And Pakistan’s standout performer is...

The Express Tribune staff lists six of those who made a major impact on Pakistan sports in 2011.


December 30, 2011

The stakes are always against you when representing Pakistan. But some still manage to make a difference. Here, The Express Tribune staff lists six of those who made a major impact on Pakistan sports in 2011.

Saadi Abbas

With all the success that Pakistan enjoyed on the cricket field this year, achievements away from this sport often get overlooked and forgotten.

But one man who managed to make his presence felt on the horizon was Saadi Abbas, Pakistan’s first-ever Asian karate champion. Abbas etched his name in history when he beat his South Korean opponent to win gold in the sub-67 kilogramme category at the Asian Karate-do Championships. He not only became the first Pakistani but also the first south Asian to achieve this feat at an event, and a sport, dominated by China, Japan and Korea.

The breakthrough propelled Abbas to the status of a serious contender at next year’s world championships, an event where he finished seventh three years ago in his maiden appearance. His run in 2011, however, extended beyond his gold-winning effort as he continued his good form to win two more gold medals at the inaugural South Asian Karate Championship, helping Pakistan top the medal table. Abbas has also been crowned champion at the 2006 South Asian Games and the 2009 Commonwealth Karate Championships. He credits his success to the training received at the Dubai-based Al-Ahali club, where he has won the Club World Cup twice, and the lucrative career offered there may force him to limit his national appearances, the first of which came six years ago.

Lack of financial incentive for karatekas in Pakistan will also play a huge hand in the Karachi-born player having little interest in representing the country regularly but Abbas’ biggest dream of winning a world championship gold for Pakistan could very well be a defining moment for the sport in the country, if achieved.

Sana Mir

Pakistan women’s cricket team had an eventful 2011 where their success not only lead to being tournament winners but also qualifying for the 2012 World Twenty20 and the 2013 World Cup.

To say that Sana Mir, the national captain, has had a memorable year would be an understatement. At a personal level, the 25-year-old was the team’s third-highest run-scorer in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), accumulating 211 runs from 13 matches. With the ball, she picked 10 wickets to sit joint 14th in the ICC ODI Championship Bowler’s Rankings, the only Pakistani in the top-20.

Individually, her year was a success but her role as the team leader was more exceptional. Apart from the qualification reward, Pakistan also won the Twenty20 and ODI Quadrangular series in Sri Lanka ahead of the hosts, Ireland and Netherlands. Mir’s efforts did not end there — she opened Pakistan’s innings in the qualifiers where she hit a career-best 49 against Netherlands to secure a semi-final berth and also a place in the elite competition.

She ended the tournament as Pakistan’s second-best batter and was in the thick of the action again in the semi-final, picking up a brace. Although Pakistan lost to West Indies in the final, they managed to move up two places in the rankings and Mir sat back with the knowledge and satisfaction of leading from the front and ensuring the team accomplished what it had set out for.

Shahid Afridi

The year 2011 saw Shahid Afridi swing from one end of the spectrum to the other, and then back again to the other.

Afridi is Pakistan’s best all-rounder when it comes to statistics and arguably the most loved cricketer in the country. He has 333 One-Day International wickets and has scored almost 7,000 runs while maintaining his reputation as a match-winner at various points, especially in global events.

Afridi scored 462 runs from 27 matches this year but it was his haul of 45 wickets – second highest in the world this year behind Lasith Malinga’s 48 – that adds to his charisma and maturity. Pakistan suffered a semi-final defeat in Mohali but Afridi ended joint top with 21 wickets.

His leadership in the global event was also widely praised after the spot-fixing scandal, and the subsequent bans and threats, had pummelled Pakistan down the barrel. Although his captaincy stats remained less attractive than Misbahul Haq’s, the team reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup remained Afridi’s biggest achievement.

Under his captaincy, Pakistan won 12 of the 18 matches but faced a bitter end when he was stripped of captaincy after a public war of words with then-coach Waqar Younis and the cricket board. Retirement, legal battle and verbal exchanges took place until a change at the helm of the Pakistan Cricket Board paved way for Afridi’s comeback, much to the horror of the Sri Lankans as he was named man of the series in the UAE.

He became the first cricketer to achieve a double of scoring 50 and taking five wickets in a match for a second time to send the Sharjah crowd and the Pakistani public in a frenzy. Witnessing that, following a topsy-turvy year that he’s had, confirms his place at the top of the list.

Aisamul Haq Qureshi

Aisamul Haq Qureshi’s year could not have been more topsy-turvy even if it was planned.

It finished on a happier note on a personal level when he got married but the year saw him win four doubles titles – including a Masters event – but also witnessed failed promises and false hopes and his Grand Slam duck continued.

His heroics throughout the year, together with Rohan Bopanna, ensured the Indo-Pak Express competed at the elite year-end London Masters, which had been his aim and dream for years. He finished the year in the top-10 of the individual doubles’ ranking as well as team rankings and with the satisfaction of beating the Bryan brothers who have made the top ranking their own.

The Australian Open and Wimbledon were total disasters for the pair, losing in the round-of-16 and the first round respectively but it managed to reach the quarter-finals of the French Open and the semis at Flushing Meadows, an event where Aisam reached the level of an icon last year with his emotional speech.

Success came Aisam’s way when he won the Thailand Open doubles event with Oliver Marach and then the Stockholm Open with Bopanna. The duo then bagged the Paris Masters title but there was little to celebrate on the court after that.

In Pakistan, he became the face of tennis – and some commercial campaigns – with various sponsors coming forward and supporting the Pakistan Tennis Federation to hold tournaments for juniors and aspiring tennis players.

However, personal goals forced the derailing of the Indo-Pak Express at the end of the year, where Bopanna, gunning for Olympics glory, opted to switch partners temporarily. But Aisam’s contribution has not only kept Pakistan on the tennis map, but also, according to Aqeel Khan, allowed ‘parents to feel that their children can pursue a career in tennis’.

Adeel Ameer

The Special Olympics is a global event held every four years where athletes with intellectual disabilities, ranging from moderate to severe, show the world they are capable of taking centre-stage as well.

Taking part in a global event is a gruesome ask. And performing with the world watching is even more daunting, especially if your brother is murdered just days before you take off. Such was the case with Adeel Ameer, an 18-year-old, who went to Athens under that very pressure and ended up with three gold medals for Pakistan — in high jump, 100 metres and 4x100 metres relay.

“We were both training together, ready to represent Pakistan but then came the shock,” said Ameer, who later admitted that all the hard work and training with his brother had a fair share in his success in Greece. “But I wanted to win for my country and for my brother. I trained harder for the Games and it paid off. I dedicate one of my medals to my brother.” Despite him nursing a knee injury caused in a bike accident, Adeel has vowed to come back stronger, winning more medals for his country.

Misbahul Haq

Not many can overlook Misbahul Haq’s contribution to Pakistan’s cause as the team emerged from the shadows of the spot-fixing allegations, trial and the sentences before witnessing an unprecedented run in 2011.

The 765 runs in 10 Tests at an average of over 69 and the 964 runs in 31 One-Day Internationals come second to Misbah’s leadership, helping his team regain lost pride on the field.

He may never be forgiven for his approach in Mohali, but it was his same calm nature that allowed Pakistan to recover and record impressive victories over Sri Lanka besides clean-sweeping Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

Fans loved a mercurial Pakistan side that would surprise opposition, and themselves. Misbah’s calm and calculated approach did mean that the team would be dull to watch at times but it would also remain in contention and remove its inconsistent tag. Twelve wins in 13 ODIs, six in 10 Tests and four victories in as many Twenty20s made Misbah one of the most successful captains in 2011.

Some would argue that Pakistan are yet to face tough opposition but it’s against the weaker sides that one’s guard is usually lowered. Misbah, however, put the notion to bed with ease, dominating the opposition and paving way for a rejuvenated Pakistan show on the field.

He was also the only Pakistani to be nominated for the ICC Cricketer of the Year Award and was also in the Test Player of the Year category. He didn’t win either but the matches the team won under him puts him as the highlight of Pakistan sports of the year.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2011.

COMMENTS (8)

TK | 12 years ago | Reply

We need a lot more articles like these. Just continuing, what the article points out, I am putting a link from another news paper where proud moments like the ones mentioned above, were published. http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/02/black-clouds-and-silver-linings.html/comment-page-1#comment-389522

If anyone can bring in a change, its the young blood of this country. Lets get behind them and support them.

Don Miles | 12 years ago | Reply

Well done to all but especially to Sana Mir. The history of a national women's cricket team in Pakistan does not stretch back much more than a decade and in that short time their achievements have been remarkable. I see no reason, if the right support is forthcoming from the authorities, why they will not go on to acquit themselves well as the highest level.

I enjoyed watching them play in the UK a couple of years ago and hope to see them back here before too long.

Don

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