Omar Associates regain Naya Nazimabad trophy

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Omar Associates regained the trophy by toppling National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) by 29 runs in the final of the 5th Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2018 under floodlights, at the Hussain Lawai Stadium in Karachi on June 4.

Opener Usman Khan smashed a breezy 71 and all-rounder Muhammad Nawaz followed up his rapid 29 with a three-wicket haul to engineer yet another title victory for Omar Associates, who had also clinched the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2014. 

The ground was already packed to capacity when Omar Associates chose to bat first after winning the toss. 

They entertained the crowd with sizzling strokes and piled up a huge total of 201 for seven in the allotted 20 overs. 

Openers Umar Akmal and Usman Khan gave their team a flying start by blasting 64 in the six overs of power play. Umar slammed two sixes and five boundaries in his 46 off 28 balls. 

The momentum was maintained despite losing three quick wickets in space of six balls for just one run. Bilal Asif took two wickets on successive balls that of Umar and Sami-ur-Rahman for golden duck while Saad Nasim was dislodged by Sohail Tanvir also for a duck which had reduced Omar Associates to 67 for three. 

Usman, however, batted brilliantly under pressure and hoisted four sixes besides belting half a dozen boundaries in his 71 off 36 balls to lift his team�s total. In the end Nawaz plundered 26 off 12 balls with three massive sixes and one four to set a difficult task for their opponents. 

NBP, in reply, was restricted to 172 for eight in their 20 overs despite the heroics of opener Ahsan Ali who topscored with 21-ball 42 laced with three sixes and four fours. Raza Dar banged three sixes in his 37 and Bilal Asif hoisted three sixes in his 11-ball cameo of 22. 

Left-arm spinner Muhammad Nawaz caused the main trouble for the bankers by grabbing three wickets for 26 runs while medium-pacer Anwar Ali snapped up two wickets for 24 runs. 

The Governor of Sindh, Muhammad Zubair, was the chief guest in the ceremony which was presided over by the former Pakistan captain, Shahid Afridi. Also present on the occasion were Nadeem Omar, President-Elect, Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), and Arif Habib, Chairman, Arif Habib. 

The chief guest presented a glittering trophy alongwith a cash award of Rupees 12 lacs to the winning captain, Saad Nasim, while the runner-up trophy was collected by the NBP skipper, Bilal Asif, with a purse of Rupees six lacs. 

The Rupees 40,000 Man of the Match award for the final was shared between Usman Khan and Muhammad Nawaz of Omar Associates. 

Bilal Asif was declared the player of the tournament for his all-round excellence while Sahibzada Farhan and Zafar Gohar, both of them from Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), were adjudged best batsman and the bowler of the tournament respectively. The trio received Rs 25, 000 each.

Consistent policies, eagle-eyed selection vital for Pakistan cricket: Anwar-ul-Haq

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Anwar-ul-Haq, a former opening batsman, has underscored the importance of consistent policies and professional management in order to revive the Pakistan cricket and put it on solid footing. 

�I have no doubt in mind that Pakistan has been blessed with outstanding cricket talent. All we need is the consistent policy at every level to make the most of it and be counted as as one of the top sides of world cricket,� he remarked in a recent chat. 

�I am saying this with total conviction because I have remained a part of the set-up which got hold of the raw talent and groomed them into stars. The colt scheme at the Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) worked wonders and we were able to produce high-quality cricketers from the bunch of youngsters whom we had spotted from the grassroots level,� Anwar-ul-Haq, who became the coach of the bank after quitting first-class cricket, recalled. 

�Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Asim Kamal, Atiq-uz-Zaman, Mohammad Zahid, Shahid Nazir and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, all of whom have played for Pakistan, were the proud products of MCB Colts. They possessed enormous talent but we provided them the platform and the opportunity to unfold their skills and move up the ladder,� he added. 

�There�s a long list of successful first-class players who began the journey with us. We were able to do it because of our consistent policies. Our bank�s President, Hussain Lawai, was a great supporter of inducting young blood. Our sports department�s chief, Mohammad Iqbal, also shared the same philosophy and we were able to execute the plans to perfection with the blessings of our management,� Anwar-ul-Haq, who scored 13 centuries in 108 first-class matches while scoring 5,854 runs, stated. 

�The Pakistan cricket also needs to adopt similar kind of policies for long-term benefit. Talented youngsters, if groomed and taken care of nicely, could prove to be assets. We need eagle-eyed selectors who can continue backing the players who have the spark and the guts to succeed at the higher level,� he suggested. 

�The regional or the national selectors can only be encouraged to do so if they have the backing of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). That�s where the issue of consistent policies comes up. The Board should look at the larger picture and merit should never be compromised. Otherwise the desired results might not be achieved,� Anwar-ul-Haq, who played against the visiting Australian and Indian teams in the 1980s, cautioned. 

�Once the induction of the youngsters starts taking place there were be a larger pool of cricketers and there will be more flexibility in selecting different outfits for different formats. We can also have T20 specialists or Test specialists as some other countries do have at the moment,� he pointed out. 

�In modern cricket, professional approach holds the key. The coaches need to be on their toes all the time. Gone are the days of the laidback thinkers or doers. Now we need proactive personnel to do the business. Cricket is played differently now but Pakistan has the talent to compete. It�s just a matter of better management in order to extract the best of the boys,� he concluded.