Afridi also thanks his fans on his facebook profile.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Thank you everyone for supporting me -Shahid Khan Afridi
Afridi also thanks his fans on his facebook profile.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Hockey: Some Extra ordinary performance required in next games says Olympians
Karachi-Routers, Former Olympians are criticizing Pakistan Hockey team performance against Great Britain and they are saying that their should be some extraordinary performance is required in next "Do & Die" game against strong contender Spain.
The battle between Spain vs Pakistan was has to play yesterday but due to heavy rain in Auckland the match was postponed and it will play today.Both teams have practiced well today for the game.
The loser of that match will be eliminate from this round.So this match seems to be rush blooded match for both teams.
Maria Sharapova come back to tennis court in next season starting in 2012
Tennis Queen and former world no.1 Maria Sharapova came back to training after recovering from the ankle injury that caused her to withdraw herself from the season ending WTA Championships last month.
Sharapova will probably spend the next few weeks training in Florida before 2012's first events heading to Brisbane, Australia
Sharapova was graded no. 2 in the world but fallen to no. 4 after the time of the year finish happening and will be looking to win her first Slam in four years in Melbourne.
Pakistan is performing good against Bangladesh
Pakistan performed sensibly within the second one-day international against Bangladesh towards get 2-0 unbeatable command within the three-match series against Bangladesh. Thanks towards Pakistani attack whom bowled wonderfully and local Bangladesh towards 186 within the allotted 50 overs. For the second moment within two fits, Bangladesh's top-order batsmen folded hastily, this moment performing rash shots onto an easier pitch, and Pakistan knotted the three-match series 2-0 without being stretched. Spinners got sharp curve and sometime fast bowlers get uneven bounce from the wicket that saddened either side batsmen during the match. Pakistan bowlers made Bangal Tigers competition around the match and did not allow them towards score at their will. Bangladesh top order failed towards impress with their batting performance. Nasir Hossain (100) and Shakib Al Hassan (34), somehow, dared Pakistani attack, put onto 106 operates for the fifth wicket and rob their team gross towards respectability. Nasir Hussain scored former century of the one-day series but his effort went within vain as Tigers were go down battling via 76 runs. He was afterwards declared man of the match for his brilliantine batting. Bangladesh team’s strategy towards their innings was within contrast towards that of Pakistan, whom batted with deliberate warn and loyalty towards defeat morning wickets loss and construct a platform for a powerful total. The difference within how the teams fared within the former ten overs of their innings decided the match. Bangladesh's batsmen did not even initiate towards exam Pakistan, crumbling against Hafeez and Umar Gul. The fold began within the fourth again and went onto until the 10th, at the end of which Bangladesh were 19 for 4. Tamim Iqbal tore at an outside off stumps delivery that went straight towards Younus Khan within slips. Imrul Kayes chipped a momentum lightly towards cover; Shahriar Nafees powers possess inside-edged onto his pad but he had just existed a closer lbw shout; and Mushfiqur shoved away from his body and was caught at gully. Bowlers assisted Pakistan towards get unbeatable 2-0 command within the series. Gul was cream of the bowler with four wickets whilst Hafeez bagged two and Saeed Ajmal one wicket each. Pakistan, onto the else hand, consumed an old-school strategy and content towards construct slowly. Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi, fired from the platform, constructed for them towards extend a sizeable total. Hafeez and Younus laid the bottoms with a partnership of 57 operates for the second wicket and otherwise began Pakistan's strongest partnership, between Misbahul Haq and Umar Akmal. The 50 partnership for the fourth wicket arrived off 54 balls and Akmal bred his half-century off 49. Shakib had been Bangladesh's greatest bowler and his alone wicket burst the risking partnership: Akmal skied the ball interior out towards long-off towards be caught for 59. Misbah collapsed prey towards the debutant Elias Sunny's maiden ODI wicket. At 197-5 within the 42nd again, Bangladesh had restored parity. Afridi beaten his second ball for six, again long-off, and was otherwise plunged onto eight via the Shafiul. He went onto towards pain Bangladesh, kicking the ball powerfully and charging between the wickets towards score 42 operates off 27 balls. That Bangladesh had towards follow many than 250 was their own mistake, for they conceded 22 operates within extras, 17 of them across wides. Bangladesh were not without a hero, although, for Nasir Hossain entertained the powerful crowd via scoring his maiden ODI century. Unfortunately for Hossain, he began his innings as soon as the toy was forgotten, and he did not possess partners whom powers aid him within allied purpose. Even Shakib, whom is habitually steely towards overcome whether he bats long, managed alone 34 off 90 balls. Pakistan shall possess towards do steely profession for future toys as Bangladesh shall necessarily towards earn spinners backing wickets towards victory any of the Test match towards register save-facing series win. The instructor, management and captain sit jointly towards earn blueprint for successful the Test series against Bangladesh towards boost the morale of the team and maintain the successful streak within future also.
Indo-Pak Express going with full speed
Known inside the tennis domain as the ‘Indo-Pak Express’, the combination of Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Rohan Bopanna has made prime inroads into clap and accolades, both on top of and off the field. The “stop war turn on tennis” initiative that transmit desire flame within both twigs of the Indo-Pak divide was complemented via the United Nations Development Program towards appoint the duo as Goodwill Ambassadors inside November 2010. They also obtained Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Award 2010 – one that Aisam had won with Amir Hadad within 2002 as well – and the “Peace and Sport Image of the Year” respect among a lot else accolades for peace and their off-field influence.
Even though Aisam and Bopanna had teamed up inside 2007, the international dynamics career within such a distance that any statement of goodwill, many often than not, land towards the fore alone as soon as on-field achievements. Such was the example for the Indo-Pak duo within September 2010, when their earth-shattering function towards the final at Flushing Meadows approved them towards the forefront. Aisam coupled that operate with a final’s berth within the included doubles as well; and his speech at the honor distribution ceremony won again hearts as soon as making a mark as a doubles player.
Back within 2010, Aisam and Bopanna were relatively unknown commodities. They usurped the tennis scene owing towards the part of clandestine that many often than not took their critics via surprise. This was clearly visible within their operate towards the final within US Open 2010. Aisam is a conventional serve and volleyer, whom backs his serving with dexterous volleying – the many textbook doubles performer of the two. Bopanna, onto the else hand, has pulverising ground strokes and a beast of a serve. Bopanna is a able ad-court instrumentalist, with a mighty backhand and Aisam hogs the deuce court, since his backhand is his weaker relate whilst the forehand is an indubitable weapon. Together the two formed a daunting dissent, as their respective ability complemented each else seamlessly.
However, what genuinely impacted the duo’s overall play package was the fact that they translated their off-court experience into matters onto the court – something Brian Brothers possess showcased within an unparalleled method again the years. The two were greatest allies ahead of they were partners – and this is what they possess contended ago as well. And want true allies they would stand up for each else, cover each other’s frailties and when the else was having a bad day, his partner would put within many than his fair share of tenacity. Such distinctive camaraderie ensured that their jointly prowess was considerably many than the sum of the two individuals.
After the US Open, there first-round exits galore for the team from the subcontinent, and the spark and the collaboration was crucially missing. However, the two managed towards assemble their greatest within Paris and won their alone ATP thousand happening, which carried them into the spotlight within the doubles toy yet again. Nonetheless, losing everybody three of their lake fits within the World Tour Finals – owing a number of of it towards luck and a number of towards lethargy – the two possess decided towards portion entrances activity, ostensibly, of Olympics glory.
They were a deadly team, with novel partners they powers well competition towards match their exploits – something they powers hear the steely distance next year. 2012 being an Olympic year meant that there was always going towards be a limp within the packs of doubles partners round the globe. And when Bhupathi and Paes informed their fork – again – rumours linking Bopanna with one of them gathered momentum. Bopanna opting for Bhupathi – or the else distance round – was surprising, since both of them are ad-court players; however what was even many surprising was the distance Aisam and Bopanna halted their express. The initial word was that the fork is passing, with the London Olympics within mind; but the noise produced via both halves of the Indo-Pak express is marred via bitterness – even although the two attempt towards downplay that – and it appears that the express is being halted for good.
The decision towards portion passages has been robbed via Bopanna, whom extrovertly alleged within modern interviews that he did not possess a successful year with Aisam and was expecting affecting that with Bhupathi. Such a announcement within a month of their maiden ATP thousand title within Paris was not alone uncalled for, it also reflects a feeling of resentment onto Bopanna’s part. The two reached the ATP World Tour Finals for the very former moment, and ranging the year-ending finale connotes a successful year.
Aisam shall be partnered via Jean-Julien Rojer next year – a top twenty musician – and has cleared that he holds none grudges against his ‘good friend’ Bopanna. Bopanna should possess done the equivalent and appreciated his moment with Aisam even whether he needed towards dub it a day onto the partnership.
Nevertheless, consulting what unraveled within Beijing 2008, with Bopanna and Bhupathi having a torrid moment as a team, it powers be Bopanna whom misses Aisam being adjoining him rather than the else distance round.
Hockey Champions Tropy 2011- All match have been postponed due to heavy rain
Auckland- Routers, Due to heavy rain in Auckland the matches which was going to play today have been postponed.Pakistan has to play against Spain at 18:05 local time.The new timing will be announced later after consulting with referees and officials.
Pakistan team's coach and captain took this as a opportunity for practicing.They said that we have got time for preparation before a "Do & Die" match against Spain.We are not taking Spain in a lighter mode.Spain is a world class team.Defeating Spain will not be like a eating piece of cake.Spain has also to win this match because they are too in a "Do & die" situation.
The other matches which was postponed are Australia vs Great Britain Pool A at 16:05 local time, Netherlands Vs Germany Pool B at 12:05 local time and Newzealand Vs Korea Pool B match at 14:05 local time.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
King Khan is too much confident to KO Lamont Peterson in 10 minutes
Washington-Routers desk, World no.2 boxer Amir Khan is confident to KO Lamont Petersen in less than 10 minutes.Talking with our correspondent Amir Khan said that he 'll easily defeat Lamont Petersen.He said that he wants to become no.1 & for this he is preparing well under his coach.
Amir said that Pakistan is his parents home land and he is also green blood British so when he wins two countries wins together.He will again show green flag pride by using Green accessories in the match against USA's Lamont Petersen.
Amir Khan has recently KO American boxer Judah and now again another American challenged him for fight which Amir said that he will try his best to KO him soon as possible.If he will win, he 'll dedicate this match to the martyrdom of Pakistan's army soldiers in recently attack by NATO Forces on Pakistan's soldiers in tribal area.
Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 76 runs in 2nd ODI
Dhaka- Humari news, Pakistan cricket team beat Bangladesh by 76 runs and now leads the series 2-0 and now in undefeated position in 3 match series.Nasir Hossain smashed his maiden century for Bangladesh but they were unable to prevent Pakistan from winning series.Having made 262 for seven in their 50 overs, Pakistan restricted Bangladesh to 186-7 in Dhaka to notch their record sixth consecutive one-day international series win.
Pakistan are unbeaten in a bilateral one-day series in 2011, despite ongoing problems, which have included a spot-fixing scandal and the absence of international cricket in the country because of security concerns.
They secured series wins over New Zealand 3-2, West Indies 3-2, Ireland 2-0, Zimbabwe 3-0 and Sri Lanka 4-1.
Pakistan won five successive series from March 1989 to December 1990 under captain Imran Khan before Waqar Younis and Inzamam-ul-Haq led them to the same feat in 2002.
"The team has been playing well. No opposition is easy to play against. So I take this series win as a complement for the Pakistan team," said Pakistan coach Mohsin Khan.
"The credit goes to the whole Pakistan team and management."
Umar Akmal, who added 83 runs with Misbah-ul-Haq for the fourth wicket, made Pakistan's only half century before he was caught by Shafiul Islam off Shakib Al Hasan for 59.
Shahid Afridi was dropped by Shafiul on eight and went on to reach 42 off 27 balls with three fours and two sixes.
Champions trophy 2011: Pakistan Vs Spain- A do and die match for both teams
Auckland- Routers, Pakistan is going to clash with Spain on 4th December 2011 here in Auckland at 18:05 local time.This match seems to be do and die match for both teams as Spain was defeated by Australia 3-2 in their opening match at the Champions Trophy, while 3 times champion Pakistan was defeated by Great Britain 2-1.So the winner of this match can survive in the tournament otherwise they have to pack their bags for home.
Pakistan has won champions trophy 3 times while Spain has won only 1 time.Hockey Champion's trophy 2011 shedule and fixtures
The 33rd Edition of Hockey Champions trophy is going on in Auckland, Newzealand now days. It started from 3 December 2011 and it will last till 11 December 2011 when the final will be played. There are 8 teams participating in the tournament and they are divided into two groups of 4 each and they will play two robin rounds before the final.
Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy 2011 – Round 1 Schedule
Friday, December 2, 2011
Pakistan to take on England on opening day of Champions Trophy 2011
In the eight-nation hockey tournament, Pakistan has been placed in Pool A along with Australia, England and Spain while Pool B comprises Germany, Holland, South Korea and New Zealand.
Pakistan has won Champions trophy 3 times.6 times as runner up, 6 times at 3rd place & 7 times at 4th place.
Defending Champion Australia has won this trophy 11 times.10 times as runner up,4 times at 3rd place and 3 times on 4th place.
Never scared from any one- I 've fearless blood in my body- Amir Khan
An Interview by Usama Abbasi
Five minutes' walk from the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, where Amir Khan is honing his skills for his latest fight, is the apartment block where he spends six months of the year. It is late afternoon and we are sitting next to the swimming-pool, where Khan is about to feast on chicken and rice. It has been another exhausting day. It began with a dawn run on the beach at Santa Monica, followed by rigorous, strength-sapping sprints up and down wooden steps where the coast road meets a raised cliff. 'There are 256 going up and on another flight there are 156 going down,' he says with a grin. 'The most I have done is 10 sets.'
The two-hour sessions are designed to build strength and stamina in his legs. Then, after a high-protein breakfast and a few rounds on the Xbox (fighting games), he has a 90-minute siesta before heading to the Wild Card for a further two hours of stretching, sparring and gym work. The routine runs like clockwork, six days a week, so that Khan is in peak condition for his world-title encounter next Saturday with Lamont Peterson. The fight, in his opponent's hometown of Washington, DC, is Khan's fourth in the US and the sixth defence of his WBA world light welterweight title. It is also the first defence of the IBF world title he won in July in a unification fight with Zab Judah.
Poolside, Khan exudes a relaxed air. 'You have to be confident when you've got someone in front of you who wants to beat you and take the title from you. But I think people mistake my confidence for arrogance or cockiness,' he says. 'I know what physical tools I have, I know what I can do. So I don't have to prove anything. The thing is, I'm never scared. It's just in the blood, really. My family come from a warrior clan background, the Rajput tribe from the Punjab, and that could be one of the reasons. Going into fights just seems normal to me.'
Khan's grandfather, Lall, came to Britain in the late 1960s, like many Pakistanis. The family were landowners from Rawalpindi; grandfather Khan saw the opportunity of a better future for his family in Britain and set up home in Halliwell, Greater Manchester, later bringing his wife, Iqbal Begum, and two sons over. Amir's father, Shah, was seven years old at the time. Lall got a job in a cotton factory, working his way up to manager. Shah trained as a mechanic, set up his own garage, and then had a scrapyard. He now oversees Amir's career full-time.
'We are all hard workers,' Khan says. 'It's in the genes. We're not ones to just sit there and chill. Once I've had a rest in between fights, I have to go back into the gym. I've got to be doing something with my life. My coach has to get me to slow down sometimes.'
The young Amir was a hyperactive child. 'I was never scared of anything, even then. I was always misbehaving, testing myself.' In other words, he was constantly getting into fights, not because he was a troublemaker but because he had no qualms about taking anyone on, no matter how big they were. He was eight when his father took him to an amateur boxing club in Halliwell and placed him under the tutelage of a local coach, Tommy Battle. 'It was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me,' Khan says. 'I loved it straight away.' He had found his niche. Three English schoolboy titles and three junior national amateur titles followed. In 2003, aged 16, he won a gold medal at the Junior Olympics in Detroit, followed by another gold at the Junior World Championships in Korea the year after.
While he was recognised as an exceptional young talent, many felt that the senior Olympics in 2004 was too soon for him. Some selectors didn't want him to go. After much debate, and while still a student at Bolton Technical College, he joined the squad for Athens, the youngest man to represent Great Britain at boxing for 30 years. He won Britain's only boxing medal of the Games. Khan's performances, which included beating the European champion and stopping two of his opponents within the distance, made him a star both in Greece (where a crowd of British supporters, including medal winners such as Matthew Pinsent, cheered him on) and back home. By the time he reached the final of the lightweight competition, against the reigning champion Mario Kindelan, from Cuba, regarded as the world's best pound-for-pound amateur, many felt Khan would win. In the end he had to settle for silver. Photographs of his father, Shah, dressed in a Union flag waistcoat, and his uncle Terry, also draped in the flag, became some of the most memorable images of those Games. 'Everyone in Britain suddenly knew me,' Khan says. 'I couldn't walk down the street without being stopped all the time, or people asking for my autograph. Until then I'd never signed an autograph in my life.
'At the press conference at Heathrow I was put on the top table with Kelly Holmes, Matt Pinsent and Steve Redgrave. It just hit me. I was thinking, "I hope they don't ask me a question." And of course who was asked the first question? Me.'
Two more amateur fights followed in 2005 – in the second of which he took his revenge on Kindelan, beating him in Bolton. Although he had said after his Olympic success that 'I want to stay amateur until I'm 22', the lure of the professional sport proved irresistible. He signed with the promoter Frank Warren in July 2005, aged 18, to great fanfare in the sporting media. Warren added to the hype, declaring Khan to be the most talented boxer he had ever worked with. Though he was still learning his trade, Khan's early fights were heavily scrutinised. His progress was steady, but he was under pressure to perform every time.
In 2008 he suffered his first (and so far only) professional defeat, a first-round knockout by Colombia's Breidis Prescott. Tean Khan acted swiftly and installed the esteemed trainer Freddie Roach, who has trained more than 20 world champions, including Mike Tyson, Oscar de la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao, currently regarded as the world's number-one boxer, the only man ever to win world titles in eight weight divisions. Pacquiao has become Khan's friend and mentor. Roach calls Khan 'the sponge' because he is so keen to learn. 'He is a deeply committed student, but great fun to be around, too,' Roach says. 'I have two great students in Amir and Manny. It has taken years for Manny to become the complete fighter, and Amir could go on to become the best boxer in the world. What he has is speed, and speed kills.'
Khan's workload is overseen by Alex Ariza, the lead strength and conditioning coach at the Wild Card Gym, located in a shopping plaza on Vine Street, on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard. Ariza is a tough taskmaster. 'My aim has always been to push Amir to the limit,' Ariza says. 'That is why I get him to start his training at five each morning, whether it is sprint sessions on the track at UCLA, running the steps at Santa Monica beach or swimming in freezing cold water in the sea.
'Amir has an amazing resistance to pain, and his mind is so strong in that respect. He's also ultra-competitive and is constantly testing himself against what Manny Pacquiao can do. What Manny does, Amir wants to do better. It's a great attitude to have. I want him to experience more pain in training than he would ever feel in a fight.'
Khan's family are closely involved with his career, though not with the technical business of training and fighting. 'I prefer it that way, and Freddie likes it,' Khan says. 'There are a lot of fighters with no family support, but your family are honest with you. Look at the types who were around Mike Tyson. They are not going to tell you when you are wrong, they'll just call you the champ.'
In many respects Khan does not fit the mould of the desperate fighter escaping poverty, or brought up on the wrong side of the tracks. The family were comfortably middle-class, and Khan remembers them moving to a 'nice posh area' when he was young. Though he spends half the year in America these days, he is proud of his Lancashire roots. When in Britain, he still lives in Bolton, across the road from his mother and father, his brother and two sisters, and sometimes helps out at his uncle and aunt's curry house.
'I grew up in a loving household,' he says. 'I was looked after and I was the favourite child in many ways. My mum is very caring. I was a mummy's boy; I still am. My mum still gets rid of the spiders off my walls. She comes over, picks them up and chucks them outside. There may be one in my bedroom, and I'll never sleep.
'My mum worries about me every time I fight,' he adds. 'She can't watch me fight any more. She came to some of the early fights, but when she started seeing blood and stuff, she said, "Forget this". She won't even watch at home. Mum came out to Vegas for my last fight in July, but she stayed in the hotel. She just prays.'
When in 2009 Khan won his first world title, the WBA light welterweight belt, against the Ukrainian Andriy Kotelnyk, his mother urged him to retire. 'Mum said to me, "You've got your world title, so isn't it time to retire now?" My sisters, Tabinda and Mariyah, come to the fights, and I can see them all praying at ringside. They get very nervous and I don't like putting them through that, but it's just one of those things. I tell them to stay at home, but they want to be there for me.'
Khan recently announced his engagement to Faryal Makhdoom, 20, a student from New York. If they have children, would Khan like his own son to box? 'No way,' he says.
'I won't let him do it. My kids will never, ever box. Ever. I know how hard it is, that's why I never want to put my kids through what I go through. Not boxing, anything but boxing. That's the rule.'
So far Khan has hardly put a foot wrong inside or outside the ring. Still only 24, he has amassed career earnings of some £20 million, and as long as he keeps winning he is two fights away from mega-paydays. He has won 26 pro fights, 18 by knockout. His all-action, TV-friendly style makes him a fans' favourite. As his profile grows in the US, the next 12 months could see him step up a weight division to fight Floyd Mayweather, for which he could earn £10 million.
'I haven't done too badly, but it's been a tough journey,' he says. 'I've achieved some of my goals and dreams. I'm fighting in America, I'm fighting big names, and there will be bigger fights for me in the future. I have two world title belts now, and I know that if I get through this contest against Lamont Peterson, it will take me to a better level, to a tougher fight, to a better fight. I know I have critics, people who probably hate me or people who talk bad about me. It's great to prove them all wrong.'
Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, Khan's US promoters, believes that 'Amir is truly on course to be a great fighter. He has everything: charm, good looks, he's a great athlete, and an ambassador for boxing and Britain.'
For Khan, success is satisfying but not surprising. 'It's brilliant to be where I am, but I never have to pinch myself. I knew these times would come. I knew that one day I'd be a famous world champion, have a nice car, a nice house. My ultimate goal is to be considered the number one pound-for-pound fighter, move up a weight division and win as many world titles as I can. I've always said I've got three big years left in this sport. I want to maximise my time and fight the best people.'
So will he, as has been suggested, step into the ring with his friend Manny Pacquiao? 'I don't think we have to fight each other,' he says. 'I'd never put Freddie in that position, because I know Freddie likes me, and he loves Manny. We're a team, and why would we split the team?'
His profile in America has now extended far beyond boxing circles. Earlier this year he was invited by the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to dinner at the White House as part of a reception for Muslim athletes. 'It was a little bit nerve-racking because I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if they would ask me questions about religion and stuff, and I wanted to stay away from that part, but I thought I'd go there as a British Muslim sportsman. I had a conversation with Hillary Clinton and she was well cool. She wished me all the best in my career. I felt touched.'
Since Athens, part of Khan's appeal is that he has been seen as a standard-bearer for multicultural Britain. 'I can remember walking out of the airport [on returning from Athens] and there were a lot of British Muslims there. At that time British Muslims didn't have anyone to look up to. I want to be seen as a positive face, as a Muslim and as a role model to young British kids. They see me as a positive person, they want to follow in my footsteps and do what I'm doing, especially with all the bad stuff going on around the world.'
Khan goes to mosque every week, even if it's a fight week. He still fasts during Ramadan and has been to Mecca for the Hajj. In a business dominated by cold, hard money, he has maintained his ethical and moral standards. 'We've had a lot of offers to do ads for alcohol and for casinos, but I've turned them all down. Not everything is about money. It's about keeping respect and pride, and my religion is very important to me.'
Khan talks a lot about using his position 'to give something back'. After the 2005 Kashmir earthquake he visited Pakistan to hand out food parcels to displaced children. His former coach, Tommy Battle, now runs the Gloves Community Gym, a converted warehouse in Bolton in which Khan invested £800,000. Local boys pay between 50p and £1 to use the facilities, and the club has already nurtured junior champions. 'Naughty kids come in to do some training. We give them discipline,' Khan says. On a grander scale, he says he wants to start his own charitable foundation.
Khan's level-headedness is refreshing in a world of giant egos, big talkers and cod-philosophers. Inside the ring, he says his secret is that he does not allow himself to think too deeply about fighting. 'I just let it happen. When I go into the ring I don't think too hard or too deep, I just sit there before I go into a fight and go through everything Freddie has told me in my mind, quickly – work on my jab, my left hook, watch my opponent's right, be careful not to get trapped on the ropes. As soon as I step inside the ring, everything comes naturally, it's like a dream. Before you know it, it's over, and that is why I like watching my fights over again, because half the time I've forgotten what I did. It's like after you drive a car: you don't remember changing gears, you just do it all without thinking about it.'
The young Amir was a hyperactive child. 'I was never scared of anything, even then. I was always misbehaving, testing myself.' In other words, he was constantly getting into fights, not because he was a troublemaker but because he had no qualms about taking anyone on, no matter how big they were. He was eight when his father took him to an amateur boxing club in Halliwell and placed him under the tutelage of a local coach, Tommy Battle. 'It was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me,' Khan says. 'I loved it straight away.' He had found his niche. Three English schoolboy titles and three junior national amateur titles followed. In 2003, aged 16, he won a gold medal at the Junior Olympics in Detroit, followed by another gold at the Junior World Championships in Korea the year after.
While he was recognised as an exceptional young talent, many felt that the senior Olympics in 2004 was too soon for him. Some selectors didn't want him to go. After much debate, and while still a student at Bolton Technical College, he joined the squad for Athens, the youngest man to represent Great Britain at boxing for 30 years. He won Britain's only boxing medal of the Games. Khan's performances, which included beating the European champion and stopping two of his opponents within the distance, made him a star both in Greece (where a crowd of British supporters, including medal winners such as Matthew Pinsent, cheered him on) and back home. By the time he reached the final of the lightweight competition, against the reigning champion Mario Kindelan, from Cuba, regarded as the world's best pound-for-pound amateur, many felt Khan would win. In the end he had to settle for silver. Photographs of his father, Shah, dressed in a Union flag waistcoat, and his uncle Terry, also draped in the flag, became some of the most memorable images of those Games. 'Everyone in Britain suddenly knew me,' Khan says. 'I couldn't walk down the street without being stopped all the time, or people asking for my autograph. Until then I'd never signed an autograph in my life.
'At the press conference at Heathrow I was put on the top table with Kelly Holmes, Matt Pinsent and Steve Redgrave. It just hit me. I was thinking, "I hope they don't ask me a question." And of course who was asked the first question? Me.'
Two more amateur fights followed in 2005 – in the second of which he took his revenge on Kindelan, beating him in Bolton. Although he had said after his Olympic success that 'I want to stay amateur until I'm 22', the lure of the professional sport proved irresistible. He signed with the promoter Frank Warren in July 2005, aged 18, to great fanfare in the sporting media. Warren added to the hype, declaring Khan to be the most talented boxer he had ever worked with. Though he was still learning his trade, Khan's early fights were heavily scrutinised. His progress was steady, but he was under pressure to perform every time.
In 2008 he suffered his first (and so far only) professional defeat, a first-round knockout by Colombia's Breidis Prescott. Tean Khan acted swiftly and installed the esteemed trainer Freddie Roach, who has trained more than 20 world champions, including Mike Tyson, Oscar de la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao, currently regarded as the world's number-one boxer, the only man ever to win world titles in eight weight divisions. Pacquiao has become Khan's friend and mentor. Roach calls Khan 'the sponge' because he is so keen to learn. 'He is a deeply committed student, but great fun to be around, too,' Roach says. 'I have two great students in Amir and Manny. It has taken years for Manny to become the complete fighter, and Amir could go on to become the best boxer in the world. What he has is speed, and speed kills.'
Khan's workload is overseen by Alex Ariza, the lead strength and conditioning coach at the Wild Card Gym, located in a shopping plaza on Vine Street, on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard. Ariza is a tough taskmaster. 'My aim has always been to push Amir to the limit,' Ariza says. 'That is why I get him to start his training at five each morning, whether it is sprint sessions on the track at UCLA, running the steps at Santa Monica beach or swimming in freezing cold water in the sea.
'Amir has an amazing resistance to pain, and his mind is so strong in that respect. He's also ultra-competitive and is constantly testing himself against what Manny Pacquiao can do. What Manny does, Amir wants to do better. It's a great attitude to have. I want him to experience more pain in training than he would ever feel in a fight.'
Khan's family are closely involved with his career, though not with the technical business of training and fighting. 'I prefer it that way, and Freddie likes it,' Khan says. 'There are a lot of fighters with no family support, but your family are honest with you. Look at the types who were around Mike Tyson. They are not going to tell you when you are wrong, they'll just call you the champ.'
In many respects Khan does not fit the mould of the desperate fighter escaping poverty, or brought up on the wrong side of the tracks. The family were comfortably middle-class, and Khan remembers them moving to a 'nice posh area' when he was young. Though he spends half the year in America these days, he is proud of his Lancashire roots. When in Britain, he still lives in Bolton, across the road from his mother and father, his brother and two sisters, and sometimes helps out at his uncle and aunt's curry house.
'I grew up in a loving household,' he says. 'I was looked after and I was the favourite child in many ways. My mum is very caring. I was a mummy's boy; I still am. My mum still gets rid of the spiders off my walls. She comes over, picks them up and chucks them outside. There may be one in my bedroom, and I'll never sleep.
'My mum worries about me every time I fight,' he adds. 'She can't watch me fight any more. She came to some of the early fights, but when she started seeing blood and stuff, she said, "Forget this". She won't even watch at home. Mum came out to Vegas for my last fight in July, but she stayed in the hotel. She just prays.'
When in 2009 Khan won his first world title, the WBA light welterweight belt, against the Ukrainian Andriy Kotelnyk, his mother urged him to retire. 'Mum said to me, "You've got your world title, so isn't it time to retire now?" My sisters, Tabinda and Mariyah, come to the fights, and I can see them all praying at ringside. They get very nervous and I don't like putting them through that, but it's just one of those things. I tell them to stay at home, but they want to be there for me.'
Khan recently announced his engagement to Faryal Makhdoom, 20, a student from New York. If they have children, would Khan like his own son to box? 'No way,' he says.
'I won't let him do it. My kids will never, ever box. Ever. I know how hard it is, that's why I never want to put my kids through what I go through. Not boxing, anything but boxing. That's the rule.'
So far Khan has hardly put a foot wrong inside or outside the ring. Still only 24, he has amassed career earnings of some £20 million, and as long as he keeps winning he is two fights away from mega-paydays. He has won 26 pro fights, 18 by knockout. His all-action, TV-friendly style makes him a fans' favourite. As his profile grows in the US, the next 12 months could see him step up a weight division to fight Floyd Mayweather, for which he could earn £10 million.
'I haven't done too badly, but it's been a tough journey,' he says. 'I've achieved some of my goals and dreams. I'm fighting in America, I'm fighting big names, and there will be bigger fights for me in the future. I have two world title belts now, and I know that if I get through this contest against Lamont Peterson, it will take me to a better level, to a tougher fight, to a better fight. I know I have critics, people who probably hate me or people who talk bad about me. It's great to prove them all wrong.'
Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, Khan's US promoters, believes that 'Amir is truly on course to be a great fighter. He has everything: charm, good looks, he's a great athlete, and an ambassador for boxing and Britain.'
For Khan, success is satisfying but not surprising. 'It's brilliant to be where I am, but I never have to pinch myself. I knew these times would come. I knew that one day I'd be a famous world champion, have a nice car, a nice house. My ultimate goal is to be considered the number one pound-for-pound fighter, move up a weight division and win as many world titles as I can. I've always said I've got three big years left in this sport. I want to maximise my time and fight the best people.'
So will he, as has been suggested, step into the ring with his friend Manny Pacquiao? 'I don't think we have to fight each other,' he says. 'I'd never put Freddie in that position, because I know Freddie likes me, and he loves Manny. We're a team, and why would we split the team?'
His profile in America has now extended far beyond boxing circles. Earlier this year he was invited by the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to dinner at the White House as part of a reception for Muslim athletes. 'It was a little bit nerve-racking because I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if they would ask me questions about religion and stuff, and I wanted to stay away from that part, but I thought I'd go there as a British Muslim sportsman. I had a conversation with Hillary Clinton and she was well cool. She wished me all the best in my career. I felt touched.'
Since Athens, part of Khan's appeal is that he has been seen as a standard-bearer for multicultural Britain. 'I can remember walking out of the airport [on returning from Athens] and there were a lot of British Muslims there. At that time British Muslims didn't have anyone to look up to. I want to be seen as a positive face, as a Muslim and as a role model to young British kids. They see me as a positive person, they want to follow in my footsteps and do what I'm doing, especially with all the bad stuff going on around the world.'
Khan goes to mosque every week, even if it's a fight week. He still fasts during Ramadan and has been to Mecca for the Hajj. In a business dominated by cold, hard money, he has maintained his ethical and moral standards. 'We've had a lot of offers to do ads for alcohol and for casinos, but I've turned them all down. Not everything is about money. It's about keeping respect and pride, and my religion is very important to me.'
Khan talks a lot about using his position 'to give something back'. After the 2005 Kashmir earthquake he visited Pakistan to hand out food parcels to displaced children. His former coach, Tommy Battle, now runs the Gloves Community Gym, a converted warehouse in Bolton in which Khan invested £800,000. Local boys pay between 50p and £1 to use the facilities, and the club has already nurtured junior champions. 'Naughty kids come in to do some training. We give them discipline,' Khan says. On a grander scale, he says he wants to start his own charitable foundation.
Khan's level-headedness is refreshing in a world of giant egos, big talkers and cod-philosophers. Inside the ring, he says his secret is that he does not allow himself to think too deeply about fighting. 'I just let it happen. When I go into the ring I don't think too hard or too deep, I just sit there before I go into a fight and go through everything Freddie has told me in my mind, quickly – work on my jab, my left hook, watch my opponent's right, be careful not to get trapped on the ropes. As soon as I step inside the ring, everything comes naturally, it's like a dream. Before you know it, it's over, and that is why I like watching my fights over again, because half the time I've forgotten what I did. It's like after you drive a car: you don't remember changing gears, you just do it all without thinking about it.'
Bell, Marlins agree to $27 million deal -NC TIMES
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| Closer Heath Bell has reportedly agreed to a three-year deal with the Miami Marlins. Associated Press file photo |
The person spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced. The agreement, which is subject to a physical, is the first free-agent deal for the Marlins since they began courtships last month with several top players. The deal was first reported by ESPN.
Bell had more than 40 saves each of the past three seasons for the Padres. This year he had 43 in 48 chances with a 2.44 ERA.
The Marlins are uncertain of the availability of their closer this year, Leo Nunez. He's on the restricted list after he admitted to playing under an assumed name.
Nunez, whose real name is Juan Oviedo, had 36 saves in 42 chances this year with a 4.06 ERA.
The Marlins' move into a new ballpark next year has improved their financial outlook, allowing them to become more active in free agency. They've courted slugger Albert Pujols, shortstop Jose Reyes and left-handers Mark Buehrle and C.J. Wilson, and they're interested in Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes.
Pujols remains a long shot, but the Marlins have high hopes of signing at least a couple of the others as they prepare to move into a new ballpark.
Bell was an All-Star for the third consecutive season this year, and made his appearance in the game memorable by sliding onto the infield grass before he took the ball to pitch. He'll be reunited in Miami with former Padres relievers Ryan Webb and Edward Mujica, who joined the Marlins a year ago.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Shahid Khan Afridi the one man show began
Shahid Afridi is the only cricketer which we can say that he can invert the whole game of cricket single handily on his day.When 10 players of Pakistan team fails to perform when all bowlers gave their 100% but can't do anything.When the game went away from Pakistan team.The only one man "SHAHID AFRIDI" emerged and beats single handily 11 players of opposite team through his marvelous performance through bat,bowl and through his fielding.Recently Waqar Younis (former coach of Pakistan cricket team) criticizes Afridi of his "Myself" proud in himself.He criticizes that Afridi has too much ego in himself.Eleven 11 players performs in every match when a team wins not one man can change the whole match single handily.Afridi should consider himself on his performance regarding making statements.
In reply boom boom didn't criticizes Waqar and said that he 'll give answer through his performance in the ground.And world saw that Afridi rocks through his hilarious performance throughout the series since he got back in the team.
Fans are very happy with consistent performance of the Afridi.They are wanting Afridi back as captain in t20 and ODI's.Because they think that Misbah is not doing well with his captaincy.It is the Afridi who is making safe Misbah from criticism.If Afridi 'll not perform team performance may again start declining.
Sponsors are also willing Afridi back in captaincy.They are pressurizing PCB to make AFRIDI again CAPTAIN of Pakistan cricket team.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Cricket: 1st ODI - Bangladesh v Pakistan Odds and Betting Preview
MIRPUR, BANGLADESH – Bangladesh face Pakistan at home in the first one day fixture of their three-match series on Thursday. Pakistan are currently four places ahead of their opponents in the ICC ODI rankings, and will be expecting to dominate in Mirpur. Unsurprisingly they start the game as strong favourites to win, and can currently be backed to do so at best odds of 1/6 (bet £6 to make £1 profit) with William Hill. For those punters anticipating an upset, however, Bangladesh are available at longer odds of 9/2 with Boylesports.
Pakistan enter the match on superb form, having recently defeated Sri Lanka 4-1 in their ODI series. Despite losing three of their most gifted players in disreputable circumstances due to the spot-fixing scandal, Pakistan can still boast a more experienced and more talented squad than their Bangladeshi opponents. It will take something very special from the hosts to outplay Pakistan over this three match series, but if they are to secure a famous victory then there would be no better way to start than by winning the first match.
Pakistani opener Mohammed Hafeez averages only 27.28 in his 87 international one day matches – a statistic that could certainly not be described as glaringly impressive – but nonetheless starts this match as 7/2 favourite with Ladbrokes to top score for his team. Hafeez’s opening partner Imran Farhat is also deemed to be dangerous by the bookmakers, and can be backed to amass the most runs for his side at 4/1 with Bet365. Younis Khan, on the other hand – who is undeniably the most experienced batsman in the Pakistani side – is on offer at an identical 4/1 with Blue Square.
Bangladesh’s most attacking batsman is opener Tamim Iqbal, whose explosive batting is capable of intimidating any bowling line-up in the world. Iqbal starts the match as joint-favourite to top score for the home side, and can currently be backed to do so at 4/1 with Stan James. Iqbal’s opening partner Imrul Kayes is on offer to hit the most Bangladeshi runs at the same odds with the same bookmaker, whilst Shakib Al Hasan can be backed at a slightly longer 5/1 with Coral.
In the absence of Mohammed Amir and Mohammed Asif, Shahid Afridi is the most dangerous bowler in the Pakistan side. Afridi has taken 328 wickets in his ODI career, and starts Thursday’s match as joint favourite to be his side’s most successful bowler at 7/2 with Ladbrokes. Umar Gul, who averages 27.28 with the ball in ODI cricket is on offer at the same odds with the same bookmakers.
Play starts at 07.30 GMT
Match Result
Bangladesh: 5.50
Pakistan: 1.16
Highest Opening Partnership
Bangladesh: 2.62
Pakistan: 1.50
Team of Top Match Runscorer
Bangladesh: 2.75
Pakistan: 1.40
Top Bangladesh Batsman
Al Hasan, S: 5.50
Hossain, Nasir: 17.00
Hossain, Nazmul: 101.00
Hossain, R: 101.00
Iqbal, T: 4.50
Islam, N: 9.00
Kayes, I: 5.00
Nafees, S: 6.00
Rahim, M: 5.50
Sunny, E: 17.00
Razzak, A: 51.00
Kapali, A: 9.00
Reza, F: 13.00
Mahmudullah, M: 13.00
Pakistan enter the match on superb form, having recently defeated Sri Lanka 4-1 in their ODI series. Despite losing three of their most gifted players in disreputable circumstances due to the spot-fixing scandal, Pakistan can still boast a more experienced and more talented squad than their Bangladeshi opponents. It will take something very special from the hosts to outplay Pakistan over this three match series, but if they are to secure a famous victory then there would be no better way to start than by winning the first match.
Pakistani opener Mohammed Hafeez averages only 27.28 in his 87 international one day matches – a statistic that could certainly not be described as glaringly impressive – but nonetheless starts this match as 7/2 favourite with Ladbrokes to top score for his team. Hafeez’s opening partner Imran Farhat is also deemed to be dangerous by the bookmakers, and can be backed to amass the most runs for his side at 4/1 with Bet365. Younis Khan, on the other hand – who is undeniably the most experienced batsman in the Pakistani side – is on offer at an identical 4/1 with Blue Square.
Bangladesh’s most attacking batsman is opener Tamim Iqbal, whose explosive batting is capable of intimidating any bowling line-up in the world. Iqbal starts the match as joint-favourite to top score for the home side, and can currently be backed to do so at 4/1 with Stan James. Iqbal’s opening partner Imrul Kayes is on offer to hit the most Bangladeshi runs at the same odds with the same bookmaker, whilst Shakib Al Hasan can be backed at a slightly longer 5/1 with Coral.
In the absence of Mohammed Amir and Mohammed Asif, Shahid Afridi is the most dangerous bowler in the Pakistan side. Afridi has taken 328 wickets in his ODI career, and starts Thursday’s match as joint favourite to be his side’s most successful bowler at 7/2 with Ladbrokes. Umar Gul, who averages 27.28 with the ball in ODI cricket is on offer at the same odds with the same bookmakers.
Play starts at 07.30 GMT
Match Result
Bangladesh: 5.50
Pakistan: 1.16
Highest Opening Partnership
Bangladesh: 2.62
Pakistan: 1.50
Team of Top Match Runscorer
Bangladesh: 2.75
Pakistan: 1.40
Top Bangladesh Batsman
Al Hasan, S: 5.50
Hossain, Nasir: 17.00
Hossain, Nazmul: 101.00
Hossain, R: 101.00
Iqbal, T: 4.50
Islam, N: 9.00
Kayes, I: 5.00
Nafees, S: 6.00
Rahim, M: 5.50
Sunny, E: 17.00
Razzak, A: 51.00
Kapali, A: 9.00
Reza, F: 13.00
Mahmudullah, M: 13.00
Monday, November 21, 2011
The morning after the night before- Afridi Rocks
Walking to work this morning I was smuggly content. The streets were quiet and the day was gloomy, but I was happy. Happy and buzzing and still on a high, all because of one man.
Like him or loathe him, you've got to admire him. Cometh the hour cometh the man. Credit where credit is due. Playing for your country is an honour, playing for your country and scoring runs is a blessing, playing for your country and scoring runs and taking wickets is unbelievable, playing for your country and scoring runs and taking wickets and being man of the match is unthinkable, playing for your country and scoring runs and taking wickets and being man of the match and trending worldwide on Twitter and having your name chanted by thousands in the stadium and mentioned by millions and millions and millions of fans around the world and being the envy of all the males and being adored by all the females and the list can go on and on and on is just what dreams are made of; the dreams seen by you and me everyday.
There is no 'I' in team but try telling Afridi that. He was a one man team, a lone warrior, a lone hero, albeit some support from Ajmal. He was inspirational and made us proud to be Pakistani's. Last night he was trending worldwide on Twitter but for a long time after that he will still be trending in our hearts.
Like him or loathe him, you've got to admire him. Cometh the hour cometh the man. Credit where credit is due. Playing for your country is an honour, playing for your country and scoring runs is a blessing, playing for your country and scoring runs and taking wickets is unbelievable, playing for your country and scoring runs and taking wickets and being man of the match is unthinkable, playing for your country and scoring runs and taking wickets and being man of the match and trending worldwide on Twitter and having your name chanted by thousands in the stadium and mentioned by millions and millions and millions of fans around the world and being the envy of all the males and being adored by all the females and the list can go on and on and on is just what dreams are made of; the dreams seen by you and me everyday.
There is no 'I' in team but try telling Afridi that. He was a one man team, a lone warrior, a lone hero, albeit some support from Ajmal. He was inspirational and made us proud to be Pakistani's. Last night he was trending worldwide on Twitter but for a long time after that he will still be trending in our hearts.
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