[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Faisal: *
^ Exactly. Not many people here like the words 'Pakis' either. So only dish out what you can take in. :)
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allright, than I will follow the rule.
But remember, if a indian dare to call me "paki" ONE SINGLE TIME, I will go up in his head.
But you have my assurance that I will not use the word first anymore.
ok ok…let say inzi is still our main batsman, who do you think will take his place once he is retired? I have another odd here, Bring Taufeeq in please (not in the ODIs but for the test, he is the best choice). After this series, We can groom up Taufeeq under Miandad’s coaching for One down in ODI and if not that, atleast he deserved to be the permenant openner for tests. Yasir and Taufeeq both have potential to be the main and reliable batsman in future.
I will shoot PCB Chairman if any *&^%$% dared to play Saleem Elahi against India 
[QUOTE]
Originally posted by Faisal: *
^ Exactly. Not many people here like the words 'Pakis' either. **So only dish out what you can take in.* :)
[/QUOTE]
Atlanta bhai, the above is extremely good advice.
Also, regarding your comments after that, please report any posts you find offensive to me or Ehsan bhai and we'll take care of it. If you try to get even on your own, you make our job that much more difficult.
Hope you understand what I'm saying. If you'd like to discuss this further, please PM me. :)
**Cricket’s most intense rivalry **
*By Oliver Brett *
Pakistan versus India.
Those three words alone conjure up such vibrant images of tense encounters on dust-bowl pitches watched by fiercely partisan crowds. And the sheer rarity of the matches - at a time when then international calendar is saturated by so many instantly forgettable fixtures - lends an almost mythical status to Pakistan-India matches. But why is this particular series so important for the international game?
STAR PLAYERS
When Tendulkar faces Shoaib there’s sure to be excitement. If the upcoming series was a Hollywood, or indeed Bollywood film, it is easy to guess who would have top billing. Shoaib Akhtar, he of the 100mph delivery, and the record-breaking batsman Sachin Tendulkar are the obvious crowd-pullers. But Pakistan have a mighty batsman of their own, captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, while India’s Rahul Dravid is rated the third best batsman in the world.
India look weaker in their bowling, with their two star spinners out, but the return of the impressive left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan will set the Bharat Army’s pulses racing. In the one-day internationals. India’s explosive force is Virender Sehwag, while Abdul Razzaq can clear the ropes in equally effective fashion.
FANS
An English cricket fan can watch his team humbled at Lord’s, shrug his shoulders, and mumble: “Well, there’s always the rugby.” West Indians can be vociferously enthusiastic when Brian Lara is in his pomp, but when the seamers start spraying the ball about, they become disenchanted quite quickly.
For Indians and Pakistanis, there is no such cheap escape clause. Unbending loyalty, unyielding faith and an all-consuming passion for the game seep through their veins when they watch their heroes perform on the big stage.
QUALITY OF THE TEAMS
Turn the international clock back 18 months and you see Pakistan and India playing moderate cricket against most nations, with lowly positions in the Test and one-day international league tables. **But things have changed dramatically since then.
India reached the final of the 2003 Cricket World Cup and then, after years of periodical failure in Tests away from home, drew a series in Australia. Pakistan’s ascent has been equally dramatic. **
They were truly dreadful in the World Cup, but after sacking coach Richard Pybus and some of the older contingent of players, 2003 ended on a high note. In seven Tests following the World Cup they won five matches and drew two. And while they were not quite so imperious in one-day cricket in the same time-frame, they have nevertheless won 15 matches and lost just eight.
HISTORY
Only eight years into their rivalry, cricketing relations were suspended for the first time between India and Pakistan from 1960-1978. When they resumed, there was plenty of success for Pakistan, who won 3-0 in 1982-83 as Imran Khan took 40 wickets.
Imran recently told BBC World Service’s Story of Cricket: “People who knew nothing about cricket followed that series because it was against India. For me it was the time when I became a hero.”
But India’s tour to Pakistan in 1989 proved to be their last before the current tour as the two governments broke off regular sporting contact because of a dispute over the Himalayan state of Kashmir.
There were three Tests between the two sides in India in 1998-99 before relations between the two governments cooled again. For cricket fans, however, the meeting of the two teams at the 2003 World Cup showed the rivalry was as intense as ever, with India coming out on top in a stunning, run-filled match at Centurion. It was followed last November by an announcement from the Board of Control in India (BCCI) that a tour to Pakistan would take place in 2004.
Now the waiting is over.
neend aatee nahi
saree saree raat
Let the countdown begin !!!!
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Decent 6Chora: *
neend aatee nahi
saree saree raat
Let the countdown begin !!!!
[/QUOTE]
seriouly yaar..cant wait for friday evening! Is anybody frm southern calif and watching the game in Artesia ?
I cant wait, this is going to be like war…
What is this about Afridi playing as an openor…I really don’t like the sounds of that… Unless he is a totally different player.
just read in jang that afridi will be the opener with imran farhat, n yasir 1 down 
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Decent 6Chora: *
neend aatee nahi
saree saree raat
[/QUOTE]
true :(
This hottie has some articulate views on the series…
Saif Ali khan
Considering that they invented the game and ruled us for about two centuries, I would imagine beating England at Lord’s would be the most exciting achievement for the Indian team. However, our generation has no memory of British subjugations and finds it more satisfying to grind our acrimoniously divorced northern partners into the dust. Cricket is a great metaphor for life.
It is important to remember the players travelling from India to Pakistan are going there to play their hearts out and win and shouldn’t be expected to do the job of hard-nosed diplomats and politicians. Neither should we expect this current wave of cultural and sporting exchange to solve any of our unfortunate political issues. It is, however, heartening that it’s easier for the common citizens to cross borders and rediscover lost ties in one of the most beautiful places in the subcontinent.
While it’s my duty as a good Indian and sometime paranoid Muslim to abuse Pakistan in order to seem patriotic and loyal (that’s why I did my bit in LoC), the fact remains that I have family across the border and have no personal enmity with any Pakistani.
My family and I have been to Pakistan twice, first to watch Sri Lanka and South Africa play the World Cup final and the second time for my cousin’s wedding. On both occasions, I noticed a lot of similarities and felt a lot of mutual love and respect. I am sure one day the nightmare of Partition will be a distant memory like the British Rule and beating Pakistan will be more a matter of deadly Pathani reverse swing than avenging political aggression.
Perhaps if we played each other more often, our approach towards victory and defeat would be more rational than the ‘Sachin your life will be hanged by a thread if you get a duck,’ attitude that prevails today.
I have always thought that cricket is a lot like life. It’s about you and your partner out there in the middle trying to deal with everything that’s thrown at you by the people who surround you. And before I take myself too seriously, always remember, it’s not the winning or the losing, it’s the taking APART. Kill, ’em, boys!
Shabbir doubt for Karachi
Pakistan seam bowler Shabbir Ahmed could miss the one-day series opener against India in Karachi.
Shabbir injured the little finger of his left hand during practice for Saturday’s match.
“He has two stitches and is still feeling uncomfortable,” said Pakistan Cricket Board chief Rameez Raja.
Shabbir has recently been working to re-model his action after being reported by the umpires during the tour to New Zealand in January.
His one-day record is moderate, with only 17 wickets in 19 appearances so far.
But he is seen as a good foil for Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami, who rely chiefly on sheer pace.
If he fails to recover in time, Naved-ul-Hasan or uncapped Rao Iftikhar would be likely to step in.
---------x---------
phenti-rate !! 
Kee gull keeti ehh,
:rocketup: 
What a sore, shallow loser. He sets low standards for himself to prove his patriotism.
I can quite feel the Indian frustration, not having won a Test match in Pakistan for over 55 years. 
^ your powers of deduction are breathtaking
Touchdown
Roving Reporter by Anand Vasu in Lahore
March 10, 2004
Captain AK Malhotra, piloting the Indian Airlines Airbus A320 from Delhi to Lahore, chose his words carefully. Whoever wrote his speech for him sprinkled it liberally with the words "historic", "special" and "proud". His voice crackled over the speakers like that of an old politician as he welcomed the 20-strong Indian team, officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and "other delegates" onto the aircraft. From the outset, it was clear that the only way was up for the hype that surrounds this tour.
For most, the journey began well before they reached the Indira Gandhi International airport in Delhi. The team had its hands full; they first addressed a press conference at the Taj Mansingh hotel where they mouthed the necessary platitudes, before being whisked away to a meeting with Atal Behari Vajpayee, the prime minister. The team presented Vajpayee with a cricket bat, and in return he showed that the poet in him was not lost in the quagmire of politics. "It's important to win cricket matches, but equally important to win hearts," said the prime minister. Or words to that effect, at any rate.
For some of the media, winning hearts and cricket matches were way down the agenda - several members of the press corps did not have their visas even as late as the morning of the historic flight. A mad melee at the Pakistan High Commission ensued, and passports changed hands as late as 11am with tickets booked on the 1pm flight. To be fair, the staff at the High Commission have been stretched to such an extent that it's a miracle that anything happened on time. They are used to receiving 20-30 applications for visas on any given day, and were now sorting them in the hundreds. Each staff member was doing the work of five. Kamran Ali Khan, the minister responsible for such matters, was himself receiving and delivering passports at the gates. He would have hardly anticipated work of this kind when got his high-profile posting in India.
But, for the players there were no such hitches. They arrived at the airport fashionably late, all things taken care of, in their official ties and blazers. They were given a rousing reception as a wave of applause spontaneously broke out to announce their arrival at Terminal II. From then on, all hassles, hitches and delays were forgotten. The Indian tour of Pakistan, amid all the brouhaha of security concerns and diplomatic to-ing and fro-ing, was finally on. Flight IC 1845, specially chartered for the occasion, was bound for Lahore.
The Indian team settled comfortably into the front of the aircraft, exactly filling the 20 executive-class seats on offer. Indian Airlines' handling of arrangements set the tone for a relaxed, comfortable flight. They augmented their usual selection of juices with chilled cans of beer, a gesture much appreciated by those worried about a long, dry spell in Pakistan. The team was presented with a card wishing them the best, while the in-flight meal included a tricolour dessert that mirrored the Indian flag – just two details that told you there was something special going down.
Almost as soon as the aircraft was airborne, and lunch had been served, Captain Malhotra was at the microphone again. "We are beginning our descent to Lahore," he said, prompting Mohammad Kaif, who was having a quiet word with journalists, to dash back towards his seat. Almost as soon as it began, almost before one could absorb the weight of the occasion, it was all over. There would be plenty of time for that in the days to come. Vijay Bhava came the voice over the speakers, one last time, exhorting the Indian team to return victorious. The plane kissed the tarmac at the Allama Iqbal airport, and the India-Pakistan show was well and truly on the road.
Anand Vasu is assistant editor of Wisden Cricinfo in India.
I heard that Ganguly and Co. are bringing in " Laagan" in several languages to inspire them against Pakistan. Like it Inspire them in Australia. 
I wonder who will play the mole 
Indian cricket team arrives in Lahore
LAHORE: The Indian cricket team led by Sourave Ganguly arrived in Lahore to play five one-dayers and three Test matches in the historical cricket series in Pakistan. Officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board, District Cricket Association and the District Government warmly received the Indian team.
Special security measures were taken at the Allama Iqbal Airport, Lahore and surrounding areas.
Earlier, the Indian team players called on Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at his residence and presented a bat with signatures by the team players to him. Win matches, but also win hearts. This was the message the Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee gave to the Indian team. :k:
The Indian team will play a warm-up match in Lahore tomorrow. Pakistan’s team was playing a practice match in the National Stadium, Karachi today.
A large gathering gave sendoff to the Indian cricket team leaving for Pakistan. The Indian players are arriving to a historical visit of Pakistan after 15 years. Indian team skipper Sourav Ganguly said the team would strive hard to win the series.
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ehsan bhia.. i would like to open a thread for the pictures durring this tournment.. it will be fun to look at em every now and then?
Bless you bro, It would be great for us as there is nething on TV or newspaper here. specially when I’m in the office right now 
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by proudpakistani007: *
ehsan bhia.. i would like to open a thread for the pictures durring this tournment.. it will be fun to look at em every now and then?
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Of course you can open a thread. Go ahead.