‘Special atmosphere’ as India exploit familiar surroundings to beat Pakistan

India's Hardik Pandya (2nd L) shakes hands with Pakistan's Naseem Shah (R) after India defeated Pakistan during the ICC men's Twenty20 World Cup 2024 group A cricket match at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in East Meadow, New York on June 9, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 10 June 2024
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‘Special atmosphere’ as India exploit familiar surroundings to beat Pakistan

  • On a pitch that lacked quality, Pakistan never looked like they could overcome their fierce rivals in World Cup
  • Early rain caused several stops and starts, but India came out as a team that had played on the ground before

NEW YORK: What an experience. From the moment I arrived in New York on June 7, when I immediately felt the match build-up, to mingling with cricket fans in Times Square, to being in the ground, it is an event I will never forget.

All conversations centered on Pakistan’s match with India, cricket in North America and cricket in general, providing a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Then came the match, which lived up to all my expectations and then some.

The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium is an hour and a half away from Times Square by taxi. Thick cloud accompanied fans travelling to the stadium and the poor early weather could have brought Pakistan into the game as Shaheen’s swing bowling would add to already difficult batting conditions.

If India had won the toss, I would have feared they would take full advantage, but Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, called correctly and opted to bowl first.

Early rain caused several stops and starts, but India came out as a team that had played on the ground before, whereas this was Pakistan’s first outing in New York. India’s advantage of already experiencing the conditions and winning there was evident.

Although Pakistan claimed the prized wickets of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, India’s openers, early on, Rishabh Pant and a promoted Axar Patel illustrated exactly how ready India were to take the game to their great rivals. Their aggressive approach was designed to make the Pakistan bowlers crumble. I never got the sense that Pakistan genuinely believed they could win. Even with India two wickets down cheaply, the team in green could not quite believe the position in which they found themselves.

I have a great deal of respect for both sets of players, as they were playing on a surface that was not fit for international cricket. This is not just my view but that of many experienced observers. The pitch was dangerous at times and every batter struggled. Each player chose his own way of dealing with the demons. Rishabh Pant was ultra-aggressive and the rest of his team followed suit. India took more risks and rode their luck, but fortune often favors the brave.

Once India had taken their total to a modest 119, most people would think the chasing team held all the aces. Unfortunately for Pakistan, it felt like none of their batters felt the same way. They opted to try and dig deep, which was understandable, but any invention, drive and intent was lacking.

Jasprit Bumrah was outstanding with the ball, well supported by Hardik Pandya and Mohammad Siraj. Once Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed, the task seemed too large for the rest of the Pakistan batting.

The atmosphere in the ground, though, was special. The two sets of fans mixed, although Pakistan’s supporters were heavily outnumbered. As the teams traded blows, the excitement switched from one set of fans to the other. I was watching both as a cricket fan and with my media head, but still lost my voice through giving vocal support.

Even the seats in the big temporary stands were blue, something that could perhaps have been changed. It must have been intimidating for the Pakistan players and it is difficult to escape the feeling that small, seemingly inconsequential, actions create favorable environments for Team India. The almost total lack of Pakistan supporters in Ahmedabad for the match against India in the ODI World Cup last year comes to mind.

Nevertheless, the Indian team was excellent. When their backs were against the wall, they showed fight and a genuine togetherness. India are incredibly confident, they believe in what they are doing, have clarity of thought and in their roles, and are backed by their management structure.

Pakistan, on the other hand, have a number of problems. They do not appear to believe in themselves and the off-field instability shows no sign of change. Despite the closeness of the scores on the day, the two sides are a long way apart.

There were big opportunities for Pakistan throughout the match. The pitch conditions were a leveler, whilst they bowled well to restrict India with wickets in the latter stages. They could have grabbed the game, but let things slip and fell short. In a match where every run mattered, India captain Rohit Sharma chose the right moves, Babar was slow to react. An example of Pakistan’s problems was that leg-spinner Shadab Khan was not asked to bowl a single over. Why, then, is he in the team, if the captain does not appear to possess enough faith in his bowling?

Turning to the American market, the spectacle was mesmerizing, even crazy. It was a day the like of which I have never before experienced and something that still has me buzzing. Anyone at the game will surely want to watch more cricket. However, if its best side is to be shown to the Americans, the quality of pitches has to improve. There is a risk that a golden opportunity has been missed.

A better pitch would have provided even better entertainment. No doubt there will be those who argue that the pitch created a close and tense match. This misses the point. The variable pitch conditions across the nine grounds on which the World Cup is being played may hand skewed advantages and disadvantages to individual teams.

The defeat leaves Pakistan on the brink of an early exit from the tournament. Their fate is no longer in their own hands, with the USA, India and Canada ahead of them in the group. A victory for the USA over Ireland will see Pakistan out, which is not acceptable in a group containing three much lower-ranked sides. The Super Eights were the bare minimum objective for Pakistan.

The team’s performance is a byproduct of everything that has happened over the last two years. All the chaos, the poor off-field management and instability, mean the desired levels of professionalism are lacking. It is going to take more than changing the coaches to resolve the issues. The new coach, Gary Kirsten, bemoaned poor decision-making by batters after reaching 72 for two with eight overs left.

I did not expect Pakistan to beat India. In fact, I predicted a clear India win. The closeness of the game should not be seen as any kind of positive or used to mask Pakistani deficiencies. It never felt like Pakistan were destined to win. There is an obvious and large gap in standard between the two sides, which will take serious work to bridge.

Pakistan will not be eliminated from the T20 World Cup just because of this defeat in New York. The damage was done by the defeat to the USA. However good this was for the competition and tournament hosts, it was a match which Pakistan should never have lost. They will be going home early because, currently, they are not good enough to stay.


Pakistan PM stresses promoting trilateral economic cooperation with Azerbaijan, Turkiye

Updated 03 July 2024
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Pakistan PM stresses promoting trilateral economic cooperation with Azerbaijan, Turkiye

  • PM Sharif holds trilateral summit with presidents of Turkiye, Azerbaijan at sidelines of SCO moot
  • Calls for greater cooperation in energy, tourism, culture, education and technology sectors 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday stressed the need to promote trilateral economic cooperation between Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Turkiye, during a meeting of the leaders of the three countries on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana. 

Sharif is in Kazakhstan’s capital to attend the SCO summit where leaders and diplomats from China, India, Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and other countries are present to review economic and security cooperation. 

His visit takes place as Pakistan seeks to promote itself as a trade and transit hub that connects the landlocked Central Asian states to the rest of the world via the Arabian Sea. Troubled by a macroeconomic crisis, Islamabad has increasingly sought to attract investment and trade with regional allies in recent months. 

The Pakistani prime minister attended the inaugural session of the Pakistan-Turkiye-Azerbaijan Trilateral Summit with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Heydar Aliyev in Astana. 

“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday proposed to establish tripartite institutional mechanisms, particularly in economic and investment areas to further strengthen Pakistan-Turkiye-Azerbaijan trilateral economic and commercial cooperation,” the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said. 

Sharif said Pakistan “deeply valued” its fraternal ties with Azerbaijan and Turkiye, saying that they were deep-rooted in cultural, historical and religious bonds. 

He affirmed Pakistan’s commitment to working together with Turkiye and Azerbaijan to elevate the tripartite cooperation into a “strong multifaceted partnership” across the sectors of economy, energy, tourism, culture, education and technology, APP said. 

SHEHBAZ MEETS PUTIN

Before taking part in the trilateral summit, Sharif met Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss enhancing bilateral trade and diplomatic relations between the two countries. 

“Your excellency, our relations stand on our own strength,” Sharif told Putin in a one-on-one meeting. 

 “Neither our relations are driven by any geopolitical contingency nor these are impacted by our relations with other countries.”

Sharif recalled that Pakistan and Russia used to engage in barter trade in the 1950s and 1960s, saying that more can be done to enhance bilateral trade between the two nations which currently stands at about $1 billion. 

“I think today is the time we can overcome financial and other banking issues by renewing our trade and expanding our trade under barter that will be very beneficial for Pakistan and overcome many problems,” he said. 


Authorities evacuate residents from dangerously tilted Karachi building

Updated 03 July 2024
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Authorities evacuate residents from dangerously tilted Karachi building

  • Residents evacuated from two-year-old building, nearby structures in Baldia Town evacuated, confirms official
  • Building collapses due to shoddy construction, lack of safety regulations are common in Pakistan’s Karachi city

KARACHI: Authorities in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Wednesday evacuated a two-year-old building after it tilted dangerously to one side, a spokesperson of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) confirmed, putting the spotlight on the lack of implementation of construction safety regulations in the city. 

A four-story building in the city’s Baldia Town neighborhood was evacuated by authorities after it started dangerously tilting to one side due to structural damage. 

The SCBA has declared 722 buildings in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city where over 20 million people live, as dangerous and unfit for living. The SBCA is the official authority in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province responsible for approving and regulating the construction of buildings.

Numerous building collapses in the city in recent years have led to accusations that the SBCA is negligent in ensuring builders adhere to construction safety standards. 

“This four-story building tiled to a side after one of its pillars were damaged,” an SBCA spokesperson told Arab News on condition of anonymity. 

“We immediately evacuated the nearby buildings as the collapse is likely to damage them,” he said, adding that action would be taken against those involved in the faulty construction.

The spokesperson said the authority is vigilantly working to identify dangerous buildings in the city. Building collapses in Karachi have, however, led to significant casualties and injuries in recent years.

Last month a three-story building collapsed in Karachi’s Liaquatabad neighborhood of the city. However, no casualties were reported in the incident as residents had already been evacuated from the building. 

On April 22, 2024, a three-story building in the North Nazimabad area collapsed, killing one man and injuring four others. On March 31, 2024, an old building in the city’s Ranchore Line area collapsed, injuring four men and one woman. 

On October 11, 2023, a building collapsed in Shah Faisal Colony, resulting in five deaths and two injuries. A two-story building in the Machar Colony area collapsed on December 18, 2023, killing three and injuring 17.

On June 10, 2020, a five-story residential building collapsed in Lyari, killing at least 25.


Pakistani envoy visits University of Sharjah to seek collaboration with local varsities 

Updated 03 July 2024
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Pakistani envoy visits University of Sharjah to seek collaboration with local varsities 

  • Pakistan’s UAE envoy thanks University of Sharjah for giving opportunities to Pakistani students, teachers
  • Praises University of Sharjah for “rapid growth” toward quality education, reiterates need for collaboration

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Faisal Niaz Tirmizi visited the University of Sharjah on Wednesday where he took part in discussions with the university’s management on collaborating with local universities, the Pakistan embassy in Abu Dhabi said. 

The UAE has seen a significant increase in foreign student enrollments since the launch of the UAE National Strategy for Higher Education 2030 more than six years ago. 

UAE authorities reported in April that international enrollments since the 2022-23 academic year include a seven percent increase among Pakistani students. Educational professionals believe UAE, especially Dubai, is increasingly competing with traditional education destinations such as the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.

Tirmizi visited the University of Sharjah on Wednesday where he met its chancellor, Dr. Humaid Majoul Al Nuaimi, the Pakistani embassy said. 

“The meeting aimed at exploring avenues for cooperation and collaboration between Pakistani universities and the University of Sharjah,” it said. 

“Both sides reiterated the need for further collaboration among the faculty and students of the University of Sharjah with centers of excellence and higher learning in Pakistan.”

The Pakistani envoy lauded the University of Sharjah’s “rapid growth” toward quality education, where around 18,000 students from various nationalities are currently enrolled.

“He deeply appreciated the university’s management for giving opportunities to many Pakistani students and faculty members,” the embassy said. 

The meeting was also attended by senior officials from Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in UAE and the university management, the statement concluded.


Ex-senator among 5 killed in blast while campaigning for by-election in northwest Pakistan

Updated 03 July 2024
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Ex-senator among 5 killed in blast while campaigning for by-election in northwest Pakistan

  • Ex-senator Hidayat Ullah Khan was on his way to attend nephew's by-election campaign, say police
  • Pakistani Taliban deny involvement in blast, accuse Pakistan Army of killing the former senator

Peshawar: A former Pakistani senator was among five persons killed in a blast on Wednesday while they were campaigning for an upcoming by-election in the country’s northwestern Bajaur district, police and rescue officials confirmed.

Ex-senator Hidayat Ullah Khan was killed in a blast that targeted his vehicle in Bajaur district’s Damadola area while he was on his way to attend an election campaign for his nephew Najeeb Ullah, Bajaur Police Spokesperson Muhammad Israr Khan said. 

“The number of persons killed has reached 5.” Khan told Arab News. “Three were killed on the spot while the others were taken to the hospital and died during treatment.”

He said police were still ascertaining the intensity of the blast, adding that the Bomb Disposal Squad [BDS] was at the site to investigate the blast. 

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Bilal Faizi had earlier said three persons had died in the blast. 

“Three dead bodies and one critically injured person were shifted to District Headquarters Hospital Bajaur,” he said, adding that two others were injured in the incident. 

Khan, who was an independent senator from 2018 to 2024, was the son of former National Assembly lawmaker Hajji Bismillah Khan and the younger brother of ex-KP governor Shaukat Ullah Khan.

He was campaigning for his nephew Najeeb Ullah Khan, who is contesting the by-election on the PK-22 provincial assembly seat in Bajaur as an independent candidate where polling is set to take place on July 11. 

Polling on the PK-22 constituency was postponed on Feb. 8 after independent candidate Rehan Zeb was killed by unidentified men days before the election.

Both the provincial and National Assembly seats from the constituency were won by Zeb’s brother Mubarak Zeb. He decided to vacate the PK-22 seat in favor of the National Assembly one, following which Pakistan’s election regulator then announced polling for the PK-22 constituency on July 11. 

TTP DENIES RESPONSIBILITY

Pakistan’s tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to the west have seen a surge in militant attacks since Nov. 2022 when a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke down. 

Pakistan blames the TTP for the surge in violence, accusing it of targeting Pakistani security forces, politicians and civilians from Afghanistan in a bid to enforce its strict version of Islamic law in the country. 

The TTP, however, did not take responsibility for the blast. In a statement released to the media, the banned outfit accused the Pakistan Army of killing the former senator to malign it. 

“We would like to reiterate once again that we consider only the security forces and their personnel as our targets,” the TTP said. 

Separately, PM Shehbaz Sharif condoled over the loss of lives in the blast. He directed authorities to apprehend those involved in the blast and bring them to book. 

“Terrorist elements are enemies of the country’s peace and democracy,” Sharif said. “We will not rest until we eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country.” 

Pakistan’s government announced last month it would launch a new anti-terrorism operation titled “Azm-e-Istehkam” or Resolve for Stability to root out militants in the country. 


Pakistan petroleum union announces strike against new tax from July 5, government rejects ‘blackmailing’

Updated 03 July 2024
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Pakistan petroleum union announces strike against new tax from July 5, government rejects ‘blackmailing’

  • Petroleum dealers association says government’s move to impose 0.5 percent advance tax will “devastate” their business
  • Pakistani official says government has taken steps to ensure “smooth” supply of petroleum products across the country 

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) have announced it would close petrol pumps across the country on July 5 to protest the government’s decision to impose an advance tax on turnover, saying the move would “devastate” their businesses already reeling from high taxes and inflation. 

Petroleum dealers in Pakistan are demanding the government withdraw an advance income tax of 0.5 percent imposed in the recently passed federal budget 2024-25.

Pakistan’s tax-heavy $67.76 billion budget for the new fiscal year came into effect on Monday amid an annual inflation projection of up to 13.5 percent for June. The ambitious budget with a challenging tax revenue target of Rs13 trillion ($46.66 billion) has drawn the ire of the government’s allies and opposition alike. The revenue collection target for the new fiscal year is almost 40 percent higher than the last fiscal year. 

The PPDA says its members are earning minimal profit due to staggering inflation and high taxes. Talks between the government and the association this week failed to break the deadlock between the two sides. 

“We are going on a nationwide strike starting July 5 and plan to close petrol pumps across the country,” PPDA Chairman Abdul Sami Khan told Arab News on Wednesday. 

“Our demand is simple: the government should immediately withdraw the advance tax decision.”

Khan said the move would “devastate” the petrol pump business in the country, adding that dealers would be left with no other option but to wind up their businesses for good if the government does not reverse its decision.

“We are ready to discuss our concerns and possible solutions with the government,” Khan said. “We request the prime minister, petroleum minister and finance minister to immediately abolish this tax, otherwise we will be unable to continue running our businesses.”

Imran Ahmed, the director general of oil at Pakistan’s petroleum ministry, rejected the strike call. He said the government would not entertain “blackmailing tactics” but was willing to discuss petroleum dealers’ genuine concerns. 

“We will not support the strike or such tactics,” he told Arab News. “This new advance tax applies to all traders, not only petroleum dealers.”

Ahmed said the government is in talks with the dealers and their representatives, whom he said have also met officials of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Pakistan’s tax authority. 

He said the ministry has instructed oil marketing companies to keep as many sites open as possible to ensure a smooth supply of petroleum products in the country. 

“We have also instructed PSO [Pakistan State Oil] to ensure maximum supply and storage of petroleum products by keeping their sites open,” Ahmed said.