Gilani’s ‘pre-planned reaction’ to Pak-India cricket match

[A.Rafay]

ISLAMABAD: The reaction statement of former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani regarding Pakistan’s defeat in the semi final match of Cricket World Cup was prepared in the morning ahead of the match before his departure for the Indian city Mohali on Friday March 30, 2011 and the Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister (PSPM) Khushnood Akhtar Lashari had sought approval of the prime minister for the same.

Prime Minister Gilani was in Tashkent on an official visit a week before the match day. He received the news pertaining to the invitation from his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh to visit Mohali for watching the match. Initially, Gilani hinted that he would send the then chairman Senate Farooq H Naek instead of visiting the Indian city himself. About midnight, he received a call and decided to accept the invitation. The next morning, he changed his mind.

It was Friday and the PSPM asked me (this correspondent) to reach before the departure of the prime minister for the airport since I was also a part of the entourage. As I entered his office, he showed me a draft of the statement of the prime minister comprising reaction of the prime minister in the event of defeat in the semi final. I was surprised but suggested some alteration in it. Lashari was also upset regarding the contents of the statement but he was asked to prepare it.

The members of the entourage were asked to be in formal dress. The then press secretary to the Prime Minister Shabbir Anwar was also in the special flight that took us to Chandigarh and I pointed him out the reaction statement that was shown to me by the PSPM. He replied that it was not unusual. He claimed that another statement has also been prepared that would be issued in case Pakistan wins the match. Some federal ministers including Information and Broadcasting Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira were also accompanying the prime minister.

The mood in the flight wasn’t festive although some jubilant female TV anchors were also travelling and they were occasionally singing the course. The impression was that had Pakistan won the match, it could be result in widespread communal clashes in India where the Muslims would be targeted. Incidentally, Pakistan’s team members offered their prayers on the ground in a row (Jamaat) during the practice a day earlier.

It was severely criticised by the extremist Hindu leader Ball Thackery.

The two prime ministers were introduced to both the teams at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium Mohali amid loud ‘Bhangra music’. The Indian prime minister came to the stadium with an interval twice and most the time the two prime ministers kept on talking to each other without taking much interest in the cricket since both had little knowledge of it. Mrs. Sonia Gandhi also came with her son Rahul Gandhi who took keen interest in the game.

India opted to bat first and it appeared that Pakistan’s team is not playing with its full potential. Indian star batsman Sachin Tendulkar was ‘lucky’ as his four catches were dropped. Captain Shahid Afridi was the first who dropped his catch.

Tendulkar made eighty five but was luckless in completing his much awaited century. Shoaib Akhtar wasn’t included in the playing side. Umar Gul was the main attacker who was roughed up by the Indian batsmen. Wahab Riaz was the other attacker who took five wickets.

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and her husband Feroz were also part of the entourage but they too didn’t take much interest in cricket. Hina Khar most of the time engaged in talking to Indian Prime Minister’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Shiv Shankar Menon and her some other Indian friends. The prime minister’s entourage returned Islamabad with long face but Gilani instead discussing match and ambiance discussed politics with the members of his delegation while on board.

No ramose was visible as what had happened was a foregone conclusion. The atmosphere was somber as we returned Islamabad late in the evening. The statement attributed to the prime minister on Pakistan’s defeat that was approved in the morning had already been issued.

Gilani

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

It was a rigged match , with dropped catches from Younis Khan and others there is not much more to add it was planned loss
lets not discuss something that is already known fact

 

[WAR-rior]

CMon guyz. R u for real ? kitne bade wale ho is cheez ko 2 minute mein prove kar doo but rehne do. not interested in showing u guyz what u deserve. I m shell shocked how can someone misconstrue something so obvious just for self fulfilling prophecy.

 

[mr42O]

I dont know if u ppl remeber i did wrote here also on Pakistani cricket forum pakpassion. I have a friend very very very close to gilani family. we were told by themself when i with my friend meet these ppl and was told match was fixed not by players but between stats. It was a part of deal also involving pak india relation , IPL , cricket relation etc etc. Any one with some cricket sense could easly see it was fixed. I play cricket and was shocked by some of action. SO yes match was fixed but not by player but between states.

Thats what happen when ppl elected these morons as u leaders they will sell there mother for any thing. India Srilanka final was also fixed as told by some ex srilankans players too. Sri Lanka changed 5 players in final if i dont remeber wrong. They changed there best offspinner reason Indian can play spin well and who they elected ?? A OFFSPINNER who did not had played any match yet.

 

[indian_jigar]

Man you guys are such sore losers. Good to know it still hurts you though

P.S. If Pakistani team is full of match fixers as you guys are suggesting, why do you guys get so offended when people from other countries like UK and India call your players the cheaters they actually are? In another thread I got told off by Pakistanis for saying how your team is full of cheaters...

 

[Kaniska]

First of all if Pakistan player are fixing matches...then why donot they fix matches to win for their country man???
And 2nd and most important factor...Your players are so fraud that on one hand they donot forget to pray to your alimghty Allah in the field..and on other hand...In the same field they are cheating the same Allah or the God by fixing matches to loose for heir own nation... Almighty will never forgive to those people...

( Again i donot think that match has been fixed....I should have been worried if India would have been lost the match....)

 

[RazPaK]

Indian cheaters. As always I am right.

 

[indian_jigar]

Indian cheaters. As always I am right.

If this report is true (which I highly doubt), it makes Pakistanis cheaters, since you guys are the ones accepting bribes for losing. Use common sense jeez...

 

[ajtr]

Butt: 2011 India-Pak WC semifinal was fixed

The Pakistan Cricket Board has preferred to remain non-committal on the allegation that the 2011 World Cup semifinal between India and Pakistan was fixed, but former PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt kicked off a debate after he asserted the board to investigate the claims.

Butt’s assertion that the present PCB set-up should either hold an inquiry itself or ask the ICC to investigate the semifinal clash at Mohali has left many in the cricket community bemused.

The question being asked is why didn’t he (Butt) held the inquiry when he was in power and when the finger was first pointed at the outcome of the semifinal.

If that wasn’t enough, Butt hit the headlines when he walked out of a television studio on being asked a question about Shahid Afridi during the discussion on English journalist Ed Hawkins’ book, which claims the semifinal was fixed.

In a clear indication of just how sensitive he remains on the issue of Shahid Afridi, Butt left the studio when being asked what forced him to struck a peace deal with the cricketer last year.

Clearly not happy with the queries, Butt said he no longer wanted to be part of the “useless discussion” and got up and left the studio.

Known for his eccentric ways and hardliner approach towards the media during his four-year tenure as the chairman, Butt clearly has not changed.

It was his eccentric and strong approach towards players that led to the sacking of Afridi last year in May.

Afridi, however, moved to the court against his sacking and it was only after the intervention of some politicians from the tribal areas that Butt met the all-rounder and struck a deal with him.

While Afridi was given permission to play in England, he was fined to the tune of 4.5 million rupees and was also asked to withdraw his case.

Afridi who had retired in protest was, though, never asked to take back his retirement and was ignored by the national selectors until Butt was replaced by Zaka Ashraf at the helm.

“To Butt Afridi remains a sensitive issue because he feels the player damaged the team and didn’t have respect for authority. That explains his walkout from the studio where he had gone to speak on the World Cup semifinal issue,” a close aide of Butt said.

Surprisingly the PCB has remained sensible on the matter and avoided making any official comments on the allegations raised by Hawkins, but insiders say Zaka is clearly not happy with Butt’s advice to hold an inquiry.

“Zaka is surprised at Butt’s statement as he pointed out that it was during his (Butt’s) tenure that the allegations first surfaced. And secondly what will Pakistan gain by asking for an inquiry when neither the ICC nor the Indian board are interested in Hawkins’ latest allegations,” a source said.

 

[Roybot]

Indian cheaters. As always I am right.

Yeah right

Anyways on topic,

I pointed him out the reaction statement that was shown to me by the PSPM. He replied that it was not unusual. He claimed that another statement has also been prepared that would be issued in case Pakistan wins the match.

Stupid article written for intentionally naive and gullible bumpkins.

 

[RazPaK]

^

Keep cheatin Bharti.

 

[Roybot]

^

Keep cheatin Bharti.

Teach us,

 

[zip]

These are not silly matters ..fixing india pakistan high voltage matches !!that too through diplomacy !! Ridiculous to say the least ..these writers and their supporters !! No politician or administrator in his right mind will take such a risk where possibility of it coming out open in press is huge ..because people involved here are many ..anyone can open his mouth at any given time ..no way !!

 

[Joe Shearer]

Will Hieronymus Merkin ever forget Mercy Humppe and find true happiness?