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!”

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.

03/11/08  LAHORE :Lahore High Court Bar Association in protest of November 3, 2007 action by former president Pervez Musharraf will take out a protest rally in Lahore during the day. The Association will hold a General House Meeting prior to this event. The lawyers in order to halt court proceedings have announced to put locks on all the higher and lower courts during their protest.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board’s efforts to arrange a home series have been dealt a blow as West Indies have opted not to tour next month because of security concerns.
Senior players had already expressed concerns about visiting Pakistan and the decision comes a week after the West Indies women’s team called off the Pakistan leg of their Asian tour.Donald Peters, the chief executive of the West Indies board, said negotiations are on to reschedule the tour. “We are in talks with the PCB at present with the hope of getting the tour deferred to another date, but at this time we are not going to tour the country,” Peters told Caribbean Media Corporation Sport.

“At the end of the last (WICB) board meeting, the directors wanted a security report on the situation in Pakistan and I contacted the PCB. I had requested a security plan from them that was okayed by their police and military.

“They got this plan and sent it to me and we were then looking further at getting an independent security firm but this was not done because we had decided that at this point it was not really safe for the players to go to Pakistan.”

Pakistan have already had two high-profile postponements this year: Australia’s tour was put off, as was the Champions Trophy. They have not played a home Test since October 2007 and the only tournaments they have hosted this year are the Asia Cup and ODI series against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

Karachi(cricketnext): Pakistan`s controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will have to wait for his visa to play in the four-nation tournament in Toronto next month as the Cricket Board has still not been able to get the clearance for him.Shoaib`s name was sent in a shortlist of players for the four-nation tournament starting from October 10 but the Board was unable to obtain a visa for him.

“He was in England playing for Surrey and we didn`t have his passport. So he has to wait. We will now send his name in the second list most probably,” one board official said.

Shoaib will also know by next week from the Lahore High Court whether he can play in Pakistan and for Pakistan without paying a fine of seven million rupees imposed on him by the appellate tribunal of the Board.The tribunal had reduced his five year ban to 18 months but instead enforced the seven million rupees fine which the fast bowler has not paid as yet.The Board has sought clear directives from the High Court if the pacer can play without clearing the fine first. The court has asked Shoaib to appear in person in court at the next hearing.

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I must say no matter what happens we are a tough nation. Finding our own way through the thick and thin of all times. Even finding humor in the saddest of all situations.

On festive events such as Eid, across Pakistan you will come across punch lines as “Dhamaka Sale Jaari Hay” so often. “Khudkush Sale” (Suicidal Sale) is the new term coined in market.

The shopkeeper was right in thinking that the word “khudkush” will attract everyone. I do hope it doesn’t attract Mr. Khudkhush himself but the genuine buyers only.

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued an Invitation to Tender (ITT) Letter for Audio-visual Rights of International Cricket in Pakistan for the period 2009-2013.
In essence the Rights on offer constitute television rights for international cricketing events to be held in Pakistan which are controlled by the PCB, said a spokesman here on Friday.The ITT has been offered to leading broadcasters and agencies worldwide. Interested parties may acquire the ITT from the “Marketing & Commercial Division” of PCB at Gaddafi Stadium, over the next couple of weeks, while submission of bids is scheduled around the second week of November 2008.

The PCB expects that the entire process will be completed by the end of November 2008.

“The process that has been adopted for award of these rights is in accordance with international best practices and is being monitored by an independent forensic accountant of international repute and credentials. Ehsan Mani, former president ICC is advising the PCB management on the whole process,” he added.

KARACHI, Pakistan cricket team fast bowler Muhammad Asif has that cricket is not only his bread and butter but his passion also.Muhammad Asif said he couldn’t even think about staying away from playing cricket, adding such thought scare him. He expressed these views at Asghar Ali Shah stadium in Karachi.

Regarding dope issue, Asif added he would appear before officials of Pakistan Cricket Board along with his lawyer on October 11. He appeared confident about making a comeback in national squad.