Kami Zindabad–Pakistan Paindabad!

(A tribute to a memorable back to ramparts action by Pakistan, against India at Karachi back in 2006, spearheaded by Kamran Akmal. Despite being reduced to a dire 39-6, an hour into the final and decisive test match, Pakistan somehow managed to stall their slide, squeezed out time and room for consolidation and then went on to retaliate and decimate the opposition-displaying the kind of spine and bouncebackability which has come to become synonymous with team Pakistan.)

The writing was on the wall. The napoleans of  lahore and Faisalabad had met their waterloo at Karachi, that too really early in the decisive battle. A fiery pathan from Baroda had cut the opposition to size, by his very first swing of the sword. The front lines stood demolished, camp in disarray, nation’s hopes in tatters, destruction written on each wave of the breeze traversing through the field. Historians had already picked up their pens to write the obituary of a team of fighters, who went into the battle with high hopes,but were stung ruthlessly,and butchered mercilessly by a blood thirsty opposition.

But as every play has two acts, with each act having its own hero,world had seen the sanguinary genius of one of the knights..now it was time for the clock to take the opposite course. it was time for the tide to come to a halt, and then revert back.it was time to throw a few punches back, it was the time to launch a counter offensive, to wrest the initiative from an increasingly hostile and beligerent opposition. Indeed it was time, for the second act to be enacted, and it was time for the new hero to take centre stage.

While the first one had all the ingredients to make for a perfect knight, the second one looked anything but a cavalier. With his diminutive and thin frame,and a child like innocence scrolled all across his face..no body would have given him a chance at even pricking a balloon.

With all of his more heavyweight comrades, either knocked off or pinned into submission,he knew,if he had to salvage his precinct here, he had to come up with some miracle,in short he had the fight of his life on his hands.

But the last man standing, was calm,composed and confident.Totally unruffled by the gravity of the situation. after all, he had done it all before against the same opposition, against the same weapons and that too in their own back yard.If he weathered their storm in their own backyard, he can always stave off yet another charge, this time in his own home.

Few people can stand up and be counted in times of a rout, fewer still can actually make any impact, hardly a handful can turn the tide on their own, and put the dominating party on the back foot-that last guy standing, did all three.

No, this is not the story of a battle of crusades,  neither its from folklore. But this is what transpired on a cricket field.The last man standing, was not hercules, neither was he any napolean ,nor was he any Alexander. But he was our very own kamran Akmal.

He exploded like a dynamite, punch for punch,fire for fire..
with a breathtaking display of his vast array of dazzling and exquisite strokes, he showcased his unique alacrity with the willow,and threw up a spectacle which will remain imprinted on the minds of cricket lovers for a long time to come.Needless to say he will never forget his exploits on that sunday afternoon for the rest of his life.

Kamran’s meteoric rise over the last 12 months has been nothing less than phenomenal.What you have to say about a man, who has scored no less than 7 international centuries,
including 3 one day hundreds and four test match ones. He is as nifty behind the stumps as anyone. For me he is the true epitome of agility,vigilance,athleticismand enthusiasm behind the wickets, and a befitting personification of grace at the crease.

Through his exploits, which triggered a trademark Pakistani style rear guard fight back and may eventually prove fatal for the indians, he not only has stamped his authority on the opposition but also has announced his entry to the international arena and sounded a clear message, that he is here and he is here to stay.

When he smacked that wide ball towards the boundary to notch up yet another century, the reaction said it all.

We had just seen an amazing turn of events, an incredible fightback led by a cricketing prodigy gifted beyong belief by the Almightyand more importantly, we had seen the birth of a new generation super star. The sensational beginning of another golden chapter in the long yet illustrious annals of our glittering and glorious cricketing history

Lets round it all off, and let the celebrations erupt with the slogan

Kami zindabad

Pakistan paindabad _____