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Flying high




He is the pop prince of the decade and he's back with a bigger bang.
Ali Zafar talks to Instep about flying, his new album Masty, growing up and silencing his critics...

By Maheen Sabeeh


It's cool

"I always wanted to fly as a kid," says Ali Zafar with a trademark impish grin.
At the age of 26, Ali has realized that he can make his dreams come true. In his new video, he's suspended in mid air, above 200 screaming girls. It may not be the same as flying, but it is definitely the next best option.

After winning hearts with Huqa Pani, Ali is back with a bigger bang and this time, he plans to re-affirm the faith of his fans and the skeptics that come with the territory.

It is rush hour for Ali Zafar. He has a promotional plan to go over, shows to record and interviews to give. Sitting in a meeting with the reps of Fire Records, Ali waves a hand and comes out of a conference room to greet me. He is calm personified as cameras flash around him.


On one side are his record label people, etching out a promotional plan, everyone has a thing to say to Ali, then are the photographers who are clicking away, capturing Ali's every mood. It is a little odd when you're talking to someone and you're asked to pose in the middle of the conversation. But Ali handles it like a pro. He understands the concept of marketing himself. He is a person, an artist and a star, but he also realizes that his music is a commodity that has to be pushed out into the market with a mighty shove and a big bang. The big bang is the 'Masty' video that paints Ali in all the aura of a star and superhero.

As music has become the slogan of youth, every musician has to constantly reinvent himself and give the media something new to spin to make his mark. Ali Zafar, the pop wonder of the decade, realizes this better than any of his contemporaries.

But just right now in real life with a media circus all around, Ali throws me an apologetic look and stands against a white board, curls his lips into that mischievous grin and stares deep into the lens before sitting down for the interview.



All grown up

Ali is out with a new album but it's not just the album that is new. Ali himself looks different. The boyish charm is still there, but it's hiding behind the man he has become. He seems somewhat stressed out – it must be scary to come up with a new album that has so many expectations behind it. Handling stress like a pro, Ali smiles constantly, has some wisecracks up his sleeves and is ready to talk away.
In the past three years, Ali has progressed tremendously. As a man, he is charming and down to earth. He is friendly enough to shake hands with all those who pass us by, be it the camera crew or the peon. Ali doesn't throw his star weight around, which a musician of his caliber can easily get away with. He is not one of those brooding musicians. His age gives him an understanding of what the youth wants, while his Kishore Kumar style vocals and melodies make him a hit with the older .
generation. Ali knows this fact and plays with it to the max

The monumental success he gained from 'Channo' was unprecedented. Even as Ali enjoys his share of the limelight, he knows that it is extremely difficult to stay on top. But what separates him from the one-hit wonders of the music industry is the hunger to prove himself to the world at large. That crucial driving force makes him an increasingly savvy musician.

If 'Channo' saw Ali Zafar dancing and jumping, 'Masty', his latest video shows him hovering above a crowd, bodily lifted above them. He picks a girl out from the crowd and dances with her. This video is the epitome of what Ali Zafar concerts are like, just pumped to a hyper real extreme. It is almost as if he is consciously building the Ali Zafar brand.

It's a fantastic video (except for the guitar playing – 'Masty' is not a rock song) that gels well with the track. Not surprisingly, Ali came up with the video concept himself, edited it and was involved every step of the way. The only thing one wonders is why he opted for an Indian director (Shiraz Bhattacharya) when Jami, Saqib Malik or Asim Reza could've pulled off the concept easily.

"I went to an Indian guy for various reasons. Our directors are fairly busy – you need 2-3 months at a minimum. Technically, India is superior to us. They have facilities that we lack. Most importantly for a concept like this, we needed girls. Can you imagine how difficult it would be to get 200 girls for a shoot in Pakistan? Even if we did find them, only 60 would arrive on time out of which, 40 would back out at the last minute because 'meri mummy ney mana kar diya' and I'd be left with 20. It was simpler to go there and get it done," Ali defends his move of opting for Shiraz.

For 'Masty', Ali did the styling himself but Nabila provided him with all the guidance that she possibly could. This was the second time Nabila and Ali teamed up, the first time for the video of the intense 'Ek Pal'. Considering Tariq Amin's involvement in Ali Zafar's first few videos, it is a tad surprising. Ali's theory is simple and logical: "I believe in working with everyone." It is an intelligent way of existing in this industry and Ali has learned how to play his cards right.

"Masty as an album will be a lot more mature." He has come of age and he knows it.

Branching out

From songwriting to music to playing guitars, modeling and acting, Ali has tried his hand at everything. He is doing the soundtrack for Nadeem Mandviwalla's Pyar Da Pagal Pan. He also has a Saqib Malik film in his bag, though Ali is currently not sure where the project is really headed. "I had given them dates but it never rolled on schedule. Now I'm busy with the album. I'm not sure what's going on with it."

If one remembers correctly, Ali had also signed on for Shoaib Mansoor's Khuda Ke Liye with Shaan and Iman Ali. Shaan recently criticized him in print for dropping the project very unprofessionally. Ali is honest enough to come out with the truth. "I have a successful career. I do act and enjoy it tremendously. Shoaib sahib is a wonderful director. But the film was a little controversial with its subject. My mother was worried for me and
dvised me not to be a part of it. I understood where her concern was coming from. I respected her decision and bowed myself out of it but I wish them well."

It was an important project but it came with a risk he wasn't ready to take. He took a well calculated decision.

The buzz word

The music industry can also be vicious. There are rumours that other than the Lux Style Awards; most award shows give out awards under a rather unethical criterion. It is heard that artists are told to perform and if they agree, they will win at least one award. Of course, with no independent and proper music award shows, these anomalies are bound to exist. Is it also true in Ali's case?

"There are lobbies in every industry. Remember Million Dollar Baby's win at Oscars?" Ali exclaims and adds, "I have never been told to perform in order to grab an award nor have I ever been through it. One time, 'Channo' was nominated in the Best Song category and I thought that it should've won. I wasn't given the award but I had four others to my credit. So yes, these things do happen. It's the way things operate," says Ali.

He is an essential part of these awards show. After all, Ali Zafar has mass appeal. Yet, he has been accused of using the same tricks time and again. His routine picking of girls from the audience and dancing with them is a known trait amongst his fans and critics alike.

The element of surprise is important. Ali confesses to this analysis, "I agree that it's becoming predictable. There aren't enough decent venues here. We are not given support from the organizers. I mean, what can you do that stands apart? You have no visual elements to attach to a performance. I try to mix things up to keep the level of entertainment charged up. I have tried doing things differently. I've jammed with different musicians but you need a structure of sorts to get through with every performance with a new angle."

The only solution to this problem is if the collective music industry comes together and takes a stand. When Association of Music Professionals of Pakistan (AMPP) came into being, this was one of their many goals, that is, taking hold of the scene by its pulse. The only question is: is the music industry united enough to do so? Ali thinks it is. "We are united. I call up Ali Azmat and he gives me tips. Just recently I met Ali Noor and we launched into this discussion about mastering and these are just few names. Ali Azmat has met the President and a letter has been sent to him. People are still signing onto AMPP," says Ali hopefully.

A hard journey

With fame and glory comes a level of criticism. One criticism drawn on Ali is his inspiration from R.D. Burman. From the day 'Channo' first aired, many feel that Ali copied, some feel that he plays on Burman's melody. "I'm inspired from R.D. Burman," says Ali stroking his chin and adds thoughtfully, "I don't plagiarise. Just because the original song had 'Dhanno' in it and my song is 'Channo' does not mean that it is the same."

Ali Zafar enjoys immense popularity across the border. His visits to India have taught him how to handle himself there. "Some of our artists jump on the opportunity of going to India. I don't because it is not necessary to do everything that comes your way. It has to be the right project," says Ali. It is better to not have a Bolly flick to one's credit than let an original composition being torn apart. With Fight Club ruining 'Channo' with "Gori Gori, Chori Chori," Ali understands the importance of retaining one's compositions and how not to sell yourself. "They took the song, changed it and Sohail Khan approached me and told me to sing it. After doing their trick, they asked me to come on board. When I heard it, I was shocked. They got someone else to sing it but gave me composition credit."

Another criticism that Ali, like most musicians these days, is faced with is that of his album release. The time period between Huqa Pani and Masty is three years. It is too long. Two years is enough for a musician to come out with a new album as well as do international tours. Ali admits to the criticism and says, "I know that three years is long. I don't think I have ever worked this hard on anything in my life. I unlearned everything I ever knew to do this album. I hope that the next time I won't take this long."

These days, Ali is charged. He has new material to perform and it's going to be a tough battle. 2007 will mark releases from all the big guns of the music industry. Ali Azmat, Strings, Fuzon, Jal and Atif are coming out with new albums. Fans will have a lot to look forward to and Ali Zafar, being a firm believer in healthy competition, will face the heat like a warrior. It remains to be seen if Masty will surpass the success of Huqa Pani but from the word on the street, Masty is already right up there!

– Ali Zafar's Masty is out in stores now!

From Huqa Pani to Masti


In the past few weeks, album releases have come to a standstill. As the year comes to a close, album releases are being shifted to 2007. So far, the only major music releases include Zoheb Hasan's comeback album Kismet and Aaroh's Raag Neela. Fuzon also has an album to release but between controversies about breaking up, no record deal and solo projects, their album remains in a loop. Thankfully, Ali Zafar's album that was being touted as a 2007 release will in fact come out this year. Titled Masti, this will be pop wonder Ali Zafar's second album after three years. Slated for release in November, Masti will showcase Ali Zafar as a full-fledged songwriter and lyricist. This time around, Ali has done everything himself. The album will be produced by Shahzad 'Shahi' Hasan and will also feature Ali Zafar on guitars on a number of tracks. Even though, a video director is yet to be finalized, the debut single from this album will be 'Masti'. Speaking to Instep, Ali Zafar commented, "Masti is not a transformation but a transcending. The sound will be richer than before and the overall feel of the album is very contemporary." It is always difficult to make another album if the debut is such a huge hit. Noori is one example. Suno Key Main Hoon Jawan made Noori a rock force of the new decade. Critically speaking, their second album, in terms of production as well as matter beats SKMHJ. But popularity wise, the album isn't as popular or successful as Noori's SKMHJ. Huqa Pani did very well amongst the masses. Can Ali Z repeat the success with Masti? One will just have to wait and listen. For now, keep your fingers crossed!

Will Shoaib Akhtar head for Bollywood?

Speculation is rife over what move Shoaib Akhtar will make next. Unceremoniously dropped from the Pakistan cricket team because of taking performance enhancing drugs, the dynamite (he is known for being explosive) star remains a hot favourite amongst young cricket fans and of course with the ladies. One English journalist wrote: "The next step, then, could well be a shift into acting. Just last year, Akhtar turned down a leading role in the successful Bollywood film Gangster after being approached by high-profile producer Mahesh Bhatt. One of his closest friends in India, Salman Khan, is a Bollywood heart-throb and one of Indian film's biggest drawcards. And Akhtar's new agent is understood to be a former model with links to the acting world." The reference is obviously to Frieha Altaf who is now Shoaib's agent. With a love for night clubs and living it up as he globe trots, her client's star may not be on the wane off the field. But if he is to remain a cricketing star, the only truly international celebrities in the sub-continent, then he would do well to set his house in order to play in the World Cup. Right now, it is Shoaib's lifestyle that needs more of a makeover than anything else!

Putting the cool in casuals

The Levi's flagship store in Lahore makes one wish that they had a similar one in Karachi



By Huma Imtiaz

The Levi's flagship store opened up in Lahore with much fanfare. While brands like Nike decided to launch their flagship stores in Karachi first, Levi's has stayed away from this tradition and opened their flagship store in the city of Lahore. It was a smart move; after all, Lahore is known to be a city that likes living it up. And that is exactly the market that the Levi's store aims to capture.

The facade of the store screams hip and cool, and grabs the attention of Generation X immediately with its funky exterior, the arty posters and cut outs that glint in the sunlight and the unique glass walls. To stand out in an area like M.M Alam Road, which is home to everything from the best restaurants to the designer stores is no small feat, but Levi's seems to have managed it by their out there architecture and interior design. The store is divided into two floors; the main floor has the current line for men and women, accessories including socks and even lingerie.

On entering the store, one is not disappointed. The store's interior is funky, with cut outs, soft lighting and comfortable furniture. An MTV-watching average teenager would instantly feel at home here.

The merchandise display is similar to their displays in other stores around the country, but they have a far more diverse range of clothing and accessories. The range is far more diverse than anything available in any Levi's store in the country, with funky party wear, cotton t-shirts and even jewellery that screamed Levi's for women. The men's wear did not have anything new to offer apart from their usual range of jeans and t-shirts. One does hope that some of this merchandise makes its way to other stores in the country as well, since the clothes did look quite appealing. The accessories such as belts, socks and lingerie however, were overpriced. White cotton briefs for women cost 500 rupees, which is a bit on the higher side, considering they were quite ordinary briefs. Even the design for the trial rooms has a unique layout, with small LCD screens running local music channels and magazines for waiting customers to utilize their time.

With all this effort put in, it was sad to notice that the service on the main floor was not up to mark. There was one female attendant present for all female clientele and two male attendants including the manager for male clientele. At the time of this scribe's visit to the store, the female attendant was busy with other customers and did not even bother asking if one was looking for something or needed help, which put one off the store.

The basement is home to the popular Lahori chain of coffee shops Jammin' Java and the vintage line of Levi's. While the main floor had a lack of attendants, the vintage store had a female attendant at hand, who explained the significance of each and every item, and the fact that their history made them so expensive.

The basement is also home to Levi's range of shoes, some of which are quite funky and the pink sneakers were to die for. However, with a 5,000 rupees and above tag attached to each of them and Skechers already available in Lahore at relatively lesser prices, Levi's might have to rethink their pricing strategy. The vintage jeans, which are over 20 - 25 years old and have been a relevant piece of Levi's history attached to them, formed the central attraction of the basement. Each pair of jeans was outrageously expensive, although not so in Levi's eyes, with the price range starting from 25,000 rupees onwards, making them an exclusively collector's item, for those who wish to name drop. The basement's design was purely western-based, which is where the history of jeans and Levi's originates from. Levi's strategy here was to shock the visitor, who when looking out of the window expects to see sunny skies, instead sees a huge rock surface with a pair of jeans embedded in it. Very daring, very unique, very Levi's.

Opening a coffee store in the basement of the flagship store was a great idea by the management of the store. Harried customers can relax in the comfortable store with the funky leather love seats and cozy tables. The standard of food however is not that great, or it may be that coffee-holics from Karachi have been spoiled by the delicious coffee served at Espresso. Nevertheless, the coffee shop itself is generating enough business, as is the case with every other coffee bar in Lahore, all of which are doing good business from the look of it.

If Levi's wishes to retain their market share, they need to constantly improvise their range of women's and men's wear. With stores like Mantra and Crossroads doing well in Karachi and Lahore, Levi's should also rethink their prices. All that said, the store is a must visit, even if it is to purely to gape at the store's design.

Pop strikes a pose
Lahore hosts the World Performing Arts Festival again
By Rahma Muhammad



Lahore is a passionate city and as a visitor you feel the energy that pulsates through its historical significance – the red brick monuments down Mall Road, the decades old restaurants that serve deliciously spicy meals and certainly the people who come with the tales and ownership of the place. It is here that tradition meets modernity with pizzazz, and old with new in style. After all where else can one sit on the rooftop of a former brothel, overlooking the stunning Badshahi Mosque and Fort lit up in majestic glory? But along with the history, Lahore is also progressing to put itself on the world map for a lot more than being the place where the Mughals once lived and the Rafi-Peer Workshop alone can be credited for doing so much.

Living in Karachi, one hears about the various Rafi Peer festivals that keep popping up on the calendar, but it's only when you actually visit one that you sense the culture it breeds within the city. Tickets are priced at anything between 50 and 350 rupees, depending upon the show and the festival provides super entertainment to a mass majority at the Alhamra Cultural Complex. The Festival of World Performing Arts certainly is an experience!

The Festival enjoyed different themes everyday for 11 days, featuring the 99 groups from 38 different countries. There was Rock Night, Pop Night, Ghazal Night and Mystic Soul Night (would have loved to be around for that!), Flamenco Night, Tango Night and more. If the Pakistani audience got a taste of international music then at the same time, the international troupes were exposed to the rich diversity in our music and our country. In Lahore for a day, I was lucky to stumble across the Pop Night, a fantastic assortment of popular acts.

Pop Night was a hit judging by the crowds that were streaming in. With a line up that featured the King of Pakistani Pop Ali Zafar and Fareeha Pervaiz, who also enjoys massive popularity, alongside upcoming pop acts, the expectations were high.

Almost every artiste performing that night was from Lahore, with the exception of the gorgeous Kamaliya, a former Miss Ukraine who not only danced to her funky beats but also sang Nazia Hasan songs in Urdu. Her performance was stunning enough to keep the audience on their toes, even though she mostly sang in Ukrainian and Russian. The high moment of her performance was when she sang Nazia Hasan's last hit 'Camera Camera' and 'Boom Boom' live. The crowd went wild, as she made her way into the audience and interacted with them. The cutest thing of her act was when she sang Whitney Houston's Bodyguard hit 'I Will Always Love You' as her farewell song for the people of Lahore. Needless to say the Lahori men had the time of their lives. The local beauties weren't far behind in entertainment value. Natasha, who has made her debut on the telly with her video of 'Sapnon Main Ao Na' performed the same single for the crowd and received an impressive reaction. Fariha Pervaiz performed two of her new singles from her upcoming album, Passion. Fun and catchy the songs went well with the crowd who danced their heart out to their 'Bo Kata' lady.


The boys on the other hand weren't that engaging, with the exception of Ali Zafar and Ali Sheikh. Considered a one hit wonder by many, Ali Sheikh came on to the scene with his playful hit 'Ishq' and this stage debut in Lahore wasn't half bad even without background music, Ali Sheikh managed to hold the audience, when he sang 'Ishq' unplugged. Raju and Rhythm X were the underdogs of the night, with Raju definitely coming out on the top. Typical Punjabi vocals, with a hip and catchy tune, he managed the crowd well, even when his CD stopped working mid performance. He didn't let the playful jeers of the crowd get to him and carried on singing while the technicians tried to fix the sound. Where Raju was applauded for his effort, the audience probably clapped in relief when the Rhythm X trio walked off stage. Their rendition of a remix version of Alamgir's hit 'Dekha Na Tha' was awful to say the least. Needless to say Ali Zafar was the star of the night. It was obvious that most young people had bought the tickets only for him and waited right till the end for him to come on stage.

Before Ali actually came on to perform, Sohail Hashmi, the host of the night, announced Ali's new video would be showed to the audience present. This was to be the first public showing of the title track of his new album, Masti and its video also debuted at the festival. Shot in India by an Indian director, the video got the attention of the crowd and by the time Ali came on stage, his fans were singing along. That was an impressive sequence of events. Ali's other song 'Jane Na Koi' a slower number also sounded like a potential hit. Ali's younger brother Daniyal has made his singing debut in 'Jane Na Koi' and has sung the chorus at the end. He joined Ali on stage to sing the last bit with him. The lyrics of both songs were youthful and this theme continued in his third track, 'Aag'. But Ali didn't just rely on his new songs to make his performance memorable that night. He's a great entertainer and knows how to involve his audience in his performances. He had the crowd dancing on their feet in no time. Well behaved and supportive, the crowd was indeed one of the main elements of making the night entertaining.

Priced at a minimum and hyped to the max, we need more festivals like this to push entertainment forward. A parallel in Karachi wouldn't be a bad idea either, as nowadays musical artistes from Lahore only seem to be in the city to sign corporate deals or ad campaigns. The All Pakistan Music Conference does take place annually and is doing a fantastic job and then there are the occasionally group concerts now and then but the city lacks the thrill that comes with a collective effort in a festival that brings together music of the world. The scale of it is amazing and at the end of the day it seems like a genuine service to the art rather than an act of self promotion.

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Pakistan's very own Prince of pop Atif Aslam recently returned home after yet another long Indian yatra. News of him performing live for an all girl crowd at Kinnaird College, Lahore was received with Oohs and Aahs from the city's female population. Concerts at Kinnaird are always a safe bet. Parents don't think twice before letting their teenaged daughters attend events there, whatever they may be. Without the usual mishaps and security problems they are always something to remember. Top that with an act like Atif and you're set for a perfect Saturday evening!

It was November 25. The dipping evening temperature made one bundle up. Arriving at Kinnaird's beautiful amphitheatre at 5 pm one realized that one was getting old! The hip and trendy young students of the college weren't going to let the cold ruin their fashion statements. Generation Y was dressed to kill with salon perfect hairdos, ready to shake their bon bons all the way.

There was enough room for the huge crowd and we found excellent seats but the sponsors had issued free passes to their friends and families, which included males of all ages who were clearly living their fantasies of getting to sit and rub shoulders with hundreds of wildly dancing babes. And that's not all. They took over the compering responsibilities, which are usually associated with the head girl and the student council of the college. After an endless speech about all broadband services and giving out meal coupons and free Nokia phones (no it didn't compensate for the tastelessness of it all) the extremely un-funny compere finally let the council members come on stage and invite the opening act Nexus on stage at 5:50 pm . The crowd knew about the opening act before hand but reacted as expected with chants of "Atif, Atif". The lead singer Tahir Saqi interacted with the girls at this point very calmly by saying that he loved Atif too but since he won't be here for another 30 minutes so why don't they enjoy some of their favourite local and Indian hits? Nexus are one of the oldest existing bands from Lahore who perform at your dholkis and mehendis, local variety shows and as opening acts at concerts. The interesting thing is that they are good at what they do. The vocalist Tahir Saqi has been around for ages. He sang without any hitches and his band members played along effortlessly. Nexus did release an album but could not break in to the mainstream due to an obvious lack of finances, good videos and songs that could cater to a larger audience. So they make their living singing popular tunes and seem content. I guess that's fair enough. They started with 'Lai Main Uchian Naal Yari' and then immediately broke in to 'Rock the Party' and followed it with 'Channa Ve Ghar Aa Ja' which brought the girls to their feet and forget their protests. The latest hit 'Kya Mujhay Pyar Hai' from the Indian flick Woh Lamhe was the tune that really brought the house down and the crowd sang along and danced like crazy to it. By now Nexus had won the girls over and their rendition of 'Koi Kahay Kehta Rahay', 'It's the Time to Disco', 'Jhalak Dikhla Ja', 'Nach Punjaban' and 'Rang Barse' generated enough energy and set the mood for better things to come. When Nexus left the stage the girls knew Atif had arrived back stage. Atif's band members arrived on stage with their equipment and were greeted with deafening shrieks. With Sameer Shami on Bass, Mehmood Rehman on rythym guitar and Mobeen Shah on drums, the band took their places but Atif was nowhere to be found because – you guessed it! It was time for some more sponsor information and prizes. After another round of meal coupons and cell phones Atif's entry was announced and he appeared amidst screams, shouts and swooning females all around on the balcony above the amphitheatre - handcuffed! Yes that's right! With a mic in his hathkari wearing hands he started singing 'Rangon Mein' and started walking down the stairs to arrive on stage. The welcome he got showed his popularity has only gone up with time even though he hasn't spent much time in the country in the last two years and has also not released a new album.

Wearing a small white shirt and a black leather jacket with a nice pair of jeans Atif looked incredibly boyish and painfully cute. He sang the first song while checking out the jam-packed venue with girls literally dying for his smallest gestures. No wonder he looked happy! After the first song he asked, "Koi Mujhay Kholay Ga?" at which the whole crowd offered their services but (unfortunately) one of his own management team members unlocked the handcuffs and that was the last we saw of them. One couldn't understand the purpose behind it but it sure made him look cute which, in retrospect, is purpose enough.

We won't suffer like Indians in SA: Inzamam

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KARACHI: Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq is talking big after the return of fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif and believes that his team would make critics eat their words with a solid showing on the tour of South Africa early next year.

Doubts had been raised in recent times about Pakistan's prospects in South Africa during a tour starting early next month especially after the mauling of India at the hands of Graeme Smith's men in the one-day series.

It is generally feared that Pakistan, who recently won a three-Test series against the visiting West Indies 2-0 on low and slow pitches at home, would be crushed on lively tracks by the South African pace battery in the away series.

Like the Indians, Pakistanis have a history of poor performances against real pace on bouncy tracks and they will most likely struggle in the away series against South Africa that includes three Tests and five One-day Internationals (ODIs).

However, ask Inzamam about it and he would disagree.

"India's recent run of defeats in South Africa has given critics a new reason to run us down," Inzamam wrote in his column for Daily Jang on Thursday. "They believe we would suffer a similar fate but I don't think they are right. We will not prove to be an easy prey for South Africa," he said.

This kind of assertive tone in Inzamam's comments had been previously missing and is clearly a result of the recent acquittal of his key strike bowlers Shoaib and Asif.

An appeals committee recently set aside doping bans imposed on the pacers after they tested positive for banned anabolic steroid nandrolone. The new ball pair is now available for selection in the Pakistan team for the crunch tour of South Africa. Inzamam admitted that the two bowlers would be his most potent weapons in South Africa. "I know that our past record in South Africa is not very good but we would prove to be tough opponents this time. And I believe Shoaib and Asif would play a key role for us there," he said.

Inzamam said that Shoaib was the reason why Pakistan recorded a memorable Test win on a previous tour of South Africa in 1998.

He predicted that the upcoming series would be dominated by pacers from both sides. "It would be a contest between the fast bowlers because the wickets in South Africa are going to support pace," he said.

Inzamam claimed that with the return of Shoaib and Asif, Pakistan have the biggest pool of quality pacers in international cricket.

"Shoaib and Asif are among the best fast bowlers in the world while the likes of Umar Gul and Shahid Nazir have also done really well in their absence. Shabbir Ahmed is also expected to make a comeback and that gives us a lot of options. I believe our pace attack is now capable of destroying any kind of batting line," he remarked.

Inzamam conceded that the South Africans are also very strong in the pace departments as they have top class bowlers like Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock and Andre Nel.

"That is why I believe it would be a very nail-biting series and the team whose batsmen showed more courage is going to win," he said.

Inzamam said that he is very pleased on the acquittal of Shoaib and Asif saying that his team first cleared itself of ball-tampering allegations and now the two players have been exonerated of doping offences. "It is great news for Pakistan," he signed off

Pakistani Blind Cricket Team Created 5 World Records

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Defending champions Pakistan gave their best-ever performance in a blind cricket match setting five world records during their 10-wicket victory over New Zealand in their second match of the Cricket World Cup for the Blind here at the F-9 Park on Friday.

Pakistani bowlers didn't allow New Zealand batsmen to settle at any stage of their innings and the Kiwis could just manage 21 runs which was a world record for the lowest team total in blind cricket matches.

The hosts didn't have any problem in reaching the target and they did so in just seven deliveries. The team duration of this match was the shortest ever in blind cricketing history - another world record.

Aamir Ashfaq captured five wickets giving away just four runs - another new record for best bowling. Six Kiwi batsmen were dismissed through catches which surpassed the previous record thus creating another new record.

Pakistani fielder Tariq Samuel held three catches during the match to set a new world record. Aamir Ashfaq, for his brilliant bowling performance, won the man-of-the-match award.



1st Record: Lowest Total 21 against Pakistan.

2nd Record: Best Bowling Performance ever by Aamir 5 wks giving 4 runs.

3rd Record: Most Catches in Inning 3 by Tariq.

4th Record: Six Kiwi batsmen were dismissed through catches its another new record.

5th Record: Pakistan Chase the Target in 7 Balls.

Ali Zafar keeps bouncing back into the news, over and over again and whenever things are quiet, he re–enters with a big bang. While he keeps his fans eagerly awaiting for his new album (an unplugged version of a new song from it is out and playing on local music channels), Ali has signed up for director Saqib Malik's upcoming movie, Ajnabi Shehr Mein. The pop star is going to act opposite model Tooba Siddiqui. Ali was also Shoaib Mansoor's choice for his debut movie, Khuda Key Liye but he pulled out from it as he was unable to give time to this venture. Let's hope this venture goes through smoothly. Ad and music video directors are taking up the challenge of reviving cinema in Pakistan. Directors like Shoaib Mansoor, Saqib Malik, Jami and Asim Raza are all ready and they will soon start shooting. Lollywood is dying a slow death and as the formula movies are not attracting audience anymore, it would be exciting to see these new directors contributing to a possible revival. Now what could be better than cashing in on the music stars while the music industry is doing so well!