An interesting thing happened during the Fortune Cup one-day series of Pakistan and West Indies in Abu Dhabi.  After completing his century, Younis Khan in a rare celebration, took his gloves off, took a note out of his pocket, and showed it to the cameras.

It read: “Moti, I miss you“.

I missed this show live but later when I saw the picture blogged, I pity him from his wife’s wrath (If she is who he meant the note for).  Though Gulf News thinks Moti is the former fielding coach.

Humor in Field, innit?

I am sure many of ATP readers will be surprised to see this photograph in which former President Musharraf is saluting his most vocal critic Imran Khan.

Before you jump onto conclusions, let me tell you that this photograph is said to be taken during a fund raising event doe the Shaukat Khannum Memorial Hospital sometime in 2000-01. It was the time when Imran Khan’s PTI supported Musharraf and he was a reportedly hot favorite candidate for Prime Ministership.

Do you think the photograph is real? Imran Khan actually mentioned this one in many of his speeches in US recently. Watch the part of his speech after 4 minutes and 50 seconds in a video here. And if it is, what does it tell us about Gen. Musharraf. Or about Imran Khan.

KARACHI: The hearing of dope-tainted pacer Mohammad Asif has been delayed following the Mumbai rampage that left at least 101 people dead.Mohammed Asif was scheduled to leave for India today to appear before the Indian Premier League Drug Inquiry Tribunal on November 29.Asif had failed a dope test conducted during the inaugural IPL in which he played for Delhi Daredevils.

His `B` sample, tested in Switzerland, also came positive but the traces of the banned substance differed in the two tests leading to Asif challenging the validity of the process adopted to conduct the tests in the IPL.If the tribunal finds Asif guilty he could face a minimum two-year ban and more action from his home board. He is presently suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board for flunking the dope test.

Asif, who will later on be accompanied by his lawyer Shahid Karim, said he was confident of being cleared by the tribunal.

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Here is how you complain about your telephone not working, Lahori style!

The banner in the picture reads:

We have been trying to get out PTCL number 042-6371795 fixed for the last six weeks, but without any success!

It is not clear whether putting up a banner to register your telephone complaint worked or not. But one can only imagine how desperate this person had to be that he resorted such extreme measures of spending money on the printing of this banner and then hoisting it on a busy city road. Or, maybe, he is just trying to make light of what has to be a really frustrating situation. As they say, “Lahore, Lahore hai!”

This photograph, was taken yesterday (Nov. 2) by Khalid Tanveer of the Associated Press. Take from a different angle, it continues to boggle the mind. It is a train coming back from Multan after a religious congregation. Was this just a photo-op or were they actually traveling like this.

In the photo above, a small boy is seen feeding a colony of pigeons near the Sindh Secretariat, Karachi.

Photo is taken on October 4, 2008 and is courtesy of Syed Abbas Mehdi.

When I first saw the photo, the sheer number of pigeons reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 movie called The Birds. Photo to the right is a scene from the movie ‘Birds’.

KARACHI, Senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf has been recalled to the Pakistan squad for their one-day series against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi later this month.Yousuf, who was not considered for a Twenty20 four-nation tournament in Toronto last month, has been included in a 15-man squad for the one dayers on Nov. 12, 14 and 16.

The squad also includes fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, whose exclusion from the side last month led to the resignation of chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed. Selectors have also recalled Nasir Jamshed after the opener recovered from a bout of malaria.

Khalid Latif, Anwar Ali and Sohail Khan, who all made the trip to Toronto, were left out of the squad.

SQUAD: Shoaib Malik (Capt), Misbah-ul-Haq, Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Sohail Tanvir, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar, Fawad Alam, Abdur Rauf, Saeed Ajmal.

Following is one of Mirza Ghalib’s famous ghazals. We think it will be interesting if we let our readers try to translate it. You can choose a language and style of your own. You can translate it in English or salees (easy) Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi etc. You can translate it funny, silly or melancholy. You can turn it into a ‘azad nazm’ or even make ‘nasr’ (prose) or a story out of it. Wanna take this challenge? Bring out your creativity. There is no wrong answer here.

The scene below is from June 01, 2008 where people are seen pushing a broken down bus near S.M. College, Karachi. The photo is a very good representative of our society in literal as well as philosophical way.

Let me tell you why I think so..

(1) Literal in a sense that such scenes are very common in Pakistan where passengers of a bus are also asked to push it when the engine dies down.

(2) Philosophical in a sense that note the dua (prayers) written on the bus as ‘allah nigehban’ (May God Protect You) and ‘allah mehrban’ (May God be Benevolent to you). But unlike our symbolic and ritualistic society these brave men are not waiting for some divine help to appear. They are taking matters in their own hands and should I say..‘himmat-e-mardaaN, madad-e-khuda’ (God helps those who show courage).

I’ve read somewhere that while the war of independence in 1857 was getting crushed by the British, the ladies in old city Delhi were heard saying:

‘khuda karay faraNgioN ki topouN mein keeRay paReN” (May God put pests in the guns of colonial powers). Of course such prayers were not going to be heard. In the end Delhi lost its power seat for the next 90 years.

Allama Iqbal has also said:

    Khuda ne aaj tak us qaum ki haalat naheeN badli
    na ho jis ko khyal aap apni haalat ke badalnay ka

I do not think that I am the only who who has been quite stunned by the near-total radio silence from Gen. Pervez Musharraf since he was forced out of the President’s office.

Of course, one realizes that he has probably been advised - maybe ‘told’ - to keep a low profile by the military itself. Possibly, that was part of the unstated ‘deal’ that led to his resignation. Moreover, one must confess, that given all the passions he can still ignite amongst his detractors as well as his supporters, it is probably a good think that he has kept a low profile. Pakistan is already too traumatic a place. There is already “too much news” in Pakistan as it is. A little quiet from the Pervez Musharraf front is, therefore, probably good for the general and good for Pakistan too.

But that being as it is, one is quite surprised at the silence nonetheless. Silence is certainly not characteristic of the man. And he obviously has a lot that he could say, especially given all the events since his departure. That he has kept his restrain - or been made to keep his restrain - is, therefore, certainly surprising and possibly admirable.

Except, that it seems that he has finally broken the silence - but only briefly and most cautiously. One hears that he will also soon start saying more - on the international lecture circuit. Whether one agrees with him or not, it will no doubt be worth a listen.

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