E-Paper
All eyes on Peshawar
Tea with the president, a taxi ride and protesting students. It's all here in the latest edition of our Media Watch.
With match day three is coming up, the two teams took a break to go to tea with President Musharraf. We all know the prez is keen on cricket, having seen him at Rawalpindi during the second one-dayer. He is also a patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board and a fan of Tendulkar to boot. Find out what happened at this tea party in this report of The Dawn.
Now that it's even Stevens in the series, Javed Miandad has taken time out to needle John Wright. Well, they don't call him the wily old fox for nothing! The Pakistani coach is full of praise for Wright, but hang on, there's a little something between the lines.
For a bit on the lighter side, here's an entertaining account of a taxi ride in Pindi from K.R. Nayar of the Gulf News. A not-so-light side of the Rawalpindi one-dayer is highlighted by NNI News. Such were the security measures at the stadium, that as many as four stands were half-empty for a long period. The strict security had made families opt to stay home and watch the idiot box. Funny how they keep going on about the security. One can clearly recall a big tent filled to the brim with security personnel glued to the game on a television set...
The hospitality served out to the Indian players by all accounts is enough to give anyone diabetes. Portal HiPakistan.com reports how Ganguly admits to being "stunned" by the warm welcome they have received. He insists that it is better than what they get even back home.
However, there can be too much of a good thing. Hospitality, security, it is all getting a bit too much for the players now. The Jang reports how the Indians are getting a bit fed up of the frequency of press conferences and seem to have had enough of minding their manners with pesky journos.
As the scene shifts to Peshawar for the third one-day international, the muddle of ticket sales that happened at Rawalpindi seems to have spilled over here. Ashfaq Yusufzai of The Dawn writes that students staged a protest outside the Peshawar Press Club about non-availability of tickets. Apparently, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced that tickets would be sold on three days, but they were all sold out on the first.
No marks for guessing that the hosts are pulling out all stops to ensure a safe stay for the Indian players. The Jang reports that Afghan refugees have been barred from not just coming to watch the game, but they are not to be allowed within a 1 km radius around the stadium!
Apparently, we are not the only ones with the bright idea of having a media watch section. Cricinfo do what they call a daily Paper Round, taking in what various newspapers in the subcontinent have to say about the Pakistan-India series. It's good fun and it's here.
And if you have anything to say or share you views with other cricket lovers, The Jang is running a message board. Please note, though, that it is open only during match time, and do remember to mind your manners.
