Shiv Sainiks climbed atop the stage at an open air theatre and shouted slogans like 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Pakistan Murdabad' and disrupted the show for about 5-10 minutes.
The much-anticipated talks between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Shashank Manohar and his Pakistan counterpart Shahryar Khan will not take place, on Monday, after Shiv Sena, a right-wing political party,
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is keen to revive a strong Asian bloc in world cricket but believes strained cricket relations with India are a hurdle in the way. PCB chairman, Shahryar Khan returned home from Colombo after chairing the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting without any one-to-one meeting with the Indian cricket board officials or discussions on revival of Indo-Pak cricket. "The Asian bloc can be revived in world cricket and made influential again but first Pakistan and India need to work on the same wavelength," Khan said.
Former Pakistan Foreign Secretary Shahryar Khan and ex-diplomat S K Lambah, the point men for India-Pakistan back-channel diplomacy, will meet in Dubai on Thursday to ease tensions and firm up a planned meeting between the premiers of the two countries, a media report said.
Pakistan's head coach Waqar Younis said he was focussing on preparations for the Asia Cup and World T20 events and not thinking about an extension of his coaching contract that expires in May. "I have still three to four months of my contract left and right now I haven't given a thought to the future," he told reporters here yesterday. Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shahryar Khan has said that the board had decided to extend the contract of Waqar for the tour to England which lasts from July to September. "Coaching of any team is always a tough job. It doesn't matter whether you do well or disappoint. It is a tough job and I knew about this when I accepted this challenge. I enjoy taking up tough challenges," Waqar said. The former Pakistan captain said at present, he was only focusing on preparations for the Asia Cup and World T20 events and not thinking about his contract. He said when the time came, he will think about it.
The Shiv Sena in its mouthpiece Saamana, said that it was very sad that on Thursday, when the whole country was paying tributes to the martyrs of the serial attacks in Mumbai, the BCCI went ahead and declared the venue of the Indo-Pak bilateral series in December.
Pakistan have named Azhar Ali as their One-day captain following the retirement of Misbah-ul-Haq from One-Day Internationals after this month's World Cup.
Former Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis has claimed that his relationship with former skipper Shahid Afridi has been spoiled after his scathing report on the country's dismal performance in the recently-concluded World T20 was leaked. "I have been very clear that report was not for the media, but for the cricket board. Unfortunately, the report was leaked and my relationship with Afridi has been spoilt," Younis was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. Waqar and Afridi's decision to step down from their respective position came days after their side's early exit from the T20 format's pinnacle event. Pakistan were crashed out of the prestigious tournament after suffering three successive defeats against arch-rivals India, New Zealand and Australia in the group stages. Talking about Afridi's drawbacks, the 44-year-old said that the main problem with the all-rounder was his inability to concentrate on a particular thing for long span of time. "Afridi's drawbacks as a captain are for everyone to see. He has got a temperament issue. He cannot sit for too long to highlight things, or absorb things and then go and implement them. I've said this in my report," said Younis.
Even though its not completely the foodie feast the title suggests, Daawat-E-Ishq is a breezy exercise, feels Sukanya Verma.
'It seems as if the 26/11 was not a blood-shed and Pakistan had sent its cricket team who made a double century by killing innocent people and 20 policemen'
When Khayyam talked about his favourite singer, the song he can never forget and the film that won him the National Award.
Former ICC president and Test captain Zaheer Abbas believes Pakistan will eventually revive international cricket in the country. "I do not want to predict a time frame of international teams touring Pakistan, but I do hope over the next 2-3 years we could see them playing back in Pakistan," Abbas said. "When I used to sit on international forums as ICC president I used to talk a lot about it (cricket in Pakistan), but people didn't want to come due to their security concerns."
Sukanya Verma salutes the legend and celebrates some of the finest soundtracks of his career.
How much do you know about Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal and the Taj Mahal?
PCB chief Shahryar Khan has asserted that Pakistan cricket in past few years has survived without playing India and it will continue to survive in case the BCCI backs out of the series slated to be held in the UAE in December.
Conceding that time is running out for the proposed India-Pakistan bilateral cricket series to take place, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said the Board is still waiting for the government's approval.
Veteran music composer Khayyam revisits Umrao Jaan.
'Six of us were not talking during the World T20 in 2009 but we still managed to win the title.'
'They will talk about secularism, but communalism -- they just won't say there exists such a beast.' 'It's harmful for society to brush it under the carpet.' 'If we talk about secularism, we must talk about communalism.'
Former chief coach, Waqar Younis has urged the cricket authorities to drop Umar Akmal from the Pakistan team and blamed Shahid Afridi for the side's run of T20 defeats against England, New Zealand and in the Asia Cup and World T20.
'It is time someone told BJP leaders that they were not elected to remind people of Congress corruption. The people of India voted for Narendra Modi and the BJP because they believed that he and his party were clean, unlike the Congress-led government,' says Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
If you don't have power in a game you are masters of, the world will walk all over you, notes Shekhar Gupta.
'One won't find a lawyer in any court in the country willing to believe that a talented lawyer like Bansuri Swaraj would appear in a case for free, that too in a metropolis like Delhi.' These and other Sheela Bhatt takeways from the August 12 proceedings in the Lok Sabha.
Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday attacked the coalition partner on issues like Pakistan, beef, Ram temple and inflation but ruled out walking out of the Maharashtra government any time soon.
Delhi's inability to open up a new canvas with Pakistan and Sharif is symptomatic of its sluggish thinking. Jyoti Malhotra analyses
'The BCCI believes that with great power comes greater responsibility.' 'We are conscious that the cricket world looks at us as "leaders." We will strive to lead effectively and responsibly.'
