Sakss
Test Debutant
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2009
- Runs
- 14,207
It is my pleasure to present our latest member interview, this time with Cpt.Rishwat!
Cpt.Rishwat is an established member of our forum - his strong viewpoints have produced some interesting, and sometimes volatile, discussions in our Time Pass area! He is however an excellent poster, adds a great deal to our forum and as you will see, has been a fascinating interviewee!
PakPassion : Why the name Cpt. Rishwat? What profession do you belong to in real life?
Cpt.Rishwat : Honestly, I didn't really think too hard on that one, I came across PakPassion when I was reading an article on the main site, and I was desperate to have my say on the cricket at the time and I just thought of the first thing that came into my head. I suppose it doesn't reflect too well on Pakistan that the name was Rishwat (that stands for money under the table for non-desis by the way) but it's not meant to be taken seriously - well only slightly seriously. Captain because I thought there should be an ISI connection. I consider myself the honorary British wing (unpaid). I used to work in advertising until a few years ago, I had a part time business on the side, and in time that grew enough that I now devote my time solely to that.
PakPassion : Have you ever visited Pakistan? Why PakPassion? How did you come to know about it?
Cpt.Rishwat : I've been to Pakistan a few times, but not for some years now, I generally use any holidays to visit other countries instead. I keep in touch with family over in Pakistan, but like me they have their own families now and it's not the same buzz as it used to be when we were all teenagers. Why PakPassion? I already answered how I came to know about it, but the reason I stayed is because for purely cricket discussion it's the best forum I've seen with some wonderful contributors from all over the world. There are some really knowledgeable members here who obviously have played at a high level in some cases. Initially I was mainly in the cricket section, but I've since migrated to the Time Pass section as I felt my services were required there. I am sure many members would disagree.
PakPassion : Do you think the Kashmir issue will ever be resolved? Where do you see Pakistan and Pakistan cricket in the next 10 years?
Cpt.Rishwat : Not any time soon that is for sure, for the simple reason that India is not going to let go of Kashmir voluntarily, either to Pakistan or as an independent nation. It is out of our hands at the moment. It needs great leadership and vision on either side to come to a solution and that isn't there at this time. I think Pakistan and Pakistan cricket will be in a much healthier position in 10 years time as we come out of what has been a very difficult decade. Hopefully the war on terror will have wound down and we will be back to a situation where people and international teams can travel safely again. To think we used to moan about the country so much back then!
PakPassion : Abdel Fattah el-Sisi or Mohamed Morsi? Why? Nawaz Sharif or Narendra Modi? Why?
Cpt.Rishwat : That should really be up to the people of Egypt to decide, and as Morsi was an elected leader I would say him. Nawaz Sharif or Modi? Obviously Nawaz Sharif because he's not an Indian and was never banned from setting foot on American soil due to playing a leading role in encouraging deadly riots which led to thousands of deaths.
PakPassion : How do you think Pakistan will fare in 2016?
Cpt.Rishwat : Pretty well, I think the team is already a good Test side, and if Amir returns that will only make it stronger. Obviously that success will need to translate overseas, but I think we have players like Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Haris Sohail who can do that. England will be a tough tour as they are pretty good in home conditions at the moment, but with Pakistan's bowling attack it should make for a gripping series.
PakPassion : What do you think are the challenges facing young British men of Pakistani origin?
Cpt.Rishwat : The challenge is to take the opportunities that are out there and not worry about the obstacles. There are lots of Pakistani origin men and women leading very successful lives over here, although that might not be the impression that is apparent to the rest of the world. But I should qualify that - I am sometimes indifferent about this because I don't live in an area which has a large Pakistani population. Just because people around my circles are doing well, doesn't mean the rest of the country is like that. I have no real insight into towns like Blackburn or Rochdale, but I've driven through some time back and they did look a little tatty. The challenge is to raise your standard. Your parents had a right to be immigrants, the subsequent generations really don't. There are a lot more Asians in general appearing on TV and in print, I would love to see this develop so that we start seeing more Pakistanis playing roles and characters on TV and film rather than a shopkeeper,terrorist or forced marriage victim.
PakPassion : Your happiest and not so happy memory of India Pakistan cricket matches?
Cpt.Rishwat : Back in the days when Imran was coming to the end of his career and we were thrashing them at every turn. Aaqib Javed's hattrick in Sharjah which included prize victim Tendulkar was probably the highlight as the Indians were so traumatised they refused to return to Sharjah. Not so happy would be the World Cup matches which I have always felt had some political trading affecting results. I can't prove this obviously, but until the run of losses is broken the suspicion will always be there, which is why I have suggested in the past it is in the interests of both nations that Pakistan win the next World Cup meet so we can remove these unhelpful rumors.
PakPassion : What steps would you take to improve India Pakistan relations? (Political, cultural , any kind of steps)
Cpt.Rishwat : There has to be the will in the first place for anything to happen. The cricket series would have been an ideal step to break the ice, if only to maintain the importance of the Asian Ashes as it were. It used to be a big event on the cricket calendar and it is in danger of being degraded the longer it is ignored. Bilateral trade would make sense as well, but even here it needs some common sense. Britain and Germany were at war twice in the last hundred years and yet they still manage to repair relations based on mutual interests. It needs some maturity and as I said earlier, real visionary leaders. Nawaz Sharif? I don't think so, and the antics across the border are just laughable at the moment. They are too busy thrashing their own citizens for selling beef never mind deal with Pakistan.
PakPassion : While you seem to be indifferent and on occasion - hostile, to Indians on the Time Pass section, you seem to be very neutral and supportive on the Cricket side of things. Besides the fact that it's just a game and all that, what changes?
Cpt.Rishwat : Well it is just a game at the end of the day. I never view cricketers through nationalistic lenses, I can appreciate a great batsman like Tendulkar or Kohli. A powerful Indian cricket side can be an impressive sight. The one that toured Australia before Dravid retired had some great batsmen in it. With Time Pass it's just a case of you play the stroke according to the delivery. There are a number of Indian nationalists trawling that forum and I just even things up a little otherwise the anti-Pakistan/Muslim propaganda machine would be just too relentless. It's not just the Indians though, there are plenty of our own who belong to that camp as well (as is their right).
One of my aims in this regard is to foster a learning atmosphere for non-Pakistanis. When you open Time Pass and see a bunch of negative stories about India it gives you an insight into how the other half lives. As Pakistanis we get this every time we open a newspaper or Time Pass itself. My legendary threads on Wembley and Southall certainly opened a few eyes and everyone was richer for the discourse. Not only Indians but members from across the world can see what it's like to be the bad guys, so this is a valuable learning resource.
PakPassion : Have you ever played cricket at any level?
Cpt.Rishwat : I have played but only at a local level and I was not very good at it, more of a social event for me to hang out with a few friends. I am much better at football and am a pretty good tennis player as well. My two regular tennis opponents were both British Indians so how about that? One of them was actually one of my best friends at school and is a really cool guy. The other one is a bit of a dope who thinks too much of himself and is only good when I can't get anyone else to play with. We trade insults across the net as well as shots. I always win naturally. If he was better I wouldn't play him.
PakPassion : What do you think of the current state of Pakistan (the country)?
Cpt.Rishwat : Not really fair for me to say, it's been a long time since I've been. When relatives are over they are usually saying it's changed a lot and the place has developed a lot since I was there, but that's Punjab which is relatively peaceful. I used to quite like the disparity of the country, how cities like Lahore and Karachi were so vibrant and modern, yet remote areas still had their own culture and lived relatively simple lives. But when those areas start producing militants who are intent on destroying the culture and arts of the rest of the country you have to draw a line. We need to get back to the growing and modern version of Pakistan that we saw after partition. Also remote areas might have their own charm, but they deserve the chance to progress in education and facilities too.
PakPassion : If you're the captain of an Indian XI PakPassion members, who would be in your team?
Cpt.Rishwat : This is a good one. I'll make up an eleven then give my reasons as to why they make the cut.
1. Sensible Indian Fan - Good watchful opener who will play the new ball with a straight bat.
2. Tempus123 - He will compliment SIF with some wild slogging and get clean bowled every time by me.
3. Gabbar Singh - Another steady hand needed here, so I am going for Gabbar Singh to build the early partnerships and lay a strong foundation.
4. Dee 1990 - A British Indian is the order of the day as we might need some translation skill with so many overseas players.
5. Varun - Middle order needs some stroke players and Varun is the man with his sneaky attacking shots against Pakistan.
6. freelance_cricketer - big hitter required and no one hits more expansively with troll threads praising Afridi or Malik which backfire spectacularly.
7.Indiafan - the wicketkeeper batsman who has a safe pair of hands and can bat in hostile conditions by resorting to secular logic.
8. CricketCartoons - leg spin bowler who keeps annoying the opposition with his wrong 'uns and flippers.
9. TM Riddle - in the team to annoy CricketCartoons.
10. IgnitedMind - Because a team with IM is always getting better even if they are thrashed by an innings.
11. Romali Rotti - left arm spinner - required to provide some left field saffron pride from down under.
Cpt.Rishwat is an established member of our forum - his strong viewpoints have produced some interesting, and sometimes volatile, discussions in our Time Pass area! He is however an excellent poster, adds a great deal to our forum and as you will see, has been a fascinating interviewee!
PakPassion : Why the name Cpt. Rishwat? What profession do you belong to in real life?
Cpt.Rishwat : Honestly, I didn't really think too hard on that one, I came across PakPassion when I was reading an article on the main site, and I was desperate to have my say on the cricket at the time and I just thought of the first thing that came into my head. I suppose it doesn't reflect too well on Pakistan that the name was Rishwat (that stands for money under the table for non-desis by the way) but it's not meant to be taken seriously - well only slightly seriously. Captain because I thought there should be an ISI connection. I consider myself the honorary British wing (unpaid). I used to work in advertising until a few years ago, I had a part time business on the side, and in time that grew enough that I now devote my time solely to that.
PakPassion : Have you ever visited Pakistan? Why PakPassion? How did you come to know about it?
Cpt.Rishwat : I've been to Pakistan a few times, but not for some years now, I generally use any holidays to visit other countries instead. I keep in touch with family over in Pakistan, but like me they have their own families now and it's not the same buzz as it used to be when we were all teenagers. Why PakPassion? I already answered how I came to know about it, but the reason I stayed is because for purely cricket discussion it's the best forum I've seen with some wonderful contributors from all over the world. There are some really knowledgeable members here who obviously have played at a high level in some cases. Initially I was mainly in the cricket section, but I've since migrated to the Time Pass section as I felt my services were required there. I am sure many members would disagree.
PakPassion : Do you think the Kashmir issue will ever be resolved? Where do you see Pakistan and Pakistan cricket in the next 10 years?
Cpt.Rishwat : Not any time soon that is for sure, for the simple reason that India is not going to let go of Kashmir voluntarily, either to Pakistan or as an independent nation. It is out of our hands at the moment. It needs great leadership and vision on either side to come to a solution and that isn't there at this time. I think Pakistan and Pakistan cricket will be in a much healthier position in 10 years time as we come out of what has been a very difficult decade. Hopefully the war on terror will have wound down and we will be back to a situation where people and international teams can travel safely again. To think we used to moan about the country so much back then!
PakPassion : Abdel Fattah el-Sisi or Mohamed Morsi? Why? Nawaz Sharif or Narendra Modi? Why?
Cpt.Rishwat : That should really be up to the people of Egypt to decide, and as Morsi was an elected leader I would say him. Nawaz Sharif or Modi? Obviously Nawaz Sharif because he's not an Indian and was never banned from setting foot on American soil due to playing a leading role in encouraging deadly riots which led to thousands of deaths.
PakPassion : How do you think Pakistan will fare in 2016?
Cpt.Rishwat : Pretty well, I think the team is already a good Test side, and if Amir returns that will only make it stronger. Obviously that success will need to translate overseas, but I think we have players like Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Haris Sohail who can do that. England will be a tough tour as they are pretty good in home conditions at the moment, but with Pakistan's bowling attack it should make for a gripping series.
PakPassion : What do you think are the challenges facing young British men of Pakistani origin?
Cpt.Rishwat : The challenge is to take the opportunities that are out there and not worry about the obstacles. There are lots of Pakistani origin men and women leading very successful lives over here, although that might not be the impression that is apparent to the rest of the world. But I should qualify that - I am sometimes indifferent about this because I don't live in an area which has a large Pakistani population. Just because people around my circles are doing well, doesn't mean the rest of the country is like that. I have no real insight into towns like Blackburn or Rochdale, but I've driven through some time back and they did look a little tatty. The challenge is to raise your standard. Your parents had a right to be immigrants, the subsequent generations really don't. There are a lot more Asians in general appearing on TV and in print, I would love to see this develop so that we start seeing more Pakistanis playing roles and characters on TV and film rather than a shopkeeper,terrorist or forced marriage victim.
PakPassion : Your happiest and not so happy memory of India Pakistan cricket matches?
Cpt.Rishwat : Back in the days when Imran was coming to the end of his career and we were thrashing them at every turn. Aaqib Javed's hattrick in Sharjah which included prize victim Tendulkar was probably the highlight as the Indians were so traumatised they refused to return to Sharjah. Not so happy would be the World Cup matches which I have always felt had some political trading affecting results. I can't prove this obviously, but until the run of losses is broken the suspicion will always be there, which is why I have suggested in the past it is in the interests of both nations that Pakistan win the next World Cup meet so we can remove these unhelpful rumors.
PakPassion : What steps would you take to improve India Pakistan relations? (Political, cultural , any kind of steps)
Cpt.Rishwat : There has to be the will in the first place for anything to happen. The cricket series would have been an ideal step to break the ice, if only to maintain the importance of the Asian Ashes as it were. It used to be a big event on the cricket calendar and it is in danger of being degraded the longer it is ignored. Bilateral trade would make sense as well, but even here it needs some common sense. Britain and Germany were at war twice in the last hundred years and yet they still manage to repair relations based on mutual interests. It needs some maturity and as I said earlier, real visionary leaders. Nawaz Sharif? I don't think so, and the antics across the border are just laughable at the moment. They are too busy thrashing their own citizens for selling beef never mind deal with Pakistan.
PakPassion : While you seem to be indifferent and on occasion - hostile, to Indians on the Time Pass section, you seem to be very neutral and supportive on the Cricket side of things. Besides the fact that it's just a game and all that, what changes?
Cpt.Rishwat : Well it is just a game at the end of the day. I never view cricketers through nationalistic lenses, I can appreciate a great batsman like Tendulkar or Kohli. A powerful Indian cricket side can be an impressive sight. The one that toured Australia before Dravid retired had some great batsmen in it. With Time Pass it's just a case of you play the stroke according to the delivery. There are a number of Indian nationalists trawling that forum and I just even things up a little otherwise the anti-Pakistan/Muslim propaganda machine would be just too relentless. It's not just the Indians though, there are plenty of our own who belong to that camp as well (as is their right).
One of my aims in this regard is to foster a learning atmosphere for non-Pakistanis. When you open Time Pass and see a bunch of negative stories about India it gives you an insight into how the other half lives. As Pakistanis we get this every time we open a newspaper or Time Pass itself. My legendary threads on Wembley and Southall certainly opened a few eyes and everyone was richer for the discourse. Not only Indians but members from across the world can see what it's like to be the bad guys, so this is a valuable learning resource.
PakPassion : Have you ever played cricket at any level?
Cpt.Rishwat : I have played but only at a local level and I was not very good at it, more of a social event for me to hang out with a few friends. I am much better at football and am a pretty good tennis player as well. My two regular tennis opponents were both British Indians so how about that? One of them was actually one of my best friends at school and is a really cool guy. The other one is a bit of a dope who thinks too much of himself and is only good when I can't get anyone else to play with. We trade insults across the net as well as shots. I always win naturally. If he was better I wouldn't play him.
PakPassion : What do you think of the current state of Pakistan (the country)?
Cpt.Rishwat : Not really fair for me to say, it's been a long time since I've been. When relatives are over they are usually saying it's changed a lot and the place has developed a lot since I was there, but that's Punjab which is relatively peaceful. I used to quite like the disparity of the country, how cities like Lahore and Karachi were so vibrant and modern, yet remote areas still had their own culture and lived relatively simple lives. But when those areas start producing militants who are intent on destroying the culture and arts of the rest of the country you have to draw a line. We need to get back to the growing and modern version of Pakistan that we saw after partition. Also remote areas might have their own charm, but they deserve the chance to progress in education and facilities too.
PakPassion : If you're the captain of an Indian XI PakPassion members, who would be in your team?
Cpt.Rishwat : This is a good one. I'll make up an eleven then give my reasons as to why they make the cut.
1. Sensible Indian Fan - Good watchful opener who will play the new ball with a straight bat.
2. Tempus123 - He will compliment SIF with some wild slogging and get clean bowled every time by me.
3. Gabbar Singh - Another steady hand needed here, so I am going for Gabbar Singh to build the early partnerships and lay a strong foundation.
4. Dee 1990 - A British Indian is the order of the day as we might need some translation skill with so many overseas players.
5. Varun - Middle order needs some stroke players and Varun is the man with his sneaky attacking shots against Pakistan.
6. freelance_cricketer - big hitter required and no one hits more expansively with troll threads praising Afridi or Malik which backfire spectacularly.
7.Indiafan - the wicketkeeper batsman who has a safe pair of hands and can bat in hostile conditions by resorting to secular logic.
8. CricketCartoons - leg spin bowler who keeps annoying the opposition with his wrong 'uns and flippers.
9. TM Riddle - in the team to annoy CricketCartoons.
10. IgnitedMind - Because a team with IM is always getting better even if they are thrashed by an innings.
11. Romali Rotti - left arm spinner - required to provide some left field saffron pride from down under.
Last edited by a moderator:
at the last question. Kudos to who ever came up with that question, and kudos to Cpt Rishwat for his answer.
