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04 April, 2015
Ajmal returns, U. Akmal dropped
for Bangladesh tour
LAHORE: The Pakistan
Cricket Board (PCB) on
Friday announced squads
which
will
travel
to
Bangladesh for a tour scheduled to begin later this month.
Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal
will mark his comeback in all
three formats of the game and
will display his new modified
bowling action. The PCB
decided not to include batsman Umer Akmal whose performance with the bat and
behind the stumps was the
subject of criticism during
the World Cup.
In other changes, Ahmed
Shehzad was only included in
the T20 squad while Fawad
Alam was included in the
ODI squad. Umer Gul who
has been battling injuries will
also make his return in the
T20 squad.
The team was announced
by newly appointed Chief
Selector Haroon Rasheed
who said the PCB’s focus
was on the ODI squad for the
next four years in preparation
for the World Cup.
Rasheed told journalists
that reports of the team management on the World Cup
and performance of players
were taken into consideration
in the selection process.
“All players should know
that Pakistan comes first,”
Rasheed said in a message to
players. “Players should contribute towards Pakistan winning…Players will be given
full support and we expect
them to be professionals and
play as a unit.”
According to Rasheed
consultations were held
regarding the team’s selection but the final decision
was made by the selection
committee ODI Squad: Sami
Aslam, Sarfaraz Ahmed,
Muhammad Hafeez, Asad
Shafique, Fawad Alam,
Azhar Ali, Muhammad
Rizwan, Haris Sohail, Sohaib
Maqsood, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir
Shah, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali,
Ehsan Adil and Sohail Khan
T20 Squad: Ahmed
Shehzad, Sarfaraz Ahmed,
Muhammad Hafeez, Mukhtar
Ahmed, Sohaib Maqsood,
Haris Sohail, Muhammad
Rizwan, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid
Afridi, Sohail Tanveer, Saad
Nasim, Wahab Riaz, Sohail
Khan, Umer Gul and Junaid
Khan. The News..
Sri Lanka selectors quit amid
clean-up efforts
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka´s
cricket selectors, headed by
former
skipper
Sanath
Jayasuriya, quit Friday to
allow new management to
take over the island´s cricket
governing body, which has
been mired in allegations of
widespread corruption.
Jayasuriya, 45, has been
accused of politicising the
game after he became a
member of parliament from
president
Mahinda
Rajapakse´s party following
his retirement from the game
in 2009.
The former batsman also
copped criticism for making
four changes to the team at
last month´s World Cup quarter-finals that Sri Lanka lost
to South Africa by nine wickets.
Critics took issue with the
inclusion of new opening
batsman Kusal Perera and
paceman
Dushmantha
Chameera for Sri Lanka´s
defeat in the lopsided match.
Jayasuriya -- a member of
Sri Lanka´s 1996 World Cup-
winning team -- said he was
bowing out to give the new
management an opportunity
to appoint a new selection
panel but did not rule out a
comeback.
"I am always available if
Sri Lanka Cricket needs me
to serve the country in the
future," he said in his letter of
resignation, a copy of which
was seen by AFP.
He said the other four
members of the selection
panel had also stepped down,
though their contracts run
until the end of the month.
"We gave separate letters
of resignations and have
quit," Jayasuriya told AFP.
The mass resignation
comes just days after Sports
Minister Navin Dissanayake
appointed an interim committee headed by former Test
player Sidath Wettimuny to
manage Sri Lanka Cricket,
asking him to "clean up" the
administration of the sport.
(AFP) The News..
In memoriam: Nazia
Hassan was
born 50
years ago
today
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan was more than happy to have shot for his
upcoming film "Fan" at the Madame Tussaud's museum in London,
‘Fast and Furious 7' will likely be
the next $1 billion movie
It’s currently poised to
make around $120 million
over the Easter holiday.That
would easily give “Furious
7? the highest-grossing
opening weekend in April,
surpassing 2014's $95 million opening of “Captain
America:
The
Winter
Soldier.”
According to Fandango,
the film’s ticket sales are
already outpacing the
“Captain
America”
sequel.Before “Avengers:
Age of Ultron” comes to
theaters in May, it has a
good shot at being the year’s
first billion dollar movie.
“This is definitely shaping up to be massive,” vice
president and chief analyst
of BoxOffice.com Phil
Contrino tells Business
Insider. “With a movie like
this, it’s important not to get
too carried away with
expectations because … in
the lead up to a big movie,
that’s all people are talking
about and it’s easy to keep
saying, ‘it’s going to be bigger, and bigger, and bigger.’
That said, I think it has a
legitimate shot at becoming
the next member of the $1
billion global club.”
Contrino notes that would
be a huge accomplishment.
Look at the box-office
numbers for “Fast and
Furious 6? and its not difficult to make that case. The
2013 film made $788 million worldwide ($238 million domestic vs. $550 million overseas).
Boxoffice.com is tracking
“Furious 7? to make somewhere between $275 million
and $280 million stateside
during its run in theaters.
“That’s a $42 million
increase right there. The last
one did about $550 million
overseas. I think that number’s going to go up exponentially.” says Contrino.
“If there’s a $40 million
increase in North America
alone, even if there’s a $10
or $15 million increase in a
bunch of key markets like
UK, China, Brazil … that’s
going to add up really fast.
That $550 million number is
going to increase quite a bit.
[If] you look at it that way
and we’re not too far from
being in the ballpark of $1
billion globally.”
“Furious 7? has already
opened to number one in 12
markets overseas.
The film will also be
Universal Studio’s largest
film release ever. Not only
will it have the widest
IMAX release ever on 810
screens
worldwide.
“Furious 7? will open in
over 4,000 Friday in the US
and over 10,500 around the
world.
In addition to the highadrenaline, action-packed
storyline,
which
has
received great reviews, the
seventh installment serves
as a bittersweet sendoff to
the franchise’s co-lead Paul
Walker who died in 2013.
Walker’s death will be
one reason audiences will
head out to see “Furious 7.”
“This isn’t just another
entry into a franchise,”
explains Contrino. “It’s got
more significance to it. Its
success at the box office,
many people are going to
see that as a tribute to Paul
Walker, and what he
brought to the franchise.”
“They’re going to show
up for that reason,” he
added. “Even if they maybe
have skipped some of the
other movies, they’ll show
up for this one.”
She first appeared in a children’s program on PTV
Kaliyon ki Mala in 1975
where she sang the famous
‘Dosti Aisa Naata’.
It was her single ‘Aap Jaisa
Koi’ that catapulted her to
fame when she was just 15
after it was taken for the
Bollywood flick Qurbaani.
Little did anyone know that
Nazia would go on to become
the first Pakistani to win the
prestigious Filmfare award.
Read more:Aap Jaisa Koi:
Remembering Nazia Hasan
Following the success of
‘Aap Jaisa Koi,’ Nazia
Hassan, along with her brother Zohaib, went on to release
the evergreen album Disco
Deewana (1981). This was
followed by Boom Boom,
Young Tarang (1984), Hotline
(1987) and finally Camera,
Camera (1992).
Her songs ‘Dosti’, ‘Disco
Deewane’, ‘Aankhen Milane
Wale’, ‘Boom Boom’ and 'Dil
ki Lagi'are still timeless.
Also read: Nazia Hassan’s
legacy lives on
Known for her soulful
voice, Nazia was not only a
singer, but also a notable
humanitarian. She worked as
a political analyst for the
United Nations in New York
and became a cultural ambassador for Pakistan in 1991.
The singer believed in welcoming new musical trends
and spoke to Herald
Magazine in July 1980, saying:
“Yes some people don’t
even consider it music; well
it’s the kind of the music we
dig, take it or leave it. They
say classical music is the only
real music. Whenever I’m
attending a classical music
recital, I feel like I’m attending a funeral. You have to sit
grim and still — no coughing,
no talking lest people think
you are being impolite.”
Dawn..
Josh
Hamilton
avoids suspension;
MLB disagrees with
decision
Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini is in such good form
that he cannot be dropped, says manager Louis van Gaal.
Azhar Ali: Crucified before
the battle
That's the predicament
Pakistan's new ODI captain
Azhar Ali is faced with; the
proverbial arm band not yet
on, the number 79 jersey still
folded neatly in the closet.
For many, the criticism of
Azhar by experts and fans is a
continuation of the scorn
heaped on outgoing skipper
Misbah-ul-Haq. For the past
five years the 40-year-old
received more flak than all of
his predecessors combined
and it was so intense that it
has naturally been transferred
onto the unassuming Azhar. I
don't think anyone has a
problem with Azhar's elevation as vice-captain of the
Test team. He is among the
leading run scorers for
Pakistan in the longest format
of the game in the five years
since his debut. Besides
Younis Khan, no one has
scored more Test centuries
for Pakistan than Azhar Ali in
that time period.
The PCB has been giving a
lot of weight to the
Pentangular One Day Cup
that was held during the first
two weeks of January.
Rightly so, considering that
the country's leading 75
cricketers compete in that
tournament; therefore the
best 15 should represent the
national team. That makes
sense, doesn't it? Do people
remember Azhar's performance in that Pentangular Cup
though? ) demonstrated that
the level-headed batsman has
worked tremendously hard in
improving the fluency of his
knocks.
Azhar is fairly senior given
that he has been around with
the Pakistan Test team for
half a decade now. He is well
respected in the dressing
room. The senior statesmen
Misbah and Younis Khan
speak very highly of him.
Waqar Younis, reportedly,
also backed his appointment.
What more does one need
in a captain? Don't we all
want a stable, confident, and
self-critical person? If Azhar
was always the best choice to
take over the Test team, does
it not make sense to make
him the leader of the the ODI
team as well? Is it fair that we
are passing judgment before
he has even taken the team on
the field?
Only time will tell whether
he can live up to the billing of
Pakistan's next international
captain, but till then I believe
it is only fair that we give the
man a chance.
We must also realise that
he would be under already be
under the cosh when he
walks out to lead the team in
greens; such is the pressure
we have put on him.
Azhar has the confidence
of the board. He has the confidence of the team management. More importantly, he
has the confidence of his own
players.
Its time he got the confidence of the public as well.
Dawn..
Shereen’s Law: Afghanistan’s
daring, taboo-smashing feminist
TV drama
In a grimy Kabul street, the
director gives the order to roll
the cameras, and filming
starts on a remarkable new
TV drama that boldly challenges taboos about women
in conservative Afghanistan.
Shereen, the star, enters the
scene and buys a few things
from street vendors when
suddenly her husband, a possessive and brutal man, grabs
her. But tough, no-nonsense
Shereen won’t back down
and a row ensues. “It is the
first such drama – that is
about women, that is about
empowering women, that is
about the struggles of women
in Afghanistan,” Leena Alam,
the Afghan actress who plays
Shereen, told foreign press.
Women in Afghanistan still
suffer brutal violence on a
daily basis. On March 19 a
young woman was beaten to
death and her body burned in
central Kabul for allegedly
burning a copy of Holy
Qur’an. Defying entrenched
conventions in such a country
comes with a risk, as Alam –
who moved to the US as a
child with her family before
returning in 2007 – admits.
“It’s a bit dangerous, even for
myself. Yesterday we were
shooting outside. When…
I’m waiting for the shot I’m
always scared that somebody
may throw acid on me or
somebody may hit me with a
knife,” she said. “But I think
it’s time, after more than 30
years, to move on and educate people and give them the
information as bluntly as
Shereen.” Apart from the
exterior street scenes, the
show’s action takes place in a
studio with sets decked out to
look like a courtroom,
Shereen’s house and legal
offices. No detail has been
missed, from the portrait of
President Ashraf Ghani in the
courtroom to the stapler on
Shereen’s desk. Director and
writer Max Walker, an
Australian who came to work
in Afghanistan, says he took
advice in advance on how to
avoid drawing too much
attention from conservative
clerics. “There’s been an
enormous consultation, an
enormous review of the script
and of the whole storytelling
process to make sure that it
raises these issues, but it
doesn’t raise them so bluntly
and so offensively that it’s
going to make the programme go off air,” Walker
said. Pakistan Today..
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's next film Mirziya, a contemporary love story
set in Rajasthan is one of the most anticipated films and a launch vehicle
for debutants Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher.
After the MLB Players'
Association lobbied for Josh
Hamilton, saying his admitted recent drug relapse was
not a violation of his treatment
program,
MLB
brought in an arbitrator that
ultimately ruled in favor of
the MLBPA.
Hamilton will therefore
not be suspended.
"The issue of whether
Josh Hamilton violated his
treatment program was submitted to the treatment
board established under
Major League Baseball's
Joint Drug Prevention and
Treatment Program," read
an MLB statement on
Friday. with MLB taking
the position that Hamilton
violated his treatment program and is subject to discipline by the commissioner.
"Under the procedures of
the programme, an outside
arbitrator was appointed to
break the tie and the arbitrator
ruled
that
Josh
Hamilton's conduct did not
violate his treatment program. "The office of the
commissioner
disagrees
with the decision, and will
seek to address deficiencies
in the manner in which
drugs of abuse are addressed
under the programme in the
collective
bargaining
process."
Hamilton had alcohol
relapses in 2009 and 2012
and is subject to three drug
tests per week as part of his
reinstatement.
The 33-year-old is expected to be on the disabled list
until May as he recovers
from shoulder surgery.
Opera Sports..
Fancy a hot
cross bun?
Go to Saddar
KARACHI: There are
only a few bakeries in the
entire city that offer hot
cross buns and they bake the
popular spicy cinnamon bun
with currants or raisins and
yellow cross on the top made
from shortcrust pastry round
the clock since the people so
fond of having them on and
around Good Friday know
exactly where to buy them
from, too. Most of these bakeries are situated in Saddar.
“I would have been baking
them, or rather my sister
would have if we had a nicer
oven at our place but thank
God for this bakery,” said
Avril Cardoza while grabbing a couple of packets
with six puffy hot cross buns
each at one such bakery. Two
women in blue nuns’ attire
walked in also to buy some
hot cross buns for their families. “We work at the Army
Public School in Saddar. We
just cannot find the time to
bake ourselves,” said Taj
Khatoon. “We have been
making the buns since
Wednesday as everyone is
buying them as soon as they
come out of our ovens and
also distributing among
friends. Hot cross buns sell
very well before and on
Good Friday and after that
there is a demand for Easter
eggs. Although the buns
need to be warm and fresh,
the eggs can be made days in
advance as they do not go
stale or mouldy quickly,”
informed the manager of
another popular Saddar bakery. Another bakery and
cafe in Zamzama also pointed towards their varieties of
chocolate cakes and pastries
to make up for the non-availability of hot cross buns.
“Oh yes, there’s that name
again! This lady on the
phone was asking us if we
make them or not,” said the
man behind the counter of
another well-known bakerycum-store
off
DHA’s
Khayaban-i-Shamsheer.
“What is a hot cross bun
anyway?” He asked next.
dawn..