#Test players pakistan

[icecricnewsupdates]

Who is the Cricket World's Best Player?

The question of who is the greatest cricketer of all time has been a perennial debate among fans and pundits alike. While the answer is often subjective and influenced by personal biases, there are several players who have consistently dominated the sport and made a strong case for the title. Let's explore some of the contenders and the factors that contribute to their greatness.

The Modern Era Dominators: Kohli, Smith, and Kane Williamson

The past decade has witnessed the rise of three exceptional talents who have redefined the standards of batting. Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson have consistently produced match-winning performances across all formats, solidifying their status as the modern era's premier batsmen.

♯1. Virat Kohli: The Indian captain's aggressive style, impeccable timing, and ability to adapt to different conditions have made him a nightmare for bowlers. His record-breaking centuries and his leadership qualities have cemented his place among the all-time greats.

♯2. Steve Smith: The Australian's unorthodox technique and his ability to score runs at will have made him a force to be reckoned with. Smith's consistency and his ability to perform under pressure have earned him widespread admiration.

♯3. Kane Williamson: The New Zealand captain's elegant strokeplay and his calm demeanor have made him a joy to watch. Williamson's ability to anchor the innings and his match-winning performances have solidified his reputation as one of the best batsmen in the world.

➥ Also Read: Indian Cricket Team Schedule 2024-2025

The All-Round Legends: Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, and Jacques Kallis

The all-rounders who have excelled in both batting and bowling have always been held in high regard. Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, and Jacques Kallis are among the most iconic all-rounders of all time.

♯1. Imran Khan: The former Pakistan captain's swing bowling and his classy batting made him a complete cricketer. His leadership qualities and his contributions to his country's success have earned him legendary status.

♯2. Kapil Dev: The Indian fast bowler's ability to swing the ball both ways and his useful batting made him a valuable asset to the team. His leadership in the 1983 World Cup-winning team cemented his place in Indian cricket history.

♯3. Jacques Kallis: The South African all-rounder's consistency and his ability to perform in all conditions have made him one of the greatest cricketers of his generation. His contributions with both bat and ball have been invaluable to his country.

➥ Also Read: Indian Cricket Team Schedule 2024-2025

The Timeless Greats: Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, and West Indies Legends

While the modern era has produced some exceptional talents, there are a few players who have transcended generations and are considered among the greatest of all time. Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, and the West Indies legends of the 1970s and 1980s are among the most revered names in cricket history.

♯1. Don Bradman: The Australian legend's batting average of 99.98 remains the highest in Test cricket history. His dominance over bowlers and his ability to score runs at will have made him a mythical figure in the sport.

♯2. Sachin Tendulkar: The Indian "Master Blaster" broke countless records during his illustrious career. His ability to adapt to different conditions and his consistency have made him one of the most beloved cricketers of all time.

♯3. West Indies Legends: The West Indies teams of the 1970s and 1980s boasted a formidable lineup of fast bowlers and powerful batsmen. Players like Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, and Joel Garner dominated world cricket for over a decade.

➥ Also Read: Indian Cricket Team Schedule 2024-2025

[nickgerlich]

Take My Money

Like the flu in winter spreading from person to person, it seems that all of the streaming services have the same bug: It’s time to increase prices. It starts with one—usually Netflix—testing the waters, and if there is little or no pushback, then the others get the same bug.

Of course, inflation is blamed for the need to do so, not to mention the screenwriters’ and actors’ strikes and subsequent agreements that are increasing costs for movies and shows.

But if everyone’s doing it, why not join the party?

And so we find Spotify raising its prices again, rolling out a $1-$2 monthly subscription price increase first in the UK, Australia, and Pakistan, and then later this year, in the US. Spotify also plans to add another pricing tier to entice budget-minded customers. Overall, though, Spotify claims the price increases are needed to be able to support its recent audiobook initiative. What gets lost in the current conversation is that Spotify raised prices $2 last year as well.

How long until Apple Music raises its prices? We can start taking bets now. I bet it won’t be long.

Even though regular price increases can become annoying, especially when we have numerous streaming subscriptions, they are still a bargain. If you offset your streaming subs by cutting the cord with your cable or satellite provider, the a la carte system is perfectly scalable to match budgets and interests.

Since audio streaming is just as competitive as video streaming, it means that the players must continually up their game, which translates into adding services and content. Podcasts, and now audiobooks, cost money, and someone has to pay for it. Spotify also plans to add a top-tier level which features higher quality audio than available on other plans.

Naturally, investors were pleased with the announcement, and Spotify shares jumped 8%. It may seem counter-intuitive, but investors generally like price increases, as well as layoffs and store closures…basically, anything that will ultimately pad the bottom line. Given that Spotify has never posted a profit since it went public in 2018, investors are hopeful this might be a push in the right direction.

Now consider the fact that we no longer need to purchase tangible media. All those CDs and DVDs you bought are obsolete and taking up space in your house, attic, or garage. I’m saving money even with all of my streaming subs, plus I get access to a content library that I could never begin to duplicate on my own.

There is an alternative to streaming audio, of course, and it is SXM Radio. They have a monopoly on satellite content, the result of the 2008 merger of XM Radio (founded in 2001) and Sirius (launched in 2002). SXM does not allow users to select specific content, only stations, while Spotify gives users complete control. I have both SXM and Spotify, and get my money’s worth out of both, but my usage depends on what I am doing and where I am going.

For example, I listen to podcasts on Spotify when I am on my daily walks, but SXM when driving locally. When on longer road trips, though, I listen to a mix of both, using Bluetooth to sync my phone to my van’s audio system. Unlimited data plans for cell phones make this possible. I have fading memories of lugging small crates of CDs on road trips, and do not miss those days at all.

The broader question for everyone in the room, from customers to providers, is how long these price increases can keep up until the customers revolt. It is not much different from going to Disney, which keeps raising prices. Folks complain, but they pay it anyway, because they feel like they are still getting value for their dollar.

How much value do you get from your subs, though? I realize these are very different experiences, Disney being a very temporary situation—a vacation—with streaming being daily consumables. Still, money is money, and we’re not exactly made of it. I never could get that tree to grow in my backyard. Two dollars every year adds up, and multiplies like rabbits across all of your subs.

With about a thousand hours a year listening to Spotify alone, I feel like I am getting more than my money’s worth. If I have to cut back somewhere, I’ll just tote my lunch to work a little more, eat out less, whatever it takes to keep the books balanced. The same goes for all of my other subs. As long as the value exceeds the cost, I’m good.

Just don’t share that flu bug with me.

Dr “Turn It Up” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[cricketdirectuk]

Fearless England win Rawalpindi Test

by Rex Clementine

England had done everything right in the first Test against Pakistan from scoring at fanatic pace to setting attacking fields on a wicket that offered little assistance for bowlers and deserved victory which they achieved under fading light to go 1-0 up in the three match series. Having set Pakistan a stiff target of 343, England secured a 74 run win as Ollie Robinson and James Anderson shared eight wickets between them.

England had posted 657 runs in the first innings and although Pakistan responded by scoring 579 all out, a result was still possible as England had maintained a healthy run rate. They had scored at 6.5 runs an over in the first innings and were even better in the second innings going at 7.36. Ben Stokes declaration at 264 for seven was a sporting one and kept the game open without letting it to drift away for a high scoring draw.

It was a good fightback from Pakistan and heading into the final session of the game all four results were possible. Pakistan required 86 runs to win while England needed five wickets while in all previous days bad light had ended play early and a draw too was on the cards. Given the extraordinary things this game had witnessed you couldn't rule out a tie either. In the game's near 150 year history, there had been only two tied games.

Azhar Ali was batting with an injured finger and as long as he was there, Pakistan had their hopes. The former captain is an experienced campaigner and had dug his side out of trouble on numerous occasions. But England had been too good to be denied a victory and they had their man when Robinson executed the plan nicely. Azhar flicked one off the hip but a man had been stationed at leg-slip for this exact moment and Joe Root gobbled up the chance to start off celebrations as this was a huge moment in the game.

The last pair of Naseem Shah and Mohammad Ali weren't going down without a fight and they had resisted some fine bowling for more than half an hour. There was just ten minutes left for the scheduled close of play when Jack Leach got a leg before wicket decision in his favour. Naseem Shah reviewed it and England players waited agonizingly before ball tracking confirmed that the ball was hitting leg-stump.

England celebrated a hard fought win and now need to regroup before the next Test on Friday. This has been a remarkable effort by them on their return to Pakistan and the game itself was under threat after several player caught a stomach bug.

[latestnewsbysportstiger]

Why did Babar Azam leave captaincy?

In the 2-minute, 15-second-long video, Zaka Ashraf revealed the reason behind Babar Azam’s removal from captaincy. He said that the then-skipper had formed a group with eight players, and he was asked to continue as Test captain. When asked by the woman who can be heard in the audio questioning on captain supporting his friends as players like Shadab have no place in the team, the Chairman replied, "Pakistan cricket is deteriorating because of this."

Here is Zaka Ashraf Leak Audio Babar Azam

“He has controlled eight players of the national team; he has signed a contract with the players. He is such a smart guy that he has built a lot of relationships with the players’ families by going to players’ houses, and the players can’t move without him, Talha Osmani, I think,” said PCB Head.

[cricket183235]

The Gentleman's Game: A Deep Dive into the World of Cricket

Cricket, often referred to as the "gentleman's game," holds a special place in the hearts of millions around the world. From the iconic sound of leather against willow to the electrifying atmosphere of a stadium filled with passionate fans, cricket is much more than just a sport; it's a cultural phenomenon that transcends boundaries and unites people. In this blog post, we'll explore the history, the thrill, and the global impact of cricket.

Check Satta King game of gambling

The Historical Tapestry: Origins and Evolution

Cricket's origins date back to the 16th century, with the first recorded match taking place in the 17th century. What began as a quaint English pastime soon evolved into an international sensation. The establishment of international cricketing bodies like the International Cricket Council (ICC) further solidified the sport's reach.

The Formats that Define Cricket's Diversity

Cricket offers a variety of formats, each with its own unique charm. Test matches, known for their strategic depth and endurance, challenge players' skills over five days. One-day internationals (ODIs) condense the game into a single day, adding a sense of urgency. Twenty20 (T20) cricket, with its fast-paced action, has revolutionized the sport, introducing a whole new audience to its magic.

Sattaking game - win money by betting

Cricket Heroes and Legends

Throughout its history, cricket has been graced by legendary players who etched their names in the annals of the game. From Sir Donald Bradman's unmatched prowess to Sachin Tendulkar's unmatched records, these players have inspired generations with their skill, dedication, and sportsmanship.

Cricket and Culture: A Global Affair

Cricket isn't just a sport; it's a cultural phenomenon. In India, it's practically a religion, with streets emptying during matches and fans passionately discussing players' performances. In the Caribbean, cricket is a source of national pride, and in Australia and England, the Ashes series is a historic battle that captivates the cricketing world.

Cricket Diplomacy and Global Unity

Cricket has often been used as a diplomatic tool to foster relations between nations. Matches between historically tense rivals, such as India and Pakistan, are anticipated not just for their cricketing excellence, but for the potential to bring people closer despite political differences.

Cricket's Journey into the Future

As the world changes, cricket evolves with it. Technological innovations, such as Decision Review System (DRS) and data analytics, have added a new layer of analysis to the game. Leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL) have brought cricket into a new era of entertainment and commercial success.

Conclusion: More Than Just a Game

Cricket is more than just a sport; it's a celebration of skill, camaraderie, and the human spirit's competitive drive. Its ability to transcend cultural, linguistic, and geographical boundaries highlights the universal appeal of sports. Whether it's the anticipation of a well-timed cover drive or the thrill of a last-ball finish, cricket continues to capture hearts, making it a timeless and cherished part of our global culture.

Check cricket gambling game on Cricket id

[vedansh23]

The Allure of Cricket: A Worldwide Sporting Phenomenon

Introduction

Cricket is a team sport that originated in England and has gained immense global popularity. It involves two teams, each consisting of eleven players, taking turns to bat and field. The team batting tries to score runs by hitting the ball and running between wickets, while the team fielding aims to dismiss the batsmen and limit their runs.

The game is typically played between two teams, each consisting of 11 players. The objective is for one team to score more runs than the other. Runs are earned by the batsmen, who try to hit the ball bowled by the opposing team's bowler and run between wickets. The fielding team's goal is to dismiss the batsmen by getting them out in various ways, such as catching the ball or hitting the stumps with the ball. Cricket matches can last from a few hours to five days, depending on the format.

Cricket is played in various formats, including Test matches, One Day Internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20 (T20) matches. Test matches are played over several days, emphasizing endurance and strategy. ODIs are limited to 50 overs per side, and T20 matches are even shorter, with each team facing just 20 overs.

Cricket's popularity spans across continents, with strong followings in countries like India, Australia, England, Pakistan, South Africa, and the West Indies, among others. Major tournaments like the Cricket World Cup, held for both ODIs and T20s, capture global attention. The sport has a massive fan base, and international matches draw large audiences both at stadiums and through broadcasting. Cricket players become iconic figures, and the sport holds a significant place in the cultural fabric of many nations.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 8.12 (after 1900)

1914 – World War I: The United Kingdom and the British Empire declare war on Austria-Hungary. 1914 – World War I: The Battle of Halen a.k.a. Battle of the Silver Helmets a clash between large Belgian and German cavalry formations at Halen, Belgium. 1944 – Waffen-SS troops massacre 560 people in Sant'Anna di Stazzema. 1944 – Nazi German troops end the week-long Wola massacre, during which time at least 40,000 people are killed indiscriminately or in mass executions. 1944 – Alençon is liberated by General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, the first city in France to be liberated from the Nazis by French forces. 1948 – Babrra massacre: About 600 unarmed members of the Khudai Khidmatgar movement are shot dead on the orders of the Chief Minister of the North-West Frontier Province, Abdul Qayyum Khan Kashmiri, on Babrra ground in the Hashtnagar region of Charsadda District, North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan. 1950 – Korean War: Bloody Gulch massacre: Seventy-five American POWs are massacred by the North Korean Army. 1952 – The Night of the Murdered Poets: Thirteen prominent Jewish intellectuals are murdered in Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union. 1953 – First thermonuclear bomb test: The Soviet atomic bomb project continues with the detonation of "RDS-6s" (Joe 4) using a "layered" scheme. 1953 – The 7.2 Ms  Ionian earthquake shakes the southern Ionian Islands with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). Between 445 and 800 people are killed. 1960 – Echo 1A, NASA's first successful communications satellite, is launched.x 1964 – South Africa is banned from the Olympic Games due to the country's racist policies. 1969 – Violence erupts after the Apprentice Boys of Derry march in Derry, Northern Ireland, resulting in a three-day communal riot known as the Battle of the Bogside. 1976 – Between 1,000 and 3,500 Palestinians are killed in the Tel al-Zaatar massacre, one of the bloodiest events of the Lebanese Civil War. 1977 – The first free flight of the Space Shuttle Enterprise. 1977 – The Sri Lanka Riots: Targeting the minority Sri Lankan Tamils, begin, less than a month after the United National Party came to power. Over 300 Tamils are killed. 1981 – The IBM Personal Computer is released. 1985 – Japan Airlines Flight 123 crashes into Osutaka ridge in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, killing 520, to become the worst single-plane air disaster. 1990 – Sue, the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton found to date, is discovered by Sue Hendrickson in South Dakota. 1992 – Canada, Mexico and the United States announce completion of negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). 1994 – Major League Baseball players go on strike, eventually forcing the cancellation of the 1994 World Series. 2000 – The Russian Navy submarine Kursk explodes and sinks in the Barents Sea during a military exercise, killing her entire 118-man crew. 2015 – At least two massive explosions kill 173 people and injure nearly 800 more in Tianjin, China. 2016 – Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) capture the city of Manbij from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). 2018 – Thirty-nine civilians, including a dozen children, are killed in an explosion at a weapons depot in Sarmada, Syria. 2021 – Six people, five victims and the perpetrator are killed in Keyham, Plymouth in the worst mass shooting in the UK since 2010.

[pct-zindabad]

THE WRATH OF KHAN

Imran Khan is indisputably Pakistan’s greatest cricketer. As an all-rounder, he bears comparison with the best there have ever been, a skillful fast bowler and resourceful batsman with a solid defense. But all of them he was a great leader that he really stood out. If you see the history of Pakistan cricket, it shows that Pakistan is a notoriously difficult team to captain.

But he had the massive charisma and stature to unify them and drive them to play above themselves, and that is quite a talent. His finest hour was undoubtedly guiding Pakistan to their first World Cup triumph in 1992, top-scoring with 72 in the final against England at MCG in front of 87k spectators. Although, Imran’s famously imploring his team earlier in the tournament when their hopes hung by a thread to fight ‘like cornered tigers’.

But he has to his name several other outstanding achievements. Imran Khan-led Pakistan to their first Test series wins in both India 1986-87 – obviously a huge thing in his country – and England in 1987. He also led Pakistan to three drawn series in a row against West Indies when West Indies were at the height of their powers. Pakistan, in fact, were the first side to seriously challenge West Indian supremacy.

When they won Test Match at Guyana in 1988, then it was the first time in ten years that West Indies had lost a home Test. The major contribution of Imran Khan when he took 11 wickets in the game. In his career, Imran claimed 80 wickets at 21.18 apiece against West Indies, an incredible record given how strong they were at the time.

He scored some important runs against them too, notably in his final series against West Indies in 1990– 91 when he averaged 50.33 (his overall average against West Indies was 27.67). Imran, who led Pakistan on and off for ten years from 1982 to 1992, mentored some fine players during that period, notably fast bowlers Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Aaqib Javed.

Especially two w’s who swung the ball at pace even greater distances than he did. Imran had the bearing of a leader and for the most part, the players followed. Captaincy elevated his game to a striking degree, averaging 50.55 with the bat and 19.90 with the ball. He turned himself into a considerable bowler with an astonishing record inside Pakistan where visiting fast bowlers tended to find life desperately hard.

Imran himself took 163 wickets at 19.20 apiece there, a better record than he had elsewhere (his overall record was a hugely impressive 362 wickets in 88 Tests at 22.81 each; no one had taken more for Pakistan at the time he retired). Some of the famous players never faced him in Pakistan as he was nursing a stress fracture that prevented him from bowling for the best part of two years when toured therein 1983–84.

England encountered him in 1982 and 1987 and he was a major force both times. In three Tests in 1982, when we were perhaps a little fortunate to win the series 2–1, he scored 212 runs and took 21 wickets. However, he came to England with a passion to beat England in England in 1987. And he led the Pakistan side to do the first time.

In that series, he again took 21 wickets and was the match-winner with the ball in the one game that had a positive outcome at Headingly Leeds. Imran Khan bowling immaculately to take seven for 40 in the second innings. Imran, who was at Oxford in the early 1970s and from there joined Worcestershire, started out as a brisk medium-pacer but through determination and intelligence turned himself into a genuine fast bowler of quality. His two cousins Majid Khan and Javed Burki also led the Pakistan cricket team in the 1960s and 1970s.

Many cricketers remember facing him in one of their earliest games for Leicestershire at around the time he was stepping up his pace. It was the day after David Gower took an early exit from university and we were playing a Benson & Hedges Cup quarter-final at Worcester on a good old New Road pitch with pace and bounce. Gower was caught at slip off him and the ball carried a long way behind me, always a good measure of someone’s speed.

At the age of 18, he made a test debut against England at Edgbaston in 1971 but did not take a permanent place due to below-par performance. Hence, he continued to focus on his education and cricket in England and come back to the side in 1974 on the tour of England.

In county cricket in the period from the mid-1970s to mid-1980s, Imran would have been up there with Mike Procter and Malcolm Marshall as among the best at swinging the ball at pace. Perhaps the thing that completed his education was joining World Series, from which he emerged a far better bowler, learning from watching and working with so many other fine fast bowlers recruited by Kerry Packer. Imran Khan’s charismatic personality and athletic talent made him a popular celebrity all over the world.

In 1976, Imran took 6 for 63 and 6 for 102, for a match figure of 12 wickets to lead his country to 8 wickets win in the 3rdTest at Sydney. This spell surprises the whole Australian team and Pakistani dressing room. Before that match, he was having 9 test matches experience with 25 wickets under his belt with a heavy average of 43.52. Pakistan was trailing 0-1 in the tough series, but Imran’s hostile bowling spell makes Pakistan a marked ascent in the world of cricket.

In 1980, Imran Khan scored 123 runs in the first Test century against the powerful bowling attack of West Indies at Lahore. The years in which he played from 1980 to 1986, on either side of his lay-off for the stress fracture, he was taking his Test wickets at a very cheap cost. In 1982 he returned what remains the best match figures for Pakistan in Tests of 14 for 114 against Sri Lanka in Lahore. The following winter he took an incredible 40 wickets at 13.95 in six Tests against India.

What the Pakistan bowlers, led by Imran and Sarfraz Nawaz, seemed to understand better than everyone else was the mysterious art of swinging the old ball. Therefore, for a batsman, coping with anyone who could move the ball – whether old or new – both ways were always a challenge. You worked hard to get your runs.

The early 1980s was a great era for all-rounders with Imran Khan, Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee, and Kapil Dev all doing great things and rivaling each other for the status of top dog. In the 1987 Cricket World Cup, Khan decided to quit international cricket. But later, the Pakistan public and Zia-ul-Haq the Prime Minister requested him to take back his retirement. He could not reject the public appeal and return to international cricket until 1992.

In terms of bowling, Imran was perhaps consistently the quickest of them. Botham had times where he bowled with the same sort of pace, Hadlee could bowl a sharp delivery if needed but in comparison was slightly down on pace overall, and Kapil was brisker medium than brisk. But they all moved the ball in the air or hit the seam or both, and that was really what made them so difficult to face.

In July 1987, Imran became the first Pakistani bowler to take 300 wickets milestone during the 3rd Test vs England at Lords. If you see the stats, then Imran and Hadlee stood well out in front, averaging around 22 while Botham and Kapil took their wickets at a cost in the high 20s, a reflection really that they were unable to maintain their early brilliance into older age.

Ian Botham probably ranked first as a batsman but Imran, who began his career down the order, developed into a seriously good top-order player and accordingly ended up with six Test hundreds to his name (Botham made 14, Kapil eight, and Hadlee two). Imran kept on improving and became a world-class batsman in all forms.

Indeed, towards the end of his career, he was playing more as a batsman who bowled than a bowler who batted, and when he scored those runs in the 1992 World Cup final, he was batting at number 3. His Test record with the bat was highly respectable, an average of 37.69 comparing well to Botham’s 33.54, Kapil’s 31.05, and Hadlee’s 27.16.

Imran retired from all forms of cricket after winning the 1992 world cup. What gives Imran preeminence in this all-rounder fest is his stature as a leader of a national side that had previously lacked any direction. Since Imran, Pakistan cricket has rarely been stable. Talented players continue to be produced in extraordinary numbers given the absence of a coherent domestic structure.

But it has been engulfed in more than one corruption scandal, while a terrorist attack on a touring Sri Lanka team in 2009 has forced them since to set up a new home in the Middle East. Imran himself has entered politics in the ambitious hope of addressing his country’s many problems. After retirement, he entered politics and outspoken critic of government corruption in Pakistan.

Imran Khan laid the foundation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in 1996. Imran Khan started a new journey into Pakistan politics and continued their efforts after badly failing in the 2002, and 2007 elections. Eventually, his efforts bring some happiness to his party becoming a strong candidate for the 2013 elections.

Even in one accident he badly injured his neck and back to falling from a platform at an election campaign rally. Therefore, his braveness in fighting against corruption & poverty won a plurality of seats in the July 2018 elections. Then he became the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan. The first cricketer to be knighted a prime minister of any country.

Imran Khan remains a philanthropist in the public eye. He has a great passion to build a cancer hospital after his mother died of those diseases in 1985. His wish was fulfilled by completing Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore in 1994 named after Khan’s mother.

[mywifeleftme]

39: Arooj Aftab // Vulture Prince

Vulture Prince Arooj Aftab 2021, New Amsterdam (Bandcamp)

In 2021 Arooj Aftab’s third LP Vulture Prince unexpectedly blew up, at least in the way that sedate music for adults can be said to blow up—rapturous reviews, a quarter of a million listeners on Spotify, and a spot on Barack Obama’s annual focus-tested-to-hell year-end playlist. (Did you know he was listening to tUnE-yArDs when they finally compromised Osama Bin Laden to a permanent end?) An unusual outcome for a predominantly Urdu-language release with an average track length of 6:30, to be sure, but Vulture Prince was the right album at the right time.

Vulture Prince’s languid, melancholy, exquisitely arranged sound will be legible to a broad coalition of listeners, from fans of jazz, to post-rock, to New Age, to indie folk. Despite receiving a Grammy nod for Best New Artist, Aftab is a seasoned composer in her mid-30s, working here with sensitive musicians in various small combos (mostly harp, double bass, and violin, occasionally augmented by guitar, percussion, flugelhorn, and additional strings). She trusts the players to bring their own sensibilities to her songs, resulting in performances that are rich with subtle instrumental flourishes and embellishments.

This is neither precisely an ‘eastern’ nor ‘western’ album. Though Aftab’s voice evokes the passionate, melismatic runs of great ghazal singers like Abida Parveen or Nashenas, she sings these traditional poems with the intimate, smoky hush of a Leslie Feist or even a Norah Jones. Though her slow-developing melodies often have the flavour and cadence of Sufi music, she composes for western chamber instruments. This makes sense: Aftab grew up in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, but received her musical education in Boston and seasoning in New York’s jazz scene. This is precisely what makes Vulture Prince such a prime candidate for crossover success: its language and mood mark it as ostensibly ‘foreign,’ but not in such a way that it challenges western audiences’ notions of what is pleasant or beautiful.

Mounting that sort of challenge isn’t the ‘job’ of an artist—their job is to make something distinctive out of the materials experience has provided them. Vulture Prince is a beguiling product of Aftab’s diverse influences and marks the emergence of a songwriter of great promise. If it also serves as an enticement for listeners to stray further still from their cultural comfort zone, that’s a healthy bonus.

39/365

[redeyedroid]

Scots generally don't go much for cricket. Which I find odd, considering how consistently terrible England have been for most of my life. If there's one thing that brings the people of Scotland together, it's England losing at sport.

Cricket's eccentric as hell; the objectives often incomprehensible and bizarre, even to people who follow the game; it's impenetrable terminology has multiple ways of labeling the same things; the simple idea of who is winning and who is losing may be undiscernable for days; it can go on for five days and still end in a draw and they only decided to end matches like that because once, decades ago, a test match went on so long one team risked missing their boat back home; a series of five or more matches can go on for months; people are forced to keep playing long after the result has been decided; bowling and batting require completely different skills and techniques, yet some players master both; it's greatest trophy, The Ashes, is only contested by two nations and is, essentially, a self-deprecating shitpost; and one of the greatest memes of all time originates from a dropped catch in 2019.

But, because the people of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka love it like nothing else, it is the second most popular sport in the world. And I love it, too. Be it Mitchell Starc clean bowling Rory Burns with the first ball of the 2021/22 Ashes, beginning a series of quite staggering English ineptitude; or Virat Kohli, the greatest batter of this generation, hitting back-to-back sixes off Haris Rauf in front of 95,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground while leading India to an extraordinary win against Pakistan at the 2022 T20 World Cup, cricket offers dramatic moments of brilliance with a regularity other sports struggle to match.

If you want an idea of exactly how popular cricket is in India, Kohli has 60 million more instagram followers than Brady, Serena and LeBron combined. His is the 16th most followed account in the world. The only sports stars with larger followings are Messi and Ronaldo. Like the greatest players in any sport, time appears to slow down around him when he's at his best, his balance and timing perfect as he makes an almost impossible task look like the easiest thing in the world (batters have a fraction of a second to react to a ball being bowled at them. Against the fastest bowlers, they might not even be able to see the ball at all, instead relying on triggers and clues and experience to hit it.)

I picked up a love for cricket from my dad, who himself picked it up one rainy summer afternoon (what do you think happens in summer in Scotland?) when he was young and there were only two TV channels. He loves the great West Indian team of the 1970s and 80s like no other. They're probably his favourite thing in sporting history. A found love, rather than the familial support for Hibs he inherited from his father.

(For that, I'd recommend the excellent documentary, Fire In Babylon. No knowledge is needed, beyond that in cricket, unlike baseball, there is no restriction against a bowler aiming at the batter's body. And the West Indian team had a succession of players who bowled at the speed of light and terrorised batters across the world. They also had, in Gordon Greenidge and Viv Richards, the two great batters of the - possibly any - era).

I missed much of their quarter century of dominance, being too young or not actually alive, but I do remember their last great bowlers, Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose, while the great Trinidadian, Brian Lara, twice set records for the highest individual score in test cricket, first scoring 375, then an unbeaten 400, a record that still stands today and which may now never be bettered. Of course, both those scores came against England.

There was a lot of listening to cricket on the radio, driving places when we were on holiday in the summer. It was a summer sport then, coverage only following teams when they came to England. In the winter, when England went away, we got little, for this was the age before wall-to-wall sports TV.

For instance, I remember bits of Australia's 1993 Ashes rampage coinciding with daytrips along Hadrian's Wall, among other places, but I have no memory of the following, equally one-sided series in Australia in 1994/95.

Not that test cricket is at all rampageous, containing, as it does, breaks for lunch and tea, and even at it's most fast paced only has a ball bowled every 45 seconds or so, this being repeated about 500 times a day, with maybe 1 in 4 actually being scored from. You can miss great chunks of matches only to find nothing has fundamentally changed when you return. One man dressed in white hurls a small red ball at another, who most often declines the opportunity to hit it as it whizzes past. It is often as close to being a day-long nap as any sport can be.

Today, like football, the sport is played everywhere, all the time. The South Asian nations have spread it across the world, far beyond the borders of the British imperial possessions where the colonial administrators introduced it. Wherever there is a strong community of people from the subcontinent, cricket will be found and while there are less than a dozen full members of the ICC, there are now lots of associate members all competing against each other (the USA is the 18th-ranked men's ODI team, for example). There's almost always something to watch somewhere.

Powered by TV money (rights for the Indian Premier league are, on a per-game basis, now the second most expensive sporting event in the world, after the NFL) the compressed, high-scoring excitement of T20 has become the most popular format of cricket, which is bad for me. Because my preference is for the full-fat, slow-motion weirdness of a test match. It's what I grew up with and in my mind, the game is not for the swift. There's a reason they're called tests. The game should be an examination of technique and concentration and endurance that lasts for ages and ends with two poor bastards trying to scratch out a draw by batting for a day and a half because their side trails by 450 runs and the other 9 players on their team are idiots who got out in ridiculous ways. And then, after they inevitably fail, they do it again a week later. And maybe they lose horribly two more times and their team finds itself 3-0 down with two matches to play, but those matches still get played, even though they won't change the result of the series, because that's also part of the test. Or maybe it rains all summer and no matches are played, because the English, with maniac optimism, like to invent games that cannot be played if it's raining (see also: tennis).

I recognise that this is churlish of me. The women's game, like in so many other sports a niche afterthought, is being supercharged by an influx of cash from India, as the men's IPL has this year expanded into a women's tournament. The TV rights for this sold for £95m, the 5 franchises sold for half a billion. The top players - most players, probably - will make more from it than they do for the rest of the year. T20 is an extraordinary boost for the women's game, where tests are rarely played.

This is A Very Good Thing, but I'll always prefer tests.

Only three nations now have the economic power and talent pool to devote equal attention to all three formats of the game. Only England, India and Australia still play full test series against each other. The rest now play two- or maybe three-match series and only occasionally. The form the future of the game will take is in doubt. The West Indies might fracture amidst a proliferation of T20 franchise leagues, their players - naturally and understandably - touring the world and playing in half-a-dozen dozen leagues, their talents auctioned and drafted and paid far more than they get from tests.

But today I'm going to ignore the question marks about cricket's future and the maybe slow death of anything other than T20. Because today, one of the last remaining marquee matchups begins. Tomorrow, the women's T20 World Cup starts in South Africa. In a couple of months I will consume as much of the two IPLs as I can. In the summer, England will host Ashes series for both men and women that promise much. Australia's men currently holds the ridiculous little urn and are the top ranked side. England's men are actually very good right now and have many fine and likeable players, and a part of me finds that very irritating. Either or neither could win. For the other, England's women are also good, but Australia's are much gooder (for real. Ellyse Perry should be counted among the greatest female sports stars of all time. A world class bowler and batter, she has represented Australia at World Cups in both cricket and football).

All that is for tomorrow and beyond. Today, Australia's men begin a 4-match test series in India. India will probably win. It is incredibly hard to win anywhere as a touring team because weather and pitches vary a great deal from country to country and strongly favour the home team, no matter how lowly they are ranked. The West Indies comfortably beat England last year, and Australia struggled to a draw in Sri Lanka. And of all the places to tour, India is the hardest place to win of all. A series win in India is a rare and treasured thing.

The problem with touring India are the pitches. They are slow and dusty and - like most subcontinental tracks - favour the arcane arts of spin bowling, where a bowler uses his fingers or wrist to put spin on the ball in the hope that when it hits the pitch it grips and it's trajectory changes, deceiving the batter. Pitches are prepared to take advantage of this and push India's home field advantage as much as possible. Teams who play warm-up matches before tests in the hope of acclimatising will find placid, grassy pitches that offer not a hint of the demonic conditions the test series will likely bring. Cricket has never been a gentleman's game.

Australia have one, very very good spin bowler in Nathan Lyon and a number who are either untested or not good. They are likely to suffer against Indian batters who have known how to play spin since picking up a bat. India have Ravichandran Ashwin, also a very very good spinner, but in Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav they have several who are merely very good and likely to prosper against Australian batters who are less good away from Australia (Jadeja, injured for most of the last 6 months is arguably the best all-rounder in men's cricket today. A prodigiously talented bowler and batter, he is also among the best fielders in the men's game).

Australia have barely toured anywhere since the pandemic began, but their team has played very well at home and their glitchy batting goblins Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith are incredibly good. I have hope they make the series competitive (though for me, their approaches to batting are too angularly idiosyncratic compared to the gloriously pure techniques of Kohli and Babar Azam of Pakistan). But I also hope that Kohli finds form and has a series for the ages.

The man's due.

PS Old Deadspin did a decent primer on cricket years ago and you can still read it, if you don't mind giving the site clicks...

[kyndaris]

The Sin of Pride

Looking back over the year that was, so many things have happened. Honestly, it’s hard to believe that all of this was crammed into just 365 days. And yet it did. Life in 2022 has been hard. Especially as people have stepped out from their caves and have attempted to return to a life of normalcy. True, COVID-19 has still rampaged and caused chaos but as the year has gone on, it’s become something that’s accepted by most able-bodied people in the community. And what of those individuals that are immunocompromised or have disabilities? Well, they’re simply part of the price that most people pay as we transition back to the ‘new normal.’ 

For many, if it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The start of 2022 was a fraught time for many of us in Australia. Soaring cases of Omicron and a lack of rapid antigen tests (RAT) meant that many holidays were cut short because of testing requirements to visit family in other states. On a personal scale, it had me panicked for attending a friend’s wedding reception early on in the year. For, if I did not have a RAT, how would I be able to test and make sure I would be hale and hearty?

But it wasn’t all fun and games. During the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic endured a trial by fire in trying to come to compete. His visa was cancelled, then reinstated after a challenge with the Federal Circuit Court, and then cancelled again by the then immigration minister.

Prince Andrew was stripped of his military titles and royal patronage because of all his shitty behaviour. And in more recent news, he’s been formally banned from Buckingham Palace.

Not long afterwards, there was a huge eruption in Tonga that led to the underwater communication cables being destroyed. This meant that people could receive no news about their loved ones as the islands were battered by tsunamis as a result of the volcano saying that enough was enough. The Philippines also saw a volcanic eruption.

In the world of gaming, Microsoft bought out Activision Blizzard. However, even now, that sale has yet to go through with the FTC suing Microsoft to block its acquisition. How it will all shake out is anyone’s guess but for for this loyal fan of the PlayStation, I certainly hope it doesn’t come to fruition. Even if it does, Activision Blizzard has so tarnished their reputation, it might be a good long while yet before peace can be restored in what was once a much celebrated company.

Back out in the world, Burkina Faso’s military took over the country. And then, of course, before spring had hit the northern hemisphere (and autumn down here in the south), Russia invaded Ukraine. Why? Well, supposedly to save it from fascists. But as anyone who is keeping up with the news cycle knows, the narrative continues to change because the resistance that Ukraine has put up has stemmed, and occasionally reversed, the red tide. 

In Australia, many were shocked by the sudden death of famous cricketer: Shane Warne. Easter brought with it severe flooding in NSW and QLD, with fears of Japanese encephalitis spreading in the southern states. The rains, of course, returned in the spring of 2022 and even now there are parts of Northern NSW that are still recovering. 

Beyond that, there was Ash Barty’s retirement from tennis! After reaching World Number 1, the Australian tennis player stepped down and back from the eyes of the world. 

Elsewhere, Sri Lanka was undergoing a severe economic crisis. Many a protest was held, with many finding their way into the presidential abode and enjoying a dip in the President’s pool. In Pakistan, Imran Khan narrowly avoided a no-confidence vote to be ousted as Prime Minister for Pakistan. A week later, however, he is tossed out. As for the Philippines, Marcos, son of the previous dictator, was voted in as President of the Philippines - with many of those that had voted for him buying into the narrative he and his mother weaved when once they were pariahs to the Filipino people. 

Honestly, it is astounding how quickly people can forget the crimes of a previous regime.

In May, Labor won the Australian Federal Election. Thankfully, unlike many of their counterparts in other places of the world, the conservative party didn’t attempt to claim election fraud. Rather, they bowed out with some grace. But instead of providing bipartisan support for ways to better the country, it could be said that they’ve returned to sniping off snide remarks from their very much diminished position as the opposition. And even though Labor won, much of it could be attributed to the introduction of Teal Independents and other smaller parties taking the fore.

Beyond politics, there was flooding in South Africa, Ukraine won Eurovision, and shooting returned to America after a brief stopper with the COVID-19 pandemic. While some of the shootings were motivated by race, others occurred in schools, which led right back to the debate of American gun control. Something that has still yet to see resolution as pro-gun lobbyists continue to advocate for dangerous guns out in the public.

With COVID-19 somewhat in the background but with the world still struggling with certain supply lines, many countries were struggling with high inflation. Many countries such as Tunisia, Ethiopia, Ghana, El Salvador, Turkey and Pakistan found themselves in an economic crisis. It certainly hadn’t helped when COVID-19 had disrupted trade across the world. But with low interest rates to combat the lack of spending when the virus was running rampant, the sudden war in Ukraine (the breadbasket of the world), essentials also became harder to acquire. Coupled with the effects of climate change...well...is it any wonder?

Back in politics, the landmark Roe vs Wade case was overturned. To combat this, Biden signed an executive order to protect several key human rights. Across the pond, Boris Johnson was forced to resign. He was followed by Liz Truss (who lasted about 40 or so days - not even as long as a head of lettuce) before being replaced by Rishi Sunak, the first Prime Minister of Indian ethnicity.

Shinzo Abe was shot while giving a speech, before later dying.

And in Australia, scandal of scandals, our previous Prime Minister: Scott Morrison, was discovered to have secretly appointed himself the head of five Ministry Departments. His excuse? To better manage the COVID-19 emergency.

In celebrity deaths, none could have competed against the passing of Queen Elizabeth II this year. For Australians, though the death of Olivia Newton-John hit close to home. While I mourned the loss of the much beloved Angela Lansbury. There were also a slew of deaths among the old communist regimes with Mikael Gorbachev and Jiang Zemin.

As the latter months of 2022 continued, there was the launch of the James Webb telescope. Since then, my Tumblr dash has been filled with magnificent photos taken from space. Other big events included record heat waves in Europe with many countries across the globe also suffering an energy crisis, hastening the need to transition to renewable energy.

Russia, still trying to subdue the Ukrainians after a disastrous foray that should have ended in mere days, was forced to partially mobilise their reserve troops. To punish the other countries in Europe for stymieing their attempts at bringing Ukraine to heal, they also closed off gas supplies to Europe. 

As October approached, protests began in Iran following the death of a woman held in custody by the moral police. In Australia, however, many of the populace were rocked by revelations of personal data being compromised by companies such as Optus and Medibank. And in Seoul, after reopening to tourists following the COVID-19 pandemic, several people were crushed to death in a panic stampede in the narrow streets in the Itaewon neighbourhood. 

The rest of 2022 was a cavalcade of chaos. Trump, defying the advice of his closest advisors, made a tilt for a 2024 presidential run. Even as the January 6 committee recommended that criminal charges be brought against him. An explosion in rural village in Poland spooked many before it was determined to be a result of Ukrainian anti-air defence. Elon Musk, showing how geniuses can still be terribly stupid, bought Twitter and is intent on running it into the ground. Even Tesla stocks have tanked. And following form his acquisition of Twitter, many people have seen what a terrible boss he would be to have.

On Tumblr, with many Twitter users fleeing one social media site for another Hell site, the good people decided to bring back a long lost classic. That of Goncharov. The best mafia film ever made. Or, at least, that’s what they would have liked people to believe.

As Christmas started ramping up, the FIFA World Cup was underway. In the end, after a hard fought battle, Argentina emerged as the victors.

But though 2022 could have ended on a high note, civil unrest in Peru, a shooting in Paris and blizzards bombarding the United States and Canada, have left many without power. In China, after lifting all COVID-19 restrictions following protests, COVID numbers are rising, with many individuals hospitalised. 

Looking back on the year that has been, 2022 has not been the bounce back from the pandemic many have hoped. The economy of many countries is a shambles, rocked by high inflation due to the prices for basic goods. Climate change has also shown it is not going away with natural disasters occurring more frequently. If humans hope to survive as a species, and enjoy our current luxuries (especially in first world countries), there are several things that need to change. 

Although starting at an individual level, this also needs to come from governments and those with the authority/ power to make more meaningful changes. I’m looking at you big oil/ energy companies.

You would think that such companies, knowing how capitalism works, would be smart enough to PIVOT. Don’t keep relying on the same old finite resources that will lead to humans being wiped out. If you want to be clever and capitalise, PIVOT! It’s a common thing for all successful businesses.That way, you won’t be behind the ball. 

By predicting where the market goes, you could make such a killing!

But do you?

No! Because you’re stupid. Holding onto old glories.

If I was your shareholder, I’d sell your stocks fast because clearly you haven’t gotten the memo. Honestly, what happened to being flexible? 

On a personal level, this year has been very heavy on change for me. I’ve grown out my fringe (a small thing), nabbed a promotion, refinanced my investment property and have started trying to date. Will it be successful? Who knows. But maybe in this way, I’ll be able to learn a little bit more about myself and what I want out of life.

Will the world learn in 2023? Or will we only hasten our own demise?

I, for one, would not prefer civilisation taking such a huge hit that it vanishes entirely, but with disease, war and possible other issues in the past, has the golden age of our modern age finally come to an end due to our hubris? 

Only time will tell. 

[neuzboyx24net0]

Pakistan announce 15-player squad for 1st England Test

The Pakistan cricket selectors announced a 15-player squad on Tuesday for the first Test against England, set to take place in Multan from October 7-11. Following the squad announcement and based on the recommendation of head coach Jason Gillespie, the selected players have been withdrawn from the Champions One-Day Cup playoffs to allow them some rest ahead of the series. The squad will assemble…

[todaynewspakistan0]

PCB's Financial Woes Before Test Series Against England

The Pakistan Cricket Board is facing major financial setbacks as it struggles to secure international media rights for the upcoming Test series against England. With the series set to kick off on October 7, the current lack of broadcasting deals could lead to a blackout for fans, particularly in the UK.

Initially, the PCB aimed for a hefty $21 million for a three-year media rights deal, but bids have fallen far short. The highest offer, $7.8 million from Sports Five, reflects a concerning trend in the valuation of Pakistani cricket.

This situation raises alarms about the PCB's financial sustainability and the broader implications for cricket in Pakistan. If the PCB cannot secure adequate media rights, it may face a significant financial crisis that impacts player development and overall competitiveness.

Let’s hope for a resolution soon, as the cricket community eagerly awaits the action on the field!

[tfgadgets]

Sri Lanka pull ahead with Kamindu hundred, Kusal fifty - ESPNcricinfo

Sri Lanka pull ahead with Kamindu hundred, Kusal fifty  ESPNcricinfo 1st Test: Kamindu Mendis hundred steers Sri Lanka to 302/7 against New Zealand on Day 1  The Times of India Injury scare for Angelo Mathews during New Zealand Test  ICC Cricket SL vs NZ 1st Test Live Score: Kamindu Mendis slams 4th Test century, continues his terrific form  India TV News Kamindu Mendis equals Pakistan player’s…

[starbiopic]

These Five Indian Players Could Be Game Changers in the Upcoming Test Series

The Bangladesh cricket team is gearing up to face India in an exciting two-Test match series. After an impressive performance against Pakistan, Bangladesh will now be facing an Indian team packed with top-tier talent. While Bangladesh captain Nazmul Hasan Shanto has expressed confidence in his team’s ability to compete, certain key Indian players could create serious problems for them. Let’s take…