Karachi: UAE cricket lovers made their presence felt in Karachi too. Dubai- based businessman and cricket lover Shyam Bhatia donated $13,000 for providing coaching to the under-privileged cricketers at a colourful function organised by Saudi Pak Bank at the Pearl Continental Hotel on Monday night.
UAE national team selector Mohammad Redha Abbas also attended the function. Shaharyar Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, praised the efforts of Bhatia in promoting cricket amidst the poor children.
Out of the $13,000 he received from the release of his book Portraits of the game, Bhatia donated 50 per cent of the amount to former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif's cricket coaching academy.
Also present at the function were Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi and former Indian spinner Bapu Nadkarni. Former Pakistan cricket stars Zaheer Abbas, Iqbal Qasim, Rashid Latif, Mo'en Khan and Saleem Altaf also graced the function. Shaharyar Khan, speaking at the function, remarked that Karachi is a peaceful city and the stigma attached to this city for the last four years has been wiped out.
"Playing host to England and India we have been able to erase the stigma. Indian cricketers, as well as the England team, have praised the behaviour of the crowd here. Though England was reluctant to play a Test match in this venue, they have promised to do it during the next tour. India too had refused to play a Test match here during their last tour but have kept their word and played here this time," he remarked.
Once again it was nostalgia time with some of the greats of the game.
Iqbal Qasim talked about how one-day cricket was destroying Test cricket. "One-day cricket will never produce legends. It will only produce a hero for the day. No one will recollect the deeds of a one-day player but the deeds of a Test cricketer will remain in the minds of everyone," he noted.
Qasim feels that the shorter version of the game can destroy the game and the ability of the players.
"One-day cricket is destroying Test cricket. Now Twenty20 cricket will destroy not only Test cricket but also one-day cricket. It is a shame," he added.
Raj Singh Dungarpur, the manager of the Indian cricket team, enthralled the crowd talking about how Zaheer Abbas gave nightmares to the Indian spinners.
"Like Shane Warne used to get nightmares about Sachin Tendulkar, former Indian spinners had to spend sleepless nights due to this bespectacled batsman." Pointing at Dean Jones, who was seated in the front row, Dungarpur said: "He was one of the world's finest one-day batsman, but now he walks like a film star after becoming a television commentator."
Former Pakistan cricket stars Zaheer Abbas, Iqbal Qasim, Rashid Latif, Mo'en Khan and Saleem Altaf also graced the function
