Lahore Badshahs v Pakistan

[TaNk]

Memo to Moin Khan, manager of the Lahore Badshahs: "Congratulations. Your team has won the ICL tournament and made us proud. Now can you please challenge the Pakistan national side to a duel?" We've just had a few terrific few days: both the Pakistan international team and their alter ego, the Lahore Badshahs, have scored a series of resounding wins. What could be better for the Pakistani game, and for the fans, than watching these two outfits do battle against each other? Lately it's been so slow around here that you could be excused for forgetting that Pakistan is a full-member ICC nation, which has played over 300 Tests and nearly 700 ODIs, won a World Cup, and added a few names to the pantheon. These days all anyone seems to notice is that Pakistan is an agitated land boiling with a Taliban insurgency, exploding at random, and sitting on the cultural and ideological fault line of conceivably everything. Pakistan haven't played a Test in nearly a year, and prior to the series in Abu Dhabi hadn't played any ODIs since July. With no sign of wood meeting leather, fans have instead occupied themselves with whatever cricketing scraps they could get their hands on - cricket board politics, firing and hiring the coach, the soap opera of the naughty-boy du jour (Mohammad Asif, Shoaib Akhtar, or Mohammad Yousuf - take your pick). Then, one recent Abu Dhabi evening, Kamran Akmal hit those two last-over sixes for victory in the first ODI against West Indies. As the balls crashed into the stands behind long-off and point, it felt like the welcome patter of rain after a hard and bitter drought. West Indies had had the upper hand throughout the match until that point. Akmal reversed the momentum with a turnaround so energetic that Pakistan rode to a 3-0 series sweep. Even the most unforgiving and sceptical followers were awestruck. I heard a female colleague, a trenchant critic who has never offered anything better than grudging praise, admire newcomer Khurram Manzoor as the great answer to Pakistan's incurable opening problem. An octogenarian fan, who has seen it all and loathes hyperbole, opined that Pakistan were turning a historic corner in the evolution of its cricket ethos. A friend who had supposedly given up following cricket altogether sent a text message, all in capital letters, that Sohail Tanvir's wicket-taking in-dipper to Chris Gayle in the second ODI was better than the best of Wasim Akram. Even if events in Abu Dhabi were not that earth-shattering, you could forgive the fans for feeling that way. After the sadness and disappointments of an extremely lean year, Pakistan came out keenly motivated and driving hard. The on-field body language, the most sensitive gauge to a team's rhythm, was amazing. Batsmen looked opponents in the eye, bowlers snorted and charged, and fielders (most of them, anyway - this is Pakistan we're talking about) flung themselves around. Even Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik, never known to see eye to eye, exhibited a surprising range of male-bonding rituals, including smiling, back-slapping, draping arms over shoulders, and generously patting hips. The national side was motivated by deprivation and disappointment, the Lahore Badshahs by half a million US dollars, and the loss in the last season's final. It was noticeable that Inzamam-ul-Haq was bending his back in the field with an assiduousness that was perhaps not always seen in his playing days for Pakistan. Whatever works, said the fans, and cheered him and his team on. Lahore didn't receive much coverage in the press, but their games had fans riveted. Some of their players, such as Imran Nazir and Saqlain Mushtaq, are beloved figures. There was also the chance to behold partnerships between Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamamul Haq, an exquisite pleasure we thought we had lost forever. Lahore have approached ICL with an arrogance that comes from a non-negotiable belief that you can hold your own against any team in the world. Last season's embarrassment, when they lost one of the finals in a bowl-out, only intensified their hunger. After a shaky start they peaked perfectly and entered the semi-finals at No. 2 on the points table. Sandwiched between the first and second ODIs in Abu Dhabi was the first match of ICL's best-of-three final, in which Lahore comfortably chased 170 against Hyderabad. They were off-colour in the second match, but a stunning boundary catch from Jack Kemp had the unintended consequence of toughening their resolve immeasurably. Dean Jones called it the most awesome catch he had ever seen - check it out, it's not an exaggeration - but it stung the Badshahs, and from merely motivated they became menacingly murderous. The decider, held the same evening as the third Abu Dhabi ODI, featured a 44-ball detonation from Imran Nazir that fetched him 111 out of the winning total of 160. Ultimately both Lahore and Pakistan were driven by revenge. The Badshahs wanted to scream in the PCB's face that their players, who are banned from playing for Pakistan, were as good as any. Pakistan wanted revenge against the geo-political winds, and the nameless and faceless terrorists that have led to their cricketing desolation. How far the revenge motive was achieved, only time will tell. While it's been a good few days, prospects for international cricket in Pakistan are still shaky at best. The fans are slowly retreating to once again hiding their faces and licking their wounds. So how about it, Moin? Geo Super- our local sports channel - will televise it, the PCB will organise it (we'll talk to them very, very nicely), Cricinfo will spread the word, and the fans will cheer and chatter for a long time. Lahore Badshahs versus Pakistan could really kick-start the mood. Source:- http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/378826.html

[MundaPakistani]

Lets do it!

[MundaPakistani]

Javed's presence in PCB will surely help this idea because he is a supporter of ICL players and understands the FACT that their rights are being unfairly taken away from them

[TaNk]

Lloyd hoping ICL and IPL will co-exist Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain and ICC cricket committee chairman, is hopeful the ICL and IPL can co-exist and believes similar leagues in the West Indies will boost the game in the region. "There's nothing like having a discussion to break the ice," Lloyd told the Times of India. Just like the United States president Barack Obama said 'you have to speak to people'. They [iPL and ICL] both need to understand their agendas and work accordingly." At present, the ICC and the Indian board have not recognised the ICL, and most national bodies have banned players contracted with the league from playing international or domestic cricket. Lloyd felt it will take some time for administrators to find a window for the Twenty20 leagues. "It will be ideal if they have a period where they can go and earn money and go back to Tests. It's some time before the FTP [Future Tours Programme] can find the right slots for IPL and other similar tournaments so that players representing their countries are not forced to make a choice. "The players are now hoping that they don't have to choose between Tests, ODIs and Twenty20s. With contracts worth millions on offer in the Twenty20 leagues, and a million dollars on grabs for each of the winning XI in the Stanford 20/20 for 20 in Antigua, Lloyd felt upcoming players needed to be given proper advice. "We need to get to make young players to understand that it's just not about money. Money is there to be earned, but they need to learn the rudimentary elements of the game." Lloyd said the West Indies needed leagues like the IPL and ICL to help revive the falling fortunes of the country in the sport; the region has the Stanford 20/20 as its premier domestic tournament currently, with 20 teams participating. "Leagues similar to the IPL and ICL will not only bring young talented players in the national team but will also make their basics clear," Lloyd said. "The standard of domestic cricket is poor in the Caribbean and hence there is a need to bring in leagues like these. They would not only improve the standard of the game but will also help players become experienced at a young age." After the success of the Stanford Superstars, Lloyd is backing the players to win a World Cup soon. Lloyd had led West Indies to wins in 1975 and 1979. "The team has not won any major trophy for a long time and lacks consistency. But I am sure they will be back in form and will bring the [World] Cup home in the Caribbean soon," he said. "Apart from the money, players will gain experience with the right people to guide them from Standford Twenty20 Super Series."

[Rajiv]

Lets do it!

Are Pakistanis thanking ICL for this opportunity

[MundaPakistani]

Are Pakistanis thanking ICL for this opportunity

PCB should first ask for forgiveness for treating the 20 ICL players like dirt...

[Rajiv]

..Faisal, I meant from Fans POV, they watch their stars glitter in an Indian Tourney and still give them ****** and bad mouth, I meant do we still have fans who acknowledge that if it wasn't for ICL they wouldn't have had a chance to see their former players