Red Bull Campus Cricket victory goes to Karachi!

Karachi University was the team to beat in the Super 11 stage of Red Bull Campus Cricket at the event final held at the Moin Khan Academy ground Karachi, as they bulldozed University of Sargodha by 10 wickets.

The event was dazzled by some present and former stars of Karachi cricket who had gathered to witness the decider namely Moin Khan, Rashid Latif, Nadeem Khan, Faisal Iqbal, Anwar Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Khurram Manzoor. They were there to encourage the players for the final game.

Red Bull Campus Cricket is an international college cricket tournament that gives wings to talented young cricketers across the world. The tournament is now going to take place in Oval, England – a dream ground for all cricket fanatics. Red Bull has provided an excellent platform for the rising stars of cricket to showcase their talent to the world. It makes all the more sense for the brand to be a part of cricket – the favorite sport of this nation!

Check out pictures of the finale below:

The winning team of Karachi University to represent Pakistan in the finals in England

T20 Fever : Pakistan in With a Fighting Chance!

Walk around the streets of Karachi or any other city of Pakistan and you will hear only one topic of discussion on everyone’s lips: Pakistan cricket team and their chances in the ongoing T20 world cup. Pakistan is generally a cricket crazy nation and the passion never dies around here, but this time around, the fervor is plausibly different.

The fact is; in this tournament, Pakistan actually has a chance to go all the way. There might be some skeptics out there, but let us analyze the facts.

Pakistan is in scintillating form with an excellent Asia Cup under their belts. Admittedly, a loss in the final against Sri Lanka, but a consistent performance throughout the tournament. After a long time Pakistan has had success in consecutive matches. 

Pakistani batting has finally found some stability.  Players like Ahmad Shahzad and Umar Akmal are finally performing to their potential. Shahzad, in particular, found a lot of success in the Asia cup. Revival of old prospects such as Fawad Alam has also been an advantage for Pakistan.

The team has a balanced mix to it. A near perfect combination of batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders as well as a mixture of youth and experience makes Pakistan a very deadly team.

Finally, the recent win against Australia shows Pakistan’s effectiveness and fighting spirit. Yes, it is an unpredictable side, but that is what makes Pakistan so dangerous. On their day, they can beat anyone. Therefore, there is a lot of hope in Pakistan that this World Cup will revive the glory days of Pakistani cricket!

Sindh Festival: A Mockery of Culture and the People of Pakistan

A refurbishment of MohenJodaro, they called it, a new perspective to Sindhi culture and a wake-up call for Pakistan. These were the claims that the recently held Sindh festival made. A grand celebration complete with fashion shows and artists from various industries complimented the festival. All this was to “save” the cultural heritage of Sindh in a grand way.

Of course, all this doesn’t come cheap. The festival cost a pretty penny, as was evident from the scale of it. The security alone cost a fortune. Not to mention the payments made to all the superstars who performed. All in all, an obscene amount of money was spent to make this event possible.

However, did this really help the Pakistani, or for that matter, the Sindhi culture? The answer is a resounding no! Far from helping doing anything to “help” the nation or its culture, the festival actually highlighted the gap between the elite 1% of this country and the rest of the flock. A festival exclusively for the privileged, while the rest of the nation was expected to sit and clap.

Many archaeologists concerned about the repercussions of the Sindh Festival on the cultural hertiage that is Mohenjo Daro

Apart from that, many of the arrangements have probably damaged what is a historical site. Large wooden and steel scaffolding were erected over and around the ruins, while heavy spotlights and lasers had been installed for a light show. Farzand Masih, head of the Department of Archaeology at Punjab University, said such activity was banned under the Antiquity Act. "You cannot even hammer a nail at an archaeological site," he said. "The laser and spotlights, secondly, will cause rapid decay at the site which is already exposed to many negative factors." He added that he had declined an invitation to attend.

A much better action would have been to tend to the needs of countless needy people of the country. After all, the PPP portrays itself as a party representing all of Pakistan. If not, then how about the needy population of Sindh? No, a profile raising festival for PPP and Asif Zardari is much more important than the needs of the people.

In a nutshell, Sindh festival is probably the most useless, selfish, waste of money that I have ever seen. Its only purpose was to cater to the whims of the spoilt brats of the Zardari family and used as a marketing platform for the PPP. The funds could have been utilized in a much better way to actually help the people of Pakistan, but instead it will definitely create more animosity towards the PPP rather than showing it in a good light.

Inaam Ghar: Hit or Flop?

‘Musalmanon, tukka lagao’ are the words we are used to hearing from the controversially popular Amir Liaquat on GEO’s Ramadan transmissions. Now, he has entered another arena with the recently launched “Inaam Ghar”. This is GEO’s imitation of the highly successful show by Tariq Aziz on PTV, “Nilam Ghar”.

Even though the idea is decent and the setup is modern with current themes and effects, there is something lacking about Inaam Ghar. Maybe the concept is outdated; maybe people want something more these days or there is something bigger at play here.

Firstly, let’s understand the concept of the show, which is really simple; the audience have to answer questions and if the answer is correct, a prize is given out. Another way to win is through a lucky draw which takes place at the end of the show. The prizes are very generous thanks to the sponsors.

However, as mentioned earlier, Inaam Ghar does not have the same appeal as its predecessor. Consequently, there have been a few major flaws that have been identified. Firstly, the content is too cheesy, be it the questions or the entertainment. Secondly, the Pakistani audience is portrayed as greedy wolves looking to pounce upon a meal. This really cheapens the aura of the show. 

Last but not least, one of the major issues here is the host: Amir Liaquat Hussain. He has made this show into his personal spotlight and he never wants to relinquish it. Amir Liaquat started off as a host for religious programs and his work was highly regarded at first. Then with a combination of blunders from GEO and himself, his reputation went down the drain. In recent times, he has become something of a joke. How and why people keep watching is something beyond me. 

Similarly, his attitude with the show audience is really dismal. Insulting the audience has become a norm, so has making fun of slightly different accents or speech impairments. He also comes off as a know-it-all and extremely self-centered. His over-friendliness with the ladies is also not a redeeming quality.

Another highly controversial issue is the fact that a couple of years ago Amir Liaquat blasted GEO over a suspicious video about himself, claiming he was framed by the news network. Surprisingly, he has now rejoined GEO without any explanation whatsoever.

In a nutshell, GEO TV and Amir Liaquat have ruined a classic Tv Show which the masses really enjoyed when it operated in all its glory under Tariq Aziz. Now it has lost its charm by a combination of cheap party tricks and a host to match. A fair amount of people still do watch the show, but that might just be because of the lack of quality entertainment on Pakistani Television.

Philip Seymour Hoffman Found Dead in Apartment

On Sunday, February 2, 2014, Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his NYC apartment. The cause of death was an apparent overdose of heroin, a substance which he had quite a history with. 

A friend found his body in the apartment and phoned police. Hoffman was alone in his bathroom when he was discovered with a heroin-filled needle in his arm, law enforcement sources said. The police responded to the 46-year-old's apartment in the West Village shortly after 11 a.m., police sources told FoxNews.com.

One police source told FoxNews.com that authorities are investigating whether Hoffman received a more potent type of heroin that's being blamed for numerous deaths over the past two weeks, first in the Pittsburgh area and later along the east coast. The substance combines heroin and fentanyl, an opiate used to soothe the pain of cancer patients, and is being blamed for dozens of deaths across the country, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

By Sunday night, nearly 100 reporters and photographers had congregated outside Hoffman's apartment, and a well-wisher had left flowers in the actor's memory. New York police officers debated whether to block the body from waiting photographers as it was wheeled out of the building.

Hoffman was one of the most admired actors around and was renowned for many stellar performances. perhaps the most ambitious and widely admired American actor of his generation, who gave three-dimensional nuance to a wide range of sidekicks, villains and leading men on screen and embraced some of the theater’s most burdensome roles on Broadway.

History reveals that he had gone to great lengths to curb his addiction to drugs and alcohol including several stints in rehab. However, what caused him to relapse remains unknown. The world is deeply saddened by this loss to one of the film industry’s greats and he will certainly be remembered by generations to come.

And The Oscar Goes to….

The 2014 Annual Academy Awards are highly awaited due to the superb nominees this year; both in the best film category and the best actor category.

The Oscars 2014 promises to be a spectacular affair. With the best movie category bulging from the winter blockbusters such as Wolf of Wall Street, Gravity and 12 Years a Slave among others. Similarly, the best actor category is also studded with powerful performances of the likes of Leonardo Di Caprio, Matthew McConaughey and other great performances. We shall look at the aforementioned two categories mainly in this build up to the Annual Academy Awards 2014.

The best movie award looks to be a toss-up between Gravity, American Hustle, The Wolf of Wall Street and 12 Years a Slave. All these movies were highly anticipated and none of them failed to deliver.  Gravity looked fabulous on “3D” and “IMAX” but there was lack of depth in the story once you got past the effects. American Hustle used its all-star cast to its full potential with all of them playing key roles. The Wolf of Wall Street was a highly engaging movie helped by some outstanding acting from Leonardo Di Caprio. 12 Years a Slave was a different kind of story but it reached the heart of the viewers in ways none of the other nominees could.  It is definitely a favourite to win.

The moment I saw The Wolf of Wall Street, I thought Leonardo is going to win it this year! He gave such a masterful performance that it looked as if he would finally land the Oscar. However, once I saw Dallas Buyer’s Club, I just could not ignore Matthew McConaughey’s performance even though the movie itself was nowhere near the level of the greats mentioned above. The same could be said about Chiwetel Ejiofor’s role in 12 Years a Slave. Although his role was not as expressive as McConaughey’s or Di Caprio’s, it is definitely worth a mention.
 

Therefore, it might be difficult to predict, but the fans certainly have their favourites. Di Caprio’s role in Wolf might just get him a much-awaited Oscar, but the academy could decide on McConaughey who won the Screen Actors Guild award. It looks a closer race in the best movie category, where anyone of six movies could win it!

A Glimpse at the Lifestyles of Pakistani CEOs - The Astonishing Figures

 Ever imagined what it would be like to earn an eight-figure salary? Drive a luxury car? Fly around in chartered jets? That’s the life of a modern CEO!

 
In addition to overseeing the tasks of the higher management, CEOs represent the face of a company and synonymously face the brunt of the publicity aimed at the company, be it positive or negative. This claim is even more applicable for CEOs of the media world; they are always in the limelight, even more so than their counterparts from other industries.

However, the compensation and benefits offered to CEOs are unparalleled when compared with the rest of the employment positions. The salary, benefits and stock options combined can make a handsome package. Of course, this figure varies depending on the company that the CEO works for.

On average, a CEO in the media industry takes home somewhere around $600,000 to $2 million (around 8 million Pakistani rupees per month!) annually. Apart from that, the company can also offer a car, stock options and other benefits. Apparently, this depends on the company and the perceived worth of the CEO. One thing we can ascertain is that CEO is the best compensated job title that one can have.

Talking about the Pakistani media industry, most of the companies offer good packages for their CEOs which include additional commissions and benefits apart from the basic salary. The average CEO working in the media industry commands a salary of Rs. 2 million to Rs.4 million monthly.  In addition to that, most of them get a company car and commissions based on the content their channel runs. An example of this is Yousuf Baig Mirza of PTV Network who was afforded a monthly commission in addition to his salary, based on advertising revenue.

However, based on my observations, a figure which truly stands out among the various media CEOs of Pakistan is Mr. Azhar Abbas, the CEO and president of Bol network. He is being offered the lifestyle that not only most of the corporate world can only dream of, but also makes him the envy of some of the CEOs in the top echelons of the media world.

In addition to a whopping eight-figure monthly salary, Azhar Abbas can reap the benefits of a Mercedes S class company maintained car, stock options, memberships to some of Karachi’s exclusive clubs and numerous other benefits being offered by Bol network to its employees, as mentioned on their website. Even when compared with international CEOs, the aforementioned package puts him at a very enviable level.

Media industry employees can surely take some encouragement from this and look forward to much better lifestyles. As more and more companies start taking the initiative, a lot of media executives can hope to achieve the aforementioned levels!