

And then he says "Long Live Pakistan". It doesnt make sense becasue if he stays....is Pakistan gonna' be able to live long enough? I don't think so. I used to be a great fan of his. And no it doesn't mean I like Justice Chaudry (reminds me the name of an old hindi movie where Sri Divi got famous for showing her Cleavage ..and yes this movie was made way before Murder or Jism) becasue his arrogance caused several deaths in Pakistan. But, Mr. President has had a major personality Make Over and is worth showing on TLC. I loved him when he went to India. He looked smart, straight forward and brave. I loved him when his men treated MIANs exactly like Mians used to treat the poors. I loved him when he stood up and collected money from the RICHES. But now he sounds more political then a soldier. He cares more about himself then the country. That passion and dedication which showed in early years is gone.

I don't think democracy is the solution for Pakistan becasue our nation never got used of it. We REQUIRE to have an army man monitoring everything. It's not that they are any good but our poor nation believes that's the only "HONEST" department in the country. I feel bad for them. Hats-off to our army for being so honest...arghh.....or should I say deceptive?

Unfortunately, I am one of those who point fingers but can't come up with the solution. I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do. And no I won't go back home and do something for the country.....but when I can't sleep...I can write.....right?

This is Shaheed Faiz signing off. See you soon.......