The last week began the World Cup-2015 in Australia and New Zealand. Though Australia has won their opener against their arch-rival England easily, the second high-voltage clash between Pakistan and India, two Asian giants, is being played today. Millions of cricket fans in India and Pakistan and other countries have been waiting for Indo-Pak clash.

When the two teams met in the last World Cup semi-final in 2011 in Mohali, then prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was invited by his then Indian counterpart Premier Manmohan Singh to the match. Mr Gilani visited Mohali but only to see Pakistani team failed to break the winning spree of India. So far, India has been unbeaten against Pakistan in world cups, winning all five matches. Though this time, Islamabad has Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and New Delhi has Narinder Modi, both are into cricket diplomacy this time too. Mr Modi called Mr Sharif to express his good wishes for the Pakistan team.

As the cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan is a known fact, the world cup organisers scheduled the match for a day-off so that the cricket crazy fans could enjoy the sport at leisure. Will the power utility company of Lahore let the people watch the match uninterruptedly? Sensing the frenzy, the company has announced there will be no rationing of power for today.

Both teams have equal chances to win. In the past Pakistan has never beaten India even with a strong bowling attack like Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younus, Shoaib Akhtar and Saeed Ajmal and batting icons like Javed Miandad, Inzamamul Haq, Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf. This time the Pakistani bowling attack seems rather weak as just months before the event, its key off-spinners Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez were banned by the ICC for their illegal bowling action. Pacer Junaid Khan is unfit leaving Pakistan to bank on lanky pacemen Mohammad Irfan and Wahab Riaz and all-rounder Shahid Afridi, while pacers Ehsan Adil and Rahet Ali and leg-spinner Yasir Shah do not have the required experience.

But it is cricket where any bowler can excel on the given day, so cricket experts are not ruling out Pakistan. India possess great batting stars like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Shikar Dhawan and Suresh Raina.

Though Indian batting-line looks strong against Pakistan’s bowling battery, their dismal performances in the recent series against Australia is giving much hope to Pakistan of grabbing Indian batsmen. Anyhow, every Pakistani desires victory against India to end their losing spree. Overall, Pakistan has edge over India winning 72 ODIs, of 126. India win 50 ODIs, including those five in world cups.

Former Pakistan Davis Cupper and now Pakistan coach Rashid Malik has created a history by winning the three finals of International Tennis Federation Senior World Ranking Tournament held in Pataya, Thailand.

He won the singles’ final and also the finals of 45-plus and 50-plus. Rashid says the victory was a dream come true as no Pakistani senior player has won all the three titles. Now Rashid is getting ready to be non-playing captain of Pakistan in the Davis Cup tie against Kuwait, to be held in March in Sri Lanka. The Pakistan Tennis Federation was to stage the tie in Lahore, but Kuwait refused to send its team to Pakistan on security grounds. Sri Lanka was then selected by the international game’s governing body to host two countries as neutral venue.

The Pakistan Baseball Federation (PBF) will host a five-nation West-Asia Cup in Islamabad from Feb 22 to 28. PBF Secretary Khawar Shah says he hopes this time India will also send its team to Pakistan. India has confirmed the participation, while Iran, Sri Lanka, Iraq and Afghanistan will also feature in the event. Pakistan will defend the title. A training camp has already been in progress in Islamabad for the last two months under the coaching of Musadaq Hanif.

The Punjab Cycling Association (PAC) has decided to hold a Tour de Punjab Cycle Race in March. The race will begin from Rahim Yar Khan and after six stages, will conclude in Rawalpindi. The PCA has directed its affiliated units to set up training camps and also send their entries. Around 30 cyclists are likely to take part in the race.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2015

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