MUHAMMAD ZUNAIR

First off, I don’t want to sound like a man, narrating folklore rather the intention of writing this piece is to somehow express the connectivity that I, along with millions of other Pakistanis, feel with the game of Cricket. Additionally, it is not an attempt to raise questions, only for the sake of criticism because I don’t feel like giving a critique, only because everyone is doing it. However, this piece may help you in getting a better understanding of our peculiar connection with the game of Cricket and as Pakistan is on the verge of missing out on the Semifinals, this piece may end up as a consolation note for most of us as we witness our team falling short again.  Although I am not an expert, yet I am fan-enough to give my two cents on our peculiar connection with Cricket. Growing up in an environment where Cricket has always been the most imperative tenet of culture, it has always been a delight to see 'Men in Green' winning. Whether it was in the late 90s, early 2...

There has been a lot of discussion about the hardships of life since the birth of mankind and one common belief that has prevailed over the years is that no matter how difficult life may seem, man can always fight it with his outrageous mental toughness and unwavering belief. The same ideology was at display in the Arther Ashe Stadium on 9th Sep 2018 when the former World’s no.1 Novak Djokovic won his 3rd US Open and 14th Grand Slam title. The 31-year old Serb not only equaled Pete Sampras’ record but also gave the world another reason to believe that man’s reach exceeds his imagination. Djokovic with US Open 2018 trophy, Image from Telegraph  I have always been a great fan of Rafael Nadal and have always seen Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the two most fierce rivals of the Spaniard, especially the latter who has a 27–25 record against the 17-time Grand Slam champion.  However, when one starts considering Novak Djokovic as a tennis player, not as a rival of Rafa or anyone...

One fine evening in June, a news got out that thrilled the fans of combat fighting; a date was announced for the mega fight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor Mcgregor. After wait of more than two months and a lot of trash talking it finally happened last night in Las Vegas. As it was expected, both men put up a great show and the bout was worthy of all the wait and the revenue it generated.  In contrast to his prediction, Mcgregor didn't fight recklessly or overly aggressive. Mayweather, on the other hand, fought with his typical 'let them come at you' approach. Unexpectedly, Mcgregor, who made his professional boxing debut last night, started things quite well. He landed some heavy punches on Mayweather in early rounds. He came at Mayweather from both sides, presented him with a decent challenge as it was also highlighted by Mayweather in his post match presser,  "He's a lot better than I thought he was. He used different angles. He was a tough competitor, bu...

Sun was shining and people were cheering as the red dirt of Roland Garros was witnessing the making of a legend and eternity of tennis. A boy, aged 19, 6’1’’ tall, strong as lead, fast as bullet and fearless as a warrior, sweat pouring from his nose, muscles all pumped up, shoulder-long hair held back and ready to fly, right hand on the ball and the racket in the left. As prepared as a combatant, who is ready to fight, ready to bleed, ready to endure but also ready to conquer, ready to stand tall and ready to never ever give up. He was in sleeveless shirt and Capri pants , he was Rafael Nadal. It was Semi-final of French Open 2005 and Rafael Nadal was up against the then World’s no.1 Roger Federer. Nobody had thought of that Mallorca boy to beat the very extraordinary and versatile Federer at the grand stage although Nadal had beaten him previously. But to become the best you have to conquer the best and Nadal knew the script. Not only he defeated Federer but also won the Fr...