I agree Kamran when your nation is downa nd being continuously kicked aroudn the crown jewels area, then comes the time for the warrior breed, the fighter, the patriot to stand and compete for his countries honour.

The Pathans have always been known as the warriors, proud and not to be crossed type of men. Khan can lead Pakistan from the ashes to embarrass other nations into palying against us.

I would like to make two furhter points;
1. BCCI doesn't care about Pakistan or their cricketers, ICL doesn't care either, they are two boards who have got together and consipired to bring pakistan cricket to its knees, yet to blame are our soldiers who have signed up for these people. Why the greed? where is the honour to play for your country? PCB should reinstate all ICL palyers immediately, all ICL palyers should tear up their contracts with ICL immediately, let the courts and lawyer worry about the ramifications!

2nd comment in next post

this is the 2nd point and question,

2. why cant we paly our home games in Sri Lanka or Bangladesh? this is where the playing conditions are most like Pakistan. In fact I would choose Bangladesh because, like Pakistan, it is inhospitable, the bad stomach virus the discomfort of no alcohol or comfortable hotels and the dusty mud tracks.

I am not putting pakistan down, but stating how other teams see our country and why we have a advantage at home. By playing in the UAE we offer the opposition the comforts of their own homes and even better in most cases. They are coming to disneyland to paly cricket. Whereas a tour to pakistan was amongst the toughest any cricketer had to endure!

Make it tough for people to paly us, S.A. and Aus dont make dusty low bounce wickets for us, nor do England and NZ make non swinging seaming environments for us, so lets give the tourist something they dont want either. Conditions that most match palyin in Pakistan. Plus M. Asif is not banned from BNG

Some things are worth waiting for, Younis is a natural leader and i hope and pray he can make us proud to be Pakistani again. I don't expect miracles however i do expect the green cap to be worn with pride and i do expect the 'cornered tigers' spirit. Make us proud.

Absolutely right. Pakistan needs a Khan's courage and instincts; and perhaps unpredictability too. Even if they lose 2-3 I will be above the moon.

Go on Younis! We are behind you and lets hope the only way to go from here is up! We have had few dark years in our cricket but now we will move forward. Cricket glory brings joy to the nation like no other so we will be there to support you through thick and thin. Like a true fan!

Go for it younis...we pakistanis always thrive under pressure and under crisis...this could be our moment....the whole world is laughing at our state of affairs....and this is the only way to shut their mouths....by beating a better team

Just go and tell them.....
Never write pakis off

agreed, com on younis show them that we r the nation who produced one of the best cricketers and we hav the potential to do it again...........

I dont care if they loose or win all i want to do is just watch my stars playing and m eagerly waiting for their action. Just good luck to them.

I hope they will do well but we will miss Imran Nazir, Razaq and spes. Yousuf. I HOPE PCB let these players play in T20 World Cup. Pakistan first than any ting else. Why listen to ICC which is same as BCCI

Yes you are right Kamran Bhai, thats the way it is, self pity and blaming others for our self created catastrophes will not help us make any headway. Successful are those who make the best out of a bad situation. Yunus Khan seems to be the best suited Captain Pakistan could ever have hoped for this juncture, lets hope and pray the rest of the team does not let the skipper down. as far as Ijaz Butt and Co are concerned they are already celebrating by flying club class and staying in five star hotels in Dubai, lets hope the results justify the celebrations.

Yes, we Pakistani believe and trust on Younus khan, under his leadership Pakistan will be in top 3 teams as per ICC ranking later this year.

The time between this series to the world cup 2011 could be a golden era for this young team and if they do well during this time and win the 2011 world cup IN India, that would take them well beyond the popularity, achieved by the 1992 squaq in many ways. That could actually be the best time that Pakistani nation would enjoy in all of their histroy and this team and captain will never be forgotton for centuries to come. So come on boys, lets do it!

Although Pak team is at it lowest, but still they are completely capable of bouncing back, even if we don't get a series victory, still a fight against the aussies will give enough satisfaction.Pak has been completely left isolated by the whole cricket fraternity, its now time to rise up and show them that we are still a team which still belongs to the top 5 test playing nations in the world.Even with all the odds against us like a very incompetent cricket, or I must say completely impotent, but still we have very competent and talented players who can prove their worth on any given days.We love our cricketers and we pray that they rise above the situation and give those aussies a taste of their own.

thank you mr abbasi for giving encouraging comments to the pakistani cricket team.i am confident,inshaAllah they will make the whole nation proud at this moment of time,when the whole country is being isolated from sports to anything you can think of.we had GREAT imran khan who lead the nation to world cup glory AND AGAIN TODAY we have YOUNIS KHAN as the captain.i cant imagine how the cricketing countries can ignore the services of HANIF MOHAMMAD,ZAHEER ABBAS,SARFARAZ NAWAZ,IMRAN KHAN,JAVED MIANDAD,ABDUL QADIR,WASIM AKRAM,WAQAR YOUNIS,INZAMA-UL-HAQ ALONG WITH SO MANY OTHER GREAT PAKISTANI PLAYERS.no doubt money is talking now, but i along with millions of pakistanis believe the TRUTH ALWAYS PREVAILS.younis khan,me and millions of pakistanis will be praying for your success,and please it is NOW or NEVER for us.GOD BLESS PAKISTAN

Although Pak team is at it lowest, but still they are completely capable of bouncing back, even if we don't get a series victory, still a fight against the aussies will give enough satisfaction.Pak has been completely left isolated by the whole cricket fraternity, its now time to rise up and show them that we are still a team which still belongs to the top 5 test playing nations in the world.Even with all the odds against us like a very incompetent cricket board, or I must say completely impotent, but still we have very competent and talented players who can prove their worth on any given day.We love our cricketers and we pray that they rise above the situation and give those aussies a taste of their own.

let's not be too revisionist, kamran. pakistan cricket still performed well after 1999 as well. In fact under Inzy and Bob we won test series against Sri Lanka, West Indies, New Zealand, India, England and even South Africa. You are obviously referring to poor world cup performances post 1999 - as usual you make the mistake of thinking one-day cricket is the be-all-and-end-all. Shame.

i agree inshallah green caps will win i can fell their need to win everything happens for the best for last few years pakistan was batting against their own internal problem this is the time to prove united we stand we are pakeez. i really feel that world will see a totally diffrent team under younis. If not now than its never. Our soldes will stand for our nations pride . its true that some of our players fall to Indian plot. i request to PCB on the behalf of all paki fans plz include icl players in national team

Well this is the time to show your spirit pakis.. I am sure you guys will do it inshallah. Shoaib Akhter, Yonis Khan, Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi will be the key players in the competition. They have to start from the front, thats it. Some of the very good Australian crickerts are not playing in the series which will help pakistan to win the series.

God bless you all pakis

This is the time for some of the experience players like shahid Afridi to do for their team. Pakistan really needs full support from all the key players, Akhter/Afridi/Malik/Yonis/Misbah all you.... Do your best inshallah you will win it.

Refer to Posted by: Arshad at April 21, 2009 8:32 AM:
You ppl always envy India's success in any field. What the hell India's got to do if any country doesn't tour Pakistan? This mess is created by Pakistan only. Blaming others for your problems will further take you nowhere.
I was quite surprised to see someone mentioning India in comments. WTF drag India/BCCI in Aussie-Pak series? As a person, nobody would love to visit Pakistan these days. Untill n unless, things improve dramatically, Pakistan is going into sewer of Taliban and is on the way to become a full fledged terrorist nation.

Then who would play in Pakistan? Oh yes, Afghanistan has a team now. May be U can play with Afghanistan for the remaining time (till Pakistan exists!). Just watch Where would India be at that time, if not on top then definitely no. 2-3 economy of the world!

Hate doesn't take a person anywhere and it applies to nations too. Stop hating India for everything and improve your souls along with Pakistan!

Hey all you guys have given phenomenal statements on Pakistan.one of the main issues are that the Pakistan cricket team need to unite if they can do that potentially they can be the best team in the world..

I am sure not only Pakistani supporters but most of the Australian supporters would be excited to see Pakistan play again.
I would like to see animated Pakistani team and doing some sledging within limits. A Little controvorsy here and there would be a good marketing specially playing against Australia. This is How India (Harbhajan) and England (KP) have earned their respect and they make millions by getting into little controversies which media loves.
Best of Luck Pakistan (3-2)

Well said."We dont expect from PCB, its the captain who should lift pakistani cricket". They are just there to eat. Shameless people. Anyway I have banned IPL based on not playing Pakistani players. They are ass **les.

4- 1 Australia. I love IPL, but would watch this also to see how my Paki friends do. Sure they need our all our Support. They are a good team but based on the form it would be the above Scoreline

Hold on one second, EIJAZ BUTT IS FLYING CLUB CLASS and staying in a five star hotel. hang them I SAY

The 1992 Cricket World Cup in Australia & New Zealand marked Pakistan's first World Cup victory. It is remembered for the comeback Pakistan made after losing key players such as Waqar Younis and Saeed Anwar, and being led by an injured captain in Imran Khan. Pakistan lost 4 of their first 5 matches and were nearly eliminated in the first round of the tournament after being bowled out for 74 against England, until the match was declared as a "no result" due to rain. Captain Imran Khan famously told the team to play as "cornered tigers", after which Pakistan won five successive matches, including, most famously, the semi-final against hosts New Zealand and the final against England

i think pakistan gone beat Australian beucase Australian have lost from india and south africa 2 time .pakistan can beat them and show that we are batter then india .

WE SHOULD NOT BE WORRIED ABOUT RESULTS. BUT NOW WHAT PAKISTANI FANS ARE EXPECTING BY YOUNIS SQUAD?
SURELY WE WANT THEM IN A REAL PASSION AND FULL OF PATRIOTISM.AS WE ARE INFACT A BRAVE NATION. NOW ITS A TIME TO PROVE THAT HOW PAKISTANIS CAN FACE DIFFICULTIES AND REPLY AS A FIGHTERS.

Fast bowler Brett Lee has been ruled out of Australia's forthcoming limited overs series against Pakistan.

There was a lot of praise for the previous captain when he lead Pakistan for the first time, I think it was against Sri Lanka.
Pakistan cricket has gotten used to one-day wonders and lets hope Yonus Khan is not ne of them.
What Pakistan need is consistant and robust performance from all,not just the captain.

I go by Tahir's comments. I am an indian crciket fan. I love to see Pakistan team back. It really hurts when your national team is not playing for so long . And the pak governmnet is responsible for this block.

"2. why cant we paly our home games in Sri Lanka or Bangladesh? this is where the playing conditions are most like Pakistan. In fact I would choose Bangladesh because, like Pakistan, it is inhospitable, the bad stomach virus the discomfort of no alcohol or comfortable hotels and the dusty mud tracks."

Its good that the other cricketers get access to alcohol, They might drink it and mess up in their game. I know it might be a cheap way to win but in the end its the win that counts!!!!

LOL :-]

Success has many fathers, failure has none.

Go on Team Pak, play the best you can with pride and passion : win or lose, give it your all, that is all we want.

AGREED BUT it can not be without Conditions , few I could think of ......
1) Stop boasting with pre-series or pre-match hollow slogans.It would not get the team any where ....
2) Instead , Stand up and be counted for as a man to be listened to ,, and if any one falters on any pretext or come what may reason , then Kick his ass out once for all and help to spare the nation for mor dooms days being at the mercy of his highly inflated ego & Here I purposely mean to say Joker of the Jokers , so called indispensable !!! Yet Under achiever for many years for the team but Over achiever by many fold in bringing bad name and fame for the country .. Shoab Akhtar . 3).. Help yourself and people around you too to stand up and be counted for ...... forget the rest

I don't want Pakistan to loose any match, but if they did i want to see the pride in that lost too, and i hope the way Younis Khan has won our hearts, not by being a baby of PCB but upon his performance, i do wish him good luck, Younis, take the name and of Al Mighty ALLAH and show them our courage.. please please don't let us down, we are looking forward to see you as the best captain of Pakistan Cricket. Ma'as Salaama

Kamran Bhai u r dead right and i am looking forward to the series InshaAllah Younis Khan and his troops will make us proud, win or lose fight well

Pakistan Zindabad

Khurram Dawood Sirji, If PCB allows ICL players in T20 Worldcup , be assured that isolation of Pakistan from WorldCricket wuill be 100%. As of now countries just refuse to visit Pakistan but in case ICL players play , total boycott is imminent and likely and not much countries will protest becasue unlike UN ,unluckily for you China or Saudi Arabia does not play cricket.

Very very well said sentence Kamran "Ultimately, this period will be a test of leadership. We cannot expect any from the PCB, hence Younis Khan must seize the day and lead the fight for Pakistan cricket's recovery."
I think this sentence says it all. We all are looking at Younus to bring us back from the doldrums to the glory days again. Yes the times are not that good as we are hardly getting any cricket, but believe me its only going to take good and hard cricket from the team that can bring cricket back to us and gets us more games as well. Go Team Pakistan.. you are in good hands (atleast leadership wise)

Yup This is the biggest opportunity for PAKISTAN and YOUNIS as well cause its Australia and if we play well not neccesarily win but play well with fighting spirit we will show that we are a fighting team full of commitments & i think Younis is a true leader and will lead from the front no matter he scores or not but he will fight definitly. Inshallah our team will shine with bright colourz. I know younis from the time he plays school cricket and he is my classmate too he is also a good human being who speaks truth always . He is aggressive and ready to take chances thats the qualities a captain should have. Best of luck to Pakistani team and Younis Khan too.

The wars of words should finally be put to action. The only way to save guard national prestidge dommed by the lack of security provided
to srilankans and the performance below par in cricketing terms is to RISE and PERFORM. Only an exciting series filled with vigour and commitment of our players shown in their atitudes and the game plane can wipe the stigma and raise us to the level- WE AS CRICKETING NATION REALLY ARE

Totally agreed with you Kamran Bhai. We are in full support of this team. We would like to show to the world that we are still a force. Provided with matches we can beat any team anywhere in the world. ICL players'inclusion prior to Twenty20 World Cup in the team will further strengthen the team. They need support from the PCB. The PCB should take some bold decisions and forget the past. They should immediately include Imran Nazir, Muhammad Yusuf, Abdul Razzaq and Rana Navid ul Hassan. BCCI and ICL are the two faces of a same coin. They would like to destroy Pakistan Cricket. They engaged our best tallent in ICL and deprived the rest from IPL. Come on Pakistan, Come on PCB. Be Bold. The new era is ours.

Pakistan Zindabad and im just so happy that they are playing! Inshallah i know they will win and we have no choice but to stick to our team through the good times and also through the bad.

hi guys,i hope this is the time to reply,reply to all of the cricket playing nation.But first we will hv to learn,what we r doing with out heros?where r the great Ws,i want to quote one line of cricinfo,once they said abt wasim n waqar,,,THIS IS ALL ABOUT HUNTING IN PARIS,,,,lets pray for our nation,country,team n the future,,,series is going to start frm tomorrow,though i cant watch it,but i hope next time when i,ll come to www.cricinfo.com,,,we will be the kings,,,,AMIN,,bye

Arshad, it is because of you the-entire-world-is-conspiring-against-us people that the state of Pakistan cricket is in this mess. Open your eyes and look around you properly and then make meaningful statements. I, being an Indian had Imran Khan as my idol and Wasim Akram was the greatest left arm quick bowler the world had even seen. We need Pakistan cricket to flourish and give the cricket world some more of Imrans and Akrams. I hope this series against Aussies will showcase some of Pakistan's talent and good luck to them.

thank god yusuf's omission has given fawad alam a chance to shine and show his true potential as a ODI player.

And i also have to question the inclusion of the 17 year old at the expense of khurram mansoor who did nothing wrong to stake a claim in the starting line up.

pakistan can not win no matter what. I think it will be the end for Pakistan cricket if they are defeated which is most likely to be the case

I think this is a great oppourtunity for all the pakistani fans, after a hell of a long time, see their team in a competition and finally playing some cricket. This is a perfect chance for the pakistani team to makr their step and they msut win the series to do that!!!!

Dont blame the BCCI / ICL for this. It was the Pak boards security warning that their players wouldnt be secure in India, which made them withdraw. Their positions HAD to be filled by others. The move of the tournament to SA happened after this incident. Would it be fair then to throw out the newly contracted players just because the Pakistani players could now play in S.A. I think world cricket should refrain from setting incorrect examples. Similarly India and Pakistan MUST learn to keep politics out of sport if the fans and cricketers are to benefit

yess younis bhai if u beat australia it will simply shut their mouths just go on like the way u played the test math which really amazed me.their is no other countrys guy posting over here its only us Pakistnis JUST LEAVE EVERY 1 BEHIND

Arshad..Arshad...Arshad...waht are u talking about????? Y u dont want the comforty to the cricketrs who come to play against pakistan???
Because of ur mentality kind of peole in pakistan , the country has bad name. Your thinking is of lower level.
Dubai is a better place to play cricket , as dubai has better facilities and also beter comfort for both the teams...

Arshad dont ever talk bulshit in this site....!!!!

Arshad: Why is it that every problem in Pakistani cricket boil down to an absurd conspiracy theory? ICC, BCCI, IPL and ICL have other things to worry about rather than spend time and money "conspiring" against anybody. These are private organizations and in fact hired plenty of Pakistanis last year. It was the Pakistani Govt. that pulled them out. On one side you criticize them for being greedy (not a totally bad thing in this context) and not playing for the country, but on the other you want them all back in the side immediately with no consequences. This process will take time and will eventually happen, but to hide from general incompetence on the PCB side does not cut it. People like Osman, and to an extent Kamran and HR above seem to recognize this. But the majority including the PCB are on your frequency. If that continues, the conspirators will continue to be the persons in the mirror. Pakistani fans need to demand accountability in a very big way.

What is the point of pointing out the "irony" of Australia playing Pakistan? Australia are fulfilling their obligation to play Pakistan because their security can be guaranteed in Dubai where it couldn't in Pakistan. Surely the events of SL's cricketers a few months back justifies previous actions by Cricket Australia to withdraw tours. That cannot be argued.

Onto the series. As an Aussie, I wish Pakistan the very best. It's important the team put on a good performance to give the vast majority of people in Pakistan something to smile about. While I hope Australia win, I get the feeling Pakistan have more to gain from this series than Australia do. But may the best team win!

I think between Osman and Kamran all the possibilities of this debate have been covered. All Pak cricket lovers should just concentrate on cricket. The time to hope and pray is finished, the lines are drawn and the battle is afoot, just go and get them and get them you can.

Pakistani team had the best players before but now the players have sold themselves to bcci i hope that they never get a chance to play for pak again because thats what they deserve

Arshad, the BCCI and ICL don't need to conspire to bring Pakistani cricket down. Pakistani officials do a pretty good job of doing that on their own. You, by living in denial help their cause. As an Indian fan I hope Pakistan blanks Australia - not because I have any love lost for Pakistani cricket, but because it would help India to get to # 1 ranking faster. GO PAKISTAN !

3 Pacers (Shoaib, Gul, Tanvir) and a spinner (Saeed Ajmal) with Nasir Jamshed opening with Butt add the zing of Afridi, this is one of the rare chances where Pakis should pull this off against a well depleted Aussies.

There were days when alot of my own friends used to laugh at me when i told them that Yonus Khan will become a legend of pakistani cricket.
Last five years i have been laughing at them when ever we get together and talk as if we should be the PCB. This year in Karachi when Yonus played that magistic innings i knew it instantly that good times were coming back for the game i most love and for the greatest team in the world.
for some reason or the other i have a feeling that this series will change pakistani cricket. we will again be held in high esteem by the cricketing world.
Yonus is a leader who whould want to impose him self by his own performance which is a trait Shoib Malik really lacked.
And if only Yonus could get shoib actor and shahid lala to get their acts together this particular team has the capabilities to take the world cup and show the world what a proud nation we are.

good luck Younis we the Nation have full faith in you as a captain and as a player and we are 100% that you will never let us down that's why i have a feeling that we have a great chance to win this series. Me as a young 16 year old teenager mad about cricket I have always followed this man not just because both of us are pathans but because I know he has got what it takes to bring back on the winning streak. Again Good luck Younis Khan and more important good luck Pakistan team.

i was reading ure post while listening to the song "The Warrior" by The Scandal..and somehow i got all excited...this may not be the start of any 'golden age' of Pak Cricket...but something abt being battered and briused by international cricket...we can play like brawlers and show we have it to survive!!..GO YOUNIS..GO PAKISTAN TEAM!!!..WE BELIEVE IN U GUYS!!!

i hope you are the best younis. carrion you beauty

Though an indian supporter, I want the Pakistan team to do very well.On song, the Pakistan team is a joy to watch. The subcontinent is now the spiritual home of the game - nowhere else is there such passion.Long may the game thrive here.

Go Pakistan TIGERS !!! As the comments made - Successful are those who make the best out of a bad situation. Make us proud, play the game hard, show the fighting spirit, never give up. Wish you ALL the BEST.

my wishes to pakistani team..Chance to prove your iron even though Australian's are without their key players ..And one more thing...NO DOPING PLZ...lol

Younis has leadershipd skills and he is the Khan of Khans. See you guys in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It's a long flight from New York.

Both Kamran and Osman Samiuddin are sounding highly emotional in their articles.. Lighten up guys..and lighten up my fellow Pakistanis..let's enjoy the cricket and get behind the men in green.......The squad announced is actually pretty decent....hopefully if Shoaib Akhter can fire...we have a pretty decent chance against a pretty average Aussie side....Go for it Captain Khan!

Kamran you need to take ur head out of gutter and start talking about positive stuff and stop talking or referencing to match fixing and move on and talk about positives only because ppl like you are running PCB and sucking up to india and icc and dont grow balls to take a stand on ICL players selection while they are destroying pakistan cricket on every possible front

You all still don't get it do you?

blaming BCCI, ICL & ICC for current state. It is just not with cricket its with whole of Pakistan!! The more you hide from your own drawbacks the more trouble you will get in.. Simple fact of life.. why don't you all get it??

When things initially got wrong with Pakistan, it was BCCI which stood with PCB, same is true politically but when it goes out of hand it sis out of anybody's capabilities to help PCB or Pakistan. The fact Pakistan has failed to understand in the past & continuing to do so.. True with regards to sports, culture & politically..
Wake up people..clean out the mess in our house. Keep it clean then keep an eye if neighbor throws any rubbish in your house.

If its clean & tidy any body would be happy to accept hospitality.

Simple facts... stop moaning & blaming others!!

Go boys in green! We are proud of you no matter what! We will be happy to see you play and I'm sure those who have written you off will be watching too because I'm sure everyone has had enough of India and the other countries playing each other alllll the time! Pakistan is unpredictable and unexpected which makes it exciting! So play your natural game.

MY MESSAGE FOR THE PAKISTAN TEAM:

Don't let anything negative get in your way, Whatever the result, we're happy to see you play!!

Arshad your First point that you made was completely Ridiculous. what i am about to say is for all the people that agree with your comment.

Your thinking is very very Narrowminded. you think BCCI is only targetting pak players? What a ridiculously Stupid and Illiterate thing to say! ICL is NOT an official league recognised by the ICC. Its not only the pak players that are banned from playing ICC [intl] cricket, its every player that is in the ICL thats banned. Once again, because the league is not recognized by the ICC, and not abiding by their rules!
IPL and ICL PAY the players, its like a job, if you want to play u get paid and if commitment isnt shown ur fired. as simple as that.
India or any other country in fact doesnt give a rats a$$ about what pakistan is doing, nor do they have time to plan pakistans downfall, they have better things to do.

People Like you need to get out of the Defensive narrow minded shell and look closely at whats mistakes pak made b4 blaming!pc

I think the best answer to the current state of affairs that Pakistan Cricket finds itself, is to just perform on the filed and the rest will take care of it.
Once we go back to the pinnacle where we were when Imran was at the helm or even after that, the other ocuntries would not be able to claim cirkceting champions without playing Pakistan. We also need herores like Wasim and Waqar and Anwar and Inzimam. Wait for few years the big names would come in the team as it is a natural process and then the star rating of the Pak team would sky-rocket. Until then our players should do their best to perfomr and forget about the result.
Go Pakistan, PLay like a cornered tigers. The more they will corner us, the more we wll become dangerous. This was once witnessed by the World in 1992!!!!!!

Younis Khan is best captain Pakistan could have hoped for at a time where rebuilding of an entire Pakistan team is required. This is a hard time for Pakistani players and fans. To win against Australia is not a lot more than just winning a series. A victory against Australia will boost the morale of both pakistani players and fans. A victory here will show that Pakistan is still a strong Cricket team with the ability to challenge the best of teams. A victory here will make other teams take Pakistan more seriously. That being said, the 2011 World Cup being stripped from Pakistan is a ratoinal choice made by the ICC. The choice is fully justified after the Lahore Terrorist attack. No one is to be blamed for that besdies the government of Pakistan for not providing security to touring teams as promised. In the end, all be we can do is hope for the best. Nothing lasts forever and this dark time will also pass.

Totally agreed with you Kamran Bhai. We are in full support of this team. We would like to show to the world that we are still a force. Provided with matches we can beat any team anywhere in the world. ICL players'inclusion prior to Twenty20 World Cup in the team will further strengthen the team. They need support from the PCB. The PCB should take some bold decisions and forget the past. They should immediately include Imran Nazir, Muhammad Yusuf, Abdul Razzaq and Rana Navid ul Hassan. BCCI and ICL are the two faces of a same coin. They would like to destroy Pakistan Cricket. They engaged our best tallent in ICL and deprived the rest from IPL. Come on Pakistan, Come on PCB. Be Bold. The new era is ours.

You are 100% right Kamran bhai. I pray to Allah that he gives enough strength to Younis Khan to lead Pakistan to a gloriful series victory so that we can show the rest of the world pakistan is about Cricket not terrorism! You go Younis!

This is the most important series for Pakistan. I would say do or die. God bless Pakistan Team.

Very well said Kamran. Pakistan's cricket is in turmoil; lacking a commanding, disciplined, diplomatic, patriotic and brave leadership in terms of our Cricket Board. Its our board, the PCB, that has let us down. A very weak entity that has brought Pakistan all the sufferings, humiliation & loss of revenues. Due to its amature approach International teams tours has vanished for an unspecified time from Pakistan.
Hats off to Sri Lankans when the Indians did all their level best by keeping international cricket in Pakistan but our Sri Lankan Brothers acknowledged the grave impact of Pakistan's brave stand against the war of terrorism in the shape of getting engulfed in terrorist activites within its borders. They realized Pakistan's innocence and stood shoulder to shoulder and slapped the terrorists by not falling in their traps and show the world its the time of UNITY not leaving someone all alone who is fighting the terrorism for the peace of the rest of the world.(cont. on next post)

We need to get Razaq and company back into the fold regardless of what ICC says because they only say what BCCI wants them to say if this thing satrted to happen then all europen countries would be running fifa also so come on PCB lets see some B... and get this playrs back before the 20/20 world cup

Kamran:

I have heard of the dearth of good spin bowling in Pakistan.

Please write something about the exclusion of Saqlain Mushtaq whose skills we saw first hand in ICL. He is 32 and can probably go for another 3 to 4 years.

Mushtaq/Qadir can take up coaching roles for the new talent.

I am amazed this remains an achilles heel for Pakistan even though the talent exists, it is still relevant and willing and plays for everyone else but Pakistan.

Please consider writing something about the spin bowling situation.

-Jilani

..cont. It was PCB and its admn that failed to provide adequate security to our guests luckily Pakistan was blessed in the shape of our hero the "bus driver" who saved our guests by using his bravery and brilliance. It is the PCB who is losing on every front in International cricket naming: reversal of the ICC's oval test decision, cancellation of champion's trophy in Pak, handling of IPL and ICL players and recently Pakistan getting stripped of its hosting rights of the world cup 2011. PCB's revenies dept search for sponsors on a series to series basis and always seem to be struggling. why can't those idiots search for some solid sponsors way in advance? by offering incentives. its the world of "MONEY TALKS BULLSHIT WALKS". In front of lucrative contracts in a small span of time everyone just remember and care to smell the fragrance of $ bills they don't see where? what and how? they see no security concerns. Be smart PCB! look for investors you will have int. cricket in Pakistan..

This would be good practice for Pakistan. we have been hit by scandals and internal conflicts.. PCB is full of money hungry leeches. This is good opportunity for team to show that YES we can play cricket better than our rivals, yes we are still a competitive team and good time to practice for T20 world cup. May Allah bless Pakistan and its citizens.

I want to give cricinfo a suggestion. please start a survey in which you ask people wether ICC and BCCI are being fair in banning the ICL players. this will not bring any changes to the ignorant rulers of cricket who exist only to express their authority rather than do any good to the game.
please do not ignore my request.
die hard pakistani fan

This will be a good series to have. It will at least get out minds out of what RAW is currently doing in Balochistan and the death wishes from India that are spouting like fountains. We do not need india and I could care less about it. Pakistan Zindabad!

I wish Younis best of luck, and i hope Pak rips apart the Aussie attack and batting line up. The only way to go for Pak is to beat the best and get noticed again for its Cricketing depth.

Pakistan cricket should be put in isolation for letting the attack happen on Sri lanka cricket players. Australia or any country should not play pakistan and isolate them if they can not protect the visiting team. and on top of it leak info to support the attacks..
D.

i agree with u sir, and i think this series will be the turning point for pakistan's cricket this will bost the confidence of our players and Younis has the capability to prove him self and to show it to the world that we r still there and we will be there Inshallah all the best Younis and intire team PAKISTAN ZINDA BAD

Wah Wah..what BS.
We are all going down the drain...the Talibanisation of the country needs to be dealt with first. We are so far behind India now...they have become big powers...what do we have?

Go Khan Go..........

Other than the board and the coach we finally have a team worth rooting for. Now its up to Younis to make good decisions. The 1st decision needs to deal with Shahid Afridi's role.

Afridi should either open the batting or bat at 8, he cannot be expected to come in crucial situations at 6 or 7 and play some ridiculous shot which demoralizes the team.

Personally if Jamshed is gonna open with Butt I think you probably have to drop Afridi.
6.Akmal
7.Arafat
8.Afridi
9.Ajmal or Tanvir
10.Akhtar
11.Gul

The one guy that I have looked upto from the team of Pakistan is Younis Khan. There were the inzy's afridi's, yohanna's and the akthar's but this Younis always got the job done without any fuss. I still remember the 260 he hit against India in Bangalore and the countless other gems that have come off his blade. Younis Bhai- Come On dikha do Duniya ko ki Pakistan Ki team abhi bhi utni hi buland hai jitna pehle thhii. I hope Pakistan wins this series against Australia.
And yes my support always remains with India but I have always followed the journey of Pakistan and have loved its cricketers. This is your moment of reckoning make full use of it and show the ICC that Pakistan can do and the spirit is not dead. I am sure that when the cricket team plays well it will have a positive impact on Pakistan and I am sure that your country needs it as well. Lets show the world that Pakistan has much more than terrorism. God Bless You.

Blaming BCCI does not help, we allowed this situation in our country. BCCI's investment is cricket and cricketers, they are smart enough to know alienating Pakistan cricket does not help their cause.

Today is Iqbal's birthday who once said "Taqdeer kay qazi ka ye fatwa he azal say,he juram-e-zaifi kee saza marag-e mufajat". No doubt country is in turmoil,so is cricket.Is that good enough for a brave nation like us to buckle under pressure?We survived against all odds,against all conspiracies. we created a nuclear power from ashes of poverty.true we are not ideal but none of others are so.Its a strange land who everyone else wants to destroy but it has shown great resilience and fight.We used to get pride in drawing cricket matches but then a great Khan rose like a rhinestone cowboy who only believed in winning. We will have another Khan who will take this nation out of rut or we will have another one who will lead this nation out of turmoil.Our cricket may be in turmoil now but it will survive.we always play better outside so let us build on that.We perform better when everything seems to be at its worst.Lets pledge we will turn it around. Our moment will come,just stick together.

Pakistan is a nation of warriors. We have always done well in difficult situations. We have produced competitive crickters. We will be competitve during current series against Ausralia, again. Don't write us off, the world of cricket is incomplete without Pakistan.

Completely in agreement with ICC being same as BCCI infact BCCI is just ICC backwards (posterior) with B"S"

Go on Younis! We will pray for you like we never did before. Pride is at stake and I want you to show the world that we can still rule the world of cricket. It really does'nt matter what the result gonna be, I just wanna see fight in every delivery your bowlers bowl and each ball you face. Good luck and inshallah you will make us proud.
About ICL players, why just can't we forget about them? Did they think about us when they were signing with ICL? Did they think about Pakistan? Ofcourse money was more important.....so let them run after ICL to get their money and let's disown them no matter how good they are. It's high time to hail the heroes and not the traitors.

Most of our better players have been rested . This is almost akin to matches with Bangladesh, Zimbabwae when the better players feel it is not worth playing. There's not much interest in the series worldwide except for perhaps the cricket starved fans of Pakistan. IPL matches seem to be more exciting , atleast we see cool Aussies likes Warne ,Mcgrath and Hayden performing and competition level is certainly a notch higher than the drab series to take place in UAE. What would make it better was if 2 teams from Australia and SA were added to IPL.

Yes we are a nation in difficult times not just in cricket but overall but let met me assure everyone,we'll be back and we'll come back as hard as anyone.

Being a cricket fan I hope Pakistan team does well so that they stay "in" the game. But reading some of the fans' reply it seems they are living on another planet.

@Arshad - On your #1 - When will you learn everything in life is not just about conspiracy? ICL and IPL care for THEIR money and THEIR business model AND NOT PCB. But that is different from "conspiracy".
On your #2 - I hope you know the ground reality. There is a saying "Beggers can't be choosers". Sorry to put it in harsh way but thats a fact.

@Ali Zahid - No one is laughing at Pakistan Cricket's situation. Rather, everyone is scared. Sri Lanka's tour was precisely for that reason - "to shut their mouth" - and what did they get? If you wanna shut mouths, improve security WITHIN the country. As to Pakistan winning, I also hope they win to get more motivation in such a bad time that they are going through. But winning them would not shut anyones mouth, it should rather motivate ppl to ask ur government for security.

We want that our CORNERED TIGERS must fight till the end. It doesnt matter they win or lose. They Will Win INSHA ALLAH

Pakistan zinda bad!

I am sure Pakistan can beat Australia of they concentrate on their cricket only. They need not worry what has happened in the past. Pakistan have always come out with flying colours when they are cornered.

I don't care much about this article Just writing in to say how glad I am not to see 'India' mentioned in any of the posts or in the article for a change.
The paranoia of Pakistanis on this forum has been quite a reflection of the current state of its society.
Wierdos like Arshad blaming ICL and BCCI and what not and such idiotically mind boggling posts getting through your 'moderation'.
Even if you discuss Mickey mouse on this forums , those wierdos will bring in India in some way or the other.

I don't understand why are you guys blaming the BCCI, ICC, ICL etc for Pakistan cricket's problems.

Pakistan must take up the blame for it's problems and try to amend it by playing good cricket. Excuses like loss of players to ICL etc. won't help since it was the decision of the players to choose money over country and not the BCCI.

Khan must look to salvage pride from this series by leading his team with courage and a clear head- not with excuses already made up in his mind.

I like Younis Khan because he has led from the front and moreover I feel he's the most consistent batsman in the Pak team right now.

Let's hope young bowlers like Sohail Tanvir etc. perform well. The Aussies haven't faced Tanvir for a long time (last time was in the T20 WC) and they may not have acquainted themselves with his deliveries. So he must be in the team.

I dont know why I have this feeling that Pakistan has to prove the world again that they are world class playing cricketers...... 1

In Past pakistan has always stood with BCCI, and now when PCB is in trouble and needed support of BCCI, they cowardly backed off, instead they played a part in which Pakistan lost it's share of world cup matches. Why PCB are playing in the hands of BCCI? Can any one think why we dropped Yousuf from Test team? Razzaq from ODI team? Imran Nazir from 20/20 team? just to make BCCI happy? PCB is itself responsible for following BCCI blindly! For God sake I request PCB to think about their own policies, their own players and people's wishes. Players like Yousuf, Nazir and Razzaq shud be included in Pakistan team on immediate basis.

A very well written analysis must say..

keeping in view what Kamran bhaiya wrote in his last article, Indian security is indeed top-notch. Just today Indian separatist rebels in Jharkhan hijacked an entire train with 700 passengers on it.

But I guess Pakistan is more dangerous hahaha.

Nice to see that the participants of 1999 world cup final and coming head to head again although the teams are of not that caliber as were 10 years back, particularly Pakistan. It would be a great opportunity for youngsters of Pakistan Cricket to play a real game. We will witness around 3 weeks of display of talent, zeal and zest for win, fight for honor and excellence of skills.

Yes,come on Pakistan. WE CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!

why my comments are never posted even though i always write decent words that also on topic with wast deepness

I hope they will do well but it will not that simpl we have to pull our socks.

understandably so, but the bitter fact is that pakistani cricketers getting obllivion despite doing nothing wrong on their part. Pakistani cricketer should take this oppurtunity to send strong messege to the rest of the world that they belong to respectable nation and the mosnter act of terrorism is not a thing on which the ICC should take out cricket commencing rights from pakistan.
yes i do belive on Pakistani moral and sincerity when comes to national cause and this a national cause.
Keep it up younis, this is your chance to rejuvenate your better impression to the world and to make other notice you on merit of loving people.
PAK = Pure and TAN = LAND.......Younis you are pure respresentative of pura loving peaceful land, so prove it right and show your world to the world.
this could be your moment and we all pakistanis are with you.
Good Luck heros

if no OID team want to play with pakistan. afghanistan cricket team we wants to play with you and will ensure you that they will make you apset at the end.

long live afghan cricket

i would wager that australia will struggle without their top players anyways on the Emirates wickets. The crux of the matter is, however, whether Younis Khan can combine a group of disjointed cricketers from different ideologies and methodologies into a complete cohesive unit without controversies. Here is a true test of the man and will decide the fate of the series. The time is ripe for Pakistan cricket to rise from oblivion. Take it or lose it.

i wonder how many of the people are expressing positive thoughts for younis khan and team pakistan will be on their side if we lose this series to australia by say 5 -0. The problem with nation of pakistan is their short tempered nature. I just want to say that even if younis fails to deliver i will say that we must not change him from captaincy and show full support because this support will eventually reap good things in future.

Good to see that all of us realize that this is our moment and our moment alone. I have always believed in our people and will always keep my believe. If we want to, we can rise above all odds.
"I was born to be the best
Number one and nothing less
Take me to my destiny
I have waited patiently
Oh I have visions can't you see
I am on the move make way for me
So stand up.... for the Champions...for the Champions.
Stand UP".
Younis and guys.....we know u can do it and we want you to do it......We are with u and will always be!!!

Perfomance in this series and hereafter is not related as much to cricket and the game itself. this is way beyond that and winning or loosing is not as important as proving the nations dignity and make the world to have a look at the country from a different angle then usual terrorism, extremism, war and safety issues. if any of pakistani player read this i would like to say please dont do what our politicians have been doing with this country and luk inside your heart and the situation in the country and then step into the groud. Allah will help you all.

Pakistanis are born cricketers. In every street of Pakistan people are playing cricket. Some how they have set a side in the fields. But now is real chance for Younis to prove with his united squad to play with one of best team in world cricket. If Pakistan will play as united they will prove that they are also one of best team in the world cricket. Go Younis go this is your chance. We Pakistanis with all our heartly prayers wishing you good luck. Be United Be together give your maximum efforts and rest leave other things on Allah.

After seeing today's performance, I was recalling your post a few weeks back regarding IPL and how it should accommodate Pakistani players. I was just wondering... if IPL had inducted the pakistani's, who would've played against the aussies today ???

so by not having representation in the IPL, Pakistan is not missing out on a lot.

Saad u have hit the nail on the head. Actually the franchisees were keen to take in the pakistani players after the shift of venue. However that would have still meant that they would not have played bcos of national duties. I am sure they will be back next year. Hope that shuts up the conspiracy theorists.

hello friends it has been long since i last read the pak spin but yesterdays win against the "Aussies" has given a ray of hope and a new life to the newly pakistan.And according to me this is the time to show the world that they are a healty and a strong unit that can give nightmares to the opposition be india or aussies . And younis would be very pleased with the performance specially Shahid who ended with a carrear best figures of 6-38 and he carry on this form so as to win the series and revive the team which is going through a tough times.
With this hope i'll end wishing "Good Luck" to the team so that they can beat the aussies.

Cant blame the indians for being so cocky, yes they are one of the best cricket teams around and a very fast upcoming economy......on the other hand, a lot of our problems are down to our own shortcomings.....however, maybe this is the time for change, and based on today's result.....im pretty hopeful younis has what it takes to turn around our cricketing fortunes......there is nothing wrong with taking a blow and being knocked out cold....instead its wrong if u cant summon up enough courage to stand back up again!!

Having said that, i must admit cricket is a lot poorer with the advent of this quick cricket (2020) thing.....its just a glittering show put together by ignorant, pretentious celebrities who know next to nothing about the game.....they r KILLING THE GAME....anyways, there is not much worth watching cricket thesedays anyways....all the greats like lara, inzi, yousuf, mcgrath, warne hav left the international game....so no charm left! no offences meant.

@james

alot of pakistani believe tht the insurgency in our western borders is being funded by india. alot of pakistanis(including the lahore police) believe indian secret services were behind the attack on SL cricketers.
sometimes its better to read between the lines then take the word on the street, accoridng to official sources 9/11 WAS NOT an inside job, but does tht mean its the truth?. in the sub continet everything is a conspiracy because there is so much corruption tht no one can be trusted. the indians will blame pakistani even if a little boy get bitten by a rat, thts india's knee jerk reaction to EVERYTHING bad tht goes on inside india so i think its fair for pakistanis to feel the same about indians. and btw alot of pakistani also believe BCCI deliberatly tried to sabotage the PAK-SRI series and when they couldnt stop it from happening they sent RAW agents into pakistan to attack sri lanka so tht pakistan would not be able to host international matches.

The Cornered tigers have struck.. well done Lads, whatever may be the result of the series but the message has been sent. I loved to see the SPark back in the team yesterday, and no matter if you win or lose the instinct should be the one you all were and are famous for. I hope yesterday's win goes a long way to get you all back in the business. And for all those who are trying to undermine the efforts by claiming "oh that was a weak Aussie Side". Mind you this pakistani team is the team DEPRIVED of any Significant international cricket be it test or One days for the last 20 months or so, dont forget we are ALSO operating without our three BESTS Namely Muhammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq and Imran Nazir, so it virtually evens up the odds on the weaker aussie side debate. they are the team CORNERED by every cricketing nation and undermined by all around the world. but i believe this is just the begining of a Come back. There is still a long way to go, but well done for yesterday Lads.

Pakistan has supported BCCI/other Asian boards in the time of need. However, Pakistan players were not only kicked out of ICL but also IPL. How does one justify that issue? If there were terror attacks, they were not committed by Pakistani players! Hence BCCI should have backed Pakistan, just like the PCB did when it was time to ban ICL.

@Omar

ROFLMFAO

@omar - LOL .. you mean everything happening bad in Pakistan cricket or Pakistan in general is because of India????? Still living in denial. I think countries are correctly not visiting Pakistan anymore for sports tour. Until you accept ground reality and sort it out for your own good (and not for anyone else) , you will not have any improvement.

Typical Pakistan comment, trying to find a saviour in one man. You guys need to fix your country first, cricket is just a sport - it can wait. With all the violence in your country, you guys still talk about the aggressive "Pathan" quality - what a shame. What you really need is a quiet and calm environment to show the world that you guys, even though you're not smart, but you are atleast decent people. But there's no point in showing a donkey the ipod.

@OMAR

"and btw alot of pakistani also believe BCCI deliberatly tried to sabotage the PAK-SRI series and when they couldnt stop it from happening they sent RAW agents into pakistan to attack sri lanka so that pakistan would not be able to host international matches."
the BCCI made RAW do that!!OMG
I guess the even the BCCI would be completely flattered and floored to hear that.