ISLAMABAD: Although, Pakistan’s cricket team failed to collect victories in the previous year apart from the World Twenty20 title, individual performances of Shahid Khan Afridi and Younus Khan have earned them the country’s biggest civilian national award.
Pakistan’s current captain, Shahid Afridi and former skipper Younus Khan were honoured on Pakistan Day Tuesday when President Asif Ali Zardari conferred on him Pride of Performance Award in a dignified ceremony held here in Islamabad.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Younus Khan was slapped an indefinite ban to represent country in any form of the game, while Afridi was penalised Rs3 million fine by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
After receiving the award, both players termed it the biggest achievement of their career as yet and said that they are proud of receiving the Pride of Performance Award.
They further stated that they always have felt honour to represent Pakistan in international arena.
The duo also thanked the government for bestowing them with the biggest national civilian award.
On one side , the board is applying lifetime bans and heavy fine on players.. there is no doubt that Afridi defamed Pakistan and made a great mockery of himself, the country, the board and the game itself. If I would be the authority, I would have taken the decision back to award any such noble thing to Afridi, atleast this time when the ICC is really mad at him.
Its nothing but total hypocrisy and unfair with Pakistani cricket.
Re: Afridi, Younus get Pride of Performance Award..
a really good example has been set in case of afridi, all newcomers should do a raindance on the pitch and than do some ball biting and when Pakistan’s reputation has been damaged and made a laughing stock they will be given pride of performance.
but we can always hide behind the excuse that they have been punished enough, so what if they made Pakistan a laughing stock.
Re: Afridi, Younus get Pride of Performance Award..
this is really weird. not that younus khan doesnt deserve it, captaining a WC winning side should be recognized. but so soon to him being banned indefinitely and dropped from the contracts..
Re: Afridi, Younus get Pride of Performance Award..
on what basis really... for winning the t20 "world cup"?
how can anyone take a world cup that takes place every year seriously? I understand that last year's win was special for us.. because of what was going on in Pakistan and the way our team came from behind, etc... but seriously, it's just t20...
if they win next year's odi world cup i.e. the real world cup, give them 10 awards each... but by giving to Afridi and Younis for one tiny tournament cheapens the Price of Performance. I'm no expert but from what I've seen casually, Pride of Performance is earned by outstanding contribution in a field over an extended period of time... in which case maybe, MAYBE Younis qualifies... but even then, there were probably better contenders.
on what basis really... for winning the t20 "world cup"?
how can anyone take a world cup that takes place every year seriously? I understand that last year's win was special for us.. because of what was going on in Pakistan and the way our team came from behind, etc... but seriously, it's just t20...
if they win next year's odi world cup i.e. the real world cup, give them 10 awards each... but by giving to Afridi and Younis for one tiny tournament cheapens the Price of Performance. I'm no expert but from what I've seen casually, Pride of Performance is earned by outstanding contribution in a field over an extended period of time... in which case maybe, MAYBE Younis qualifies... but even then, there were probably better contenders.
Dude just because you doesn't like Afridi you are belittling the effort of Pakistan team of winning something really big after the 1992 world cup. Infact a lot of people regarded the Lords victory bigger than the 1992 victory just because they won the title against all odds and what was going on in the country. Pakistan team gave the ICC, BCCI and other boards and IPL a big middle finger who tried their best to sideline Pakistan cricket.
and FYI, T20 world cup takes place after every 2 yrs and not 1 year. This year is an exception because the 50 over world cup is next year and ICC doesn't want to have the T20 and 50 over world cup during the same year.
Re: Afridi, Younus get Pride of Performance Award..
If dramay bazi/cheating was the criteria then why did they leave Asif behind? Shoaib Akhtar ne kia bigara thaa? They shouldn’t leave the emerging dramay-baaz Umar Akmal behind
Dude just because you doesn't like Afridi you are belittling the effort of Pakistan team of winning something really big after the 1992 world cup. Infact a lot of people regarded the Lords victory bigger than the 1992 victory just because they won the title against all odds and what was going on in the country. Pakistan team gave the ICC, BCCI and other boards and IPL a big middle finger who tried their best to sideline Pakistan cricket.
and FYI, T20 world cup takes place after every 2 yrs and not 1 year. This year is an exception because the 50 over world cup is next year and ICC doesn't want to have the T20 and 50 over world cup during the same year.
oh come on man. I can think of at least 2 tournaments which in terms of cricketing achievement were far better than t20. the world series cup of 97. that team was one of our best odi teams along with the 99 team. and the bilateral odi series win against a full strength Australia in 2002.
like I said I can understand why ppl were so happy especially in the context of the situation back home plus the way our team came back, and like you said, the way we gave the middle finger to BCCI. but an odi win still means a lot more to me than a t20 win.
and thanks for pointing out about the t20 world cup. I thought it was held every year.
Re: Afridi, Younus get Pride of Performance Award..
Losing in a washout, that too to a cricket magapower Australia is not shameful. Happens.
Awarding the captain after that washout washout is a bit absurd but not laughable.
Biting the ball is just sad.
Making out as if that was patriotism is very sad and shameful.
Making him captain is absurd, shameful and laughable.
Giving him the nation's top award - just priceless!!!! only in Pakistan
For all those who are still being melodramatic about the whole episode here is an FYI.
The pride of performance awards for Afridi and Younus were announced last year on August 14th and that they will formally receive the awards on March 23th 2010.
So its not like that all of a sudden they are receiving these awards after the ball biting incident and getting banned from PCB.
IMO Yousuf deserved it more than Afridi. Not sure what he has done to deserve this...
errr! he was the man of the match in the semi final and final of the T20 world cup and those who watched his performance could tell you that it looked like it was afridi versus the oppostion. C'mon a1 it wasn't expecting that from you.
We should lower our expectations to accomodate such dole outs. 'Pride' of performance. wah ji wah..Now it is all about pide and the ball biting had very little to do with pride, integrity and all those buzz words that are only good for books and dramas. Give me a f**in break!
I feel sorry for the Pakistanies who are living these words..holding hands to wake up the pathetic mob to what pride really is.
For all those who are still being melodramatic about the whole episode here is an FYI.
The pride of performance awards for Afridi and Younus were announced last year on August 14th and that they will formally receive the awards on March 23th 2010.
So its not like that all of a sudden they are receiving these awards after the ball biting incident and getting banned from PCB.
There is something called 'u-turn' which is so normal in PCB while in this case it wouldn't have been that bad.
