hadi123
Test Debutant
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2010
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PakPassion.net: Hello, tell us a bit about yourself.
msb314: Hello! First of all, thanks to PP for this wonderful opportunity to do an interview. Truly grateful for this A little bit about my background – was born in the US and lived there for several years before moving to the Saudi Arabia. Spent 11 years in the Middle East and had a wonderful time there. Moved back to the States to pursue college education in Industrial Engineering and by the grace of Allah also had the chance to pursue a Masters in Manufacturing right afterwards. Found a job in a Fortune 50 company in a Leadership Development Program that I am currently in. Very blessed for everything Alhumdullilah!
One thing to note is that I was NOT born in Pakistan and in fact, I have never lived in Pakistan either. Thankfully when I was in Saudi Arabia – I did get the chance to visit Pakistan many times during my times there.
Very excited to announce that I will be getting married in a few days so please keep me in your prayers!!
PakPassion.net: What are your expectations of Pakistan cricket in 2018?
msb314: My expectations are certainly pretty high going into 2018 – especially in the shorter formats. I think the tour of NZ will be our first major litmus test since the CT and given NZ’s own woes in the middle order of Latham, Neesham, Anderson, I think we can have a great chance at winning the series if we get Guptill and Williamson early on. As I have mentioned before – our best bet is to bowl the opposition out for less than 250 and back ourselves to chase their totals down.
For ODI’s – I think our team has become very settled. As of now – Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz, Hassan Ali, Shadab Khan, Amir and Junaid automatically pick themselves. Our trio of pacers have done a fantastic job IMO since the tour of Australia – Hassan has been amongst the wickets whilst Amir and Junaid are bowling very economically and give little away for the batsman barring a bad over or two. With Amir – I am fairly confident that he still has the capability to run through a lineup on his own when he in the zone! Shadab is still quite young and raw at the international level but he has definitely shown the capability to bowl accurately and take wickets at the highest level. His batting and excellent fielding is a huge BONUS as players have to be flexible to have the most impact in the shorter formats of the game. I hope he has learnt his lesson after being hit for multiple 6’s in the CT final off of Hartik Pandya as in more closely contested game – it could have been a game changing spell. Malik has been in fairly good form with the bat but cannot really question his batting although some eyebrows will be raised regarding his away form in foreign conditions. With Hafeez now being banned from bowling – this presents a fantastic opportunity for Haris whom I really hope he can cement his place in the ODI team like he did back in 2015, I hope the management sees this as well and hopefully we can go to see the bowling side of his game too. Special mention to Babar who is clearly in rich vein form and I hope that may continue! There are some question marks over our opening slots and to be honest I am a bit disappointed that Fakhar hasn’t scored a half century since the CT final but I agree with many posters that the NZ pitches will suit him. One positive is that there is a lot of competition for the opening slots so none of the openers can afford to take their place for granted.
Similar situation with the T20 side although there is some criticism for Babar’s less than ideal strike rate but I think he can really grow into that role and the more he plays T20’s and PSL – the better he will become at the no. 3 role. I will still maintain that to stay at the top in T20’s – we have to bat at a high RR during the initial PP overs and maintain a high RR throughout the innings on flat / batting friendly pitches.
PakPassion.net: How do you maintain an interest in cricket while living in USA?
msb314: I’ll be the first to admit that it is not easy! From the time zone differences to lack of TV coverage and cricketing culture – you have to put in some effort to stay up to date with the games. I think with smartphones and widespread data coverage – it is easy to check scores and read up on PP, Facebook etc. during lunch times at work and when I am back home and also chat about it with friends and family. I try to log into PP for a bit every day to check up on what’s going on and any cricket related news. Obviously – have a lot more free time on the weekends Time zone differences can prevent me from watching games during the weekdays but I do try keep up with the score on Cricinfo and watch highlights later on. On weekends – it is a different story! I will setup my alarm to wake up early in the morning to watch a game – even if it is a bilateral series! My dad has a keen interest in cricket too so we often chat about it on the phone as well. If you are interested and passionate about something – you will put the effort to stay in touch with the sport no matter the circumstances
PakPassion.net: How do you deal with stressful situations?
msb314: That’s an interesting question because it really is an art rather than a science. Everyone’s mind, thought process and feelings work differently. For me personally – I think taking some time away from a stressful situation really helps. Whether it is just doing some exercise for an hour or doing some other activity that I enjoy such as reading, watching a movie or TV show or just talking with a friend or relative. I would definitely say that walking to my family about a stressful situation and the circumstances that I am going through really helps! I get words of encouragement and advice which can be very relieving. All of this can help approach the situation with a fresh frame of mind and a positive perspective which can then help me better deal and manage the situation.
Using a personal example – a few years back, I had been laid off from an internship that I was doing for a few months. To most, it may not seem like a big deal but completing my internship was tied to getting an offer at a graduate school program that I was pursuing and they required the work experience to be admitted. Safe to say, my future plans went down the drain very quickly and my career was over before it even began… At least it felt that way at the time. However, talking to family and spending time with them back home for a few months really helped me gain some perspective and refocus myself. With some advice from my parents – I was able to collect myself and began applying for jobs and also to other graduate programs. On a memorable October night in 2013 – I was accepted into another graduate program for my Master’s to begin in January and never looked back since One thing I would definitely advise if to always have a backup plan that is almost as good as your first choice and something you would be willing to accept if need be. Whether it is academic stuff, career stuff or even trips / events / vacation etc. if something goes wrong – then you won’t be stranded and will have the luxury to call upon your backup plan in such circumstances and happily move on.
PakPassion.net: How would you best describe yourself, a guy who will only cross the road when the traffic light is red even when the coast is clear or the type of guy who is looking to cross the road the moment an opportunity presents itself regardless of whether the light is red or green?
msb314: Ultimately – this boils down to whether I am risk neutral or risk loving. During the last few years - I would have described myself as someone who would look to cross the road the moment an opportunity presents itself regardless of a green or red light. I took risks that my family often advised against such as declining job offers and internship offers without any other offers in hand but being hopeful that I am capable of finding something better!
I also bought a car without having been approved for a loan but was confident that I could finance it for a low rate given my credit score and a good offer with the dealership. Even my current job in a Leadership Development Program at a Fortune 50 company as a bit of a gamble as I have to do 3 1-year rotations and have to relocate every year so getting acquainted in a new role and work environment as well as a new location every year for the last 3 years involves some risk as well but I certainly learnt a lot from a career point of view.
Perhaps the biggest gamble of all was leaving my friends and family in the Middle East when I was only 18 to go the United States for college and pursue a better opportunity their and investing in my future. Alhumdullilah – all of these gambles paid off for me but I would not advise anyone in taking excessive gambles haha!
Ultimately – as I am settling down now and will be getting married in a few days, I think I will become someone who will only cross the road when the traffic light is red as I will have additional responsibilities for my wife, parents, in-laws etc. as they will become dependent on me and count on me to do the right thing to ensure comfort and peace of mind. Look forward to the transition haha!
PakPassion.net: What would be your top 3 questions if you found life beyond earth?
msb314:
1) How do you sustain your planet and ecosystem? Given the environmental impact and pollution that has become a major problem for our planet during the last 50 years or so – I would be interested in how an extraterrestrial species manages their planet and whether they encounter or ever encountered the same issues that humans did
2) How do you communicate? Our language and syntax have developed a lot over thousands of years and electronic communication like email, instant messaging, social media have refined that even further during the last few years but I would if there exists any higher forms of communication like telekinesis using transmitters or something like that.
3) What is your purpose? I think it’s safe to say the purpose of PP’ers is to post on PP or lurk around! Jokes aside – I would be interested in knowing whether aliens are interested in self-sustaining themselves, colonizing new areas, advancing technology or just living their normal lives like most humans.
PakPassion.net: What are your earliest memories of cricket?
msb314: My earliest memories of cricket go back to right before the 1999 WC. Our family had just relocated to Saudi Arabia from the US and so one day me and my dad were looking around in a shopping center and my dad bought me a PS1 game called “Brian Lara Cricket ‘99” ! At the time – I had no idea what cricket was so asked my dad “what is this game?” He explained to me how cricket is a bat and ball game that is played in many countries around the world! By the time the 1999 WC had started – I quickly became hooked and never looked back!
My first international game that I watched was the group stage game between Pakistan vs WI. I believe Pakistan had made around 223 during our innings and dismissed WI for around 202 I had cried immensely when we lost to Bangladesh during that WC and also to Australia in the final but my parents explained to me how we still had a great tournament and did really well to reach the final! Needless to say I was hooked by that point! There was a time period around 2003 when I stopped following cricket for a while – just got busy with school and other stuff that was going on but when India toured Pakistan during March 2004 – I got hooked again and boy did I love that series! Still recall every game so fondly despite us losing the ODI series 2-3 and the Test series 1-2. It felt like two great teams going at each other with all they had. Cricket felt like a different game back then without the political agendas and and enormous money that is generated nowadays. It was just a game of pure passion. Sometimes I feel that some of that has gotten lost along the way… Still – I try to watch every series that Pakistan plays in including PSL and even other tours that are going on. Just love the game!
PakPassion.net: Who is your favorite player that doesn’t play for Pakistan?
msb314: I hate to sound clichéd but right now it has to be Virat Kohli – simply a phenomenal player and I love the way how he paces his innings in ODI’s whilst still maintaining a SR of 85+ throughout his innings. Remarkably consistent and has balanced record in home and foreign conditions. He is beginning to find his grove in Test cricket now as well so good for him! I hope a lot of our own upcoming batsman look up to Kohli as a role model and learn a lot from his batting and approach to ODI’s.
From the new and upcoming players – I also really like Quinton De Kock. He is very consistent and has shown to make the big scores in ODI cricket as well. Plays at a fast SR too and has a lot of shots in his repertoire and packs a punch too despite having a small frame. Expect him to have a long and successful career ahead.
I also really admire the opening pair of Jason Roy and Alex Hales. I love their aggressive approach ODI batting and how they are able to bat at a RR of 6-7 so effortlessly. Rather than slogging – they are able to play conventional shots in the V and through the line. Flat pitches do help their cause but their arsenal of strokes definitely helps them play their natural game in ODI’s and take the attack to the opposition. I believe I made a thread about how our young batsman should learn from Roy and Hales in the PSL how to approach LOI batting. Super excited to see them playing in the PSL this year!
PakPassion.net: Is PCB being run by megalomaniacs or people with the best interests of Pakistan cricket?
msb314: Unfortunately – like most organizations and institutions – PCB’s also had its fair share of megalomaniacs and corruption. Case in point includes the well-known example of Arsal Shaikh’s inclusion in the PSL and Shan Masood’s inclusion in Tests despite less than stellar stats. Given the reports we hear about PCB officials and journalists travelling on business class flights and staying in expensive hotels whilst doing absolutely nothing – I am sure that a lot of PCB’s funds are probably still being mismanaged and costs are not being carefully scrutinized so that definitely presents an opportunity for PCB so straighten its books.
However, I do believe most PCB officials are trying to improve our cricketing setup and have our cricketing development as their main strategic goal. Although it has been mentioned before – a lot of credit has to be given to Najam Sethi for the launch of the PSL. Its importance cannot be understated. Even if there are still some less than stellar players playing for some of the franchises and retired has-beens playing on Platinum and Diamond contracts – the opportunity to learn under top foreign coaches like Tom Moody, Mickey Arthur, Dean Jones is extremely vital for young players as well as the constant guiding and shadowing of established players like Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Darren Sammy, KP etc. This will go a long way to developing our players for the future. Credit has to be given for the prioritization of returning international cricket back to Pakistan.
UAE has been a nice stepping stone but the value of playing cricket in Pakistan from a logistics and costs perspective, potential sponsors and the entertainment value to the common Pakistani and the youth who are being deprived of watching their heroes play in front of them is priceless to state. However, it has be to be done in a step by step approach as any further incidents may cause long term setbacks. Moving the PSL back to Pakistan is a great idea and hopefully in a decade or so – I hope to see the likes of India, England and even Australia tour Pakistan without any discomfort.
One of the main issues that I would like to see tackled more aggressively is the state of our domestic cricket. We MUST start producing better pitches that are true to their nature and allow the ball to come nicely onto the bat. It is a batsman’s game after all so hope to see good pitches in the near future that will help our upcoming batsman. The curators and management have to put emphasis on this. Need to also reduce the number of domestic teams so that the talent pool is not stretched too thin and only the best of the upcoming players are playing in domestic cricket. It should always be viewed as a stepping stone to international cricket and not a black hole where players should find themselves stuck in forever. Related to that – hope see improved player salaries and allowances at the domestic level that will coerce young, upcoming talent to take up and pursue cricket as an ideal career choice.
PakPassion.net: Who would you rate as the best all-rounder in the world at the moment?
msb314: Personally – I enjoy watching seam bowling all-rounders more than spin bowling allrounders! Probably because the dearth of fast bowling all-rounders in Pakistan! From the current lot – Ben Stokes clearly stands out as he is a great bowling and powerful hitter for England in their lower middle order. Also like Jason Holder (more so than Andre Russell tbh) as he had to marshal a young WI team at an early age in all formats in addition to his batting and bowling skills. Same situation for Angelo Matthews albeit he is more experienced than Holder and having gained valuable experience playing with Mahela and Sanga. Also like Mitch Marsh but I feel that he is a tad bit underrated due to play second fiddle to Warner, Smith and Maxwell. For spin bowling all-rounders – my favorite has to be Moeen Ali. He is a useful bowler and a fantastic batsman as shown by his 53 ball century against WI recently. His batting also goes under the radar sometimes as he plays in the lower middle order after Roy, Hales, Root, Bairstow etc. Heard a lot about Shakib and although I do not watch Bangladesh play that much but his rankings is a testament to his skill as an all-rounder.
PakPassion.net: What are your thoughts on the Pakistan Test team?
msb314: I feel like our Test team has some young and exciting players coming through and will be a force to reckon with in a few years. However, before that, we will go through some growing pains which will result in several series losses – both home and away. For a start – our batting is clearly dependent on Azhar Ali. If he clicks – we will make a reasonably score but if not – we will crumble. Asad Shafiq is a very good technical batsman but as most PP’ers are aware – he clearly lacks the consistency and drive to become a top batsman in the world. However, his contributions have been useful in the past and if he could become a bit more consistent – he will be an indispensable part of our team. I personally think Sami Aslam is a decent player but needs to come out of his shell more and look to play his strokes whenever the opportunity arises. Unfortunately – cannot say the same for Shan Masood and I think he needs to be discarded asap!
Now onto Haris, Babar and Usman – out of the 3 Haris is the best equipped to succeed in Test cricket as of now but that can quickly change in the near future. He has a very solid temperament and has the right game plan to become a top Test batsman. His bowling is also an added bonus now that Hafeez has been banned. Babar is very talented as shown by his prowess in the shorter formats. However, to become a top test batsman, he needs to learn where his off stump is and adapt to leaving the ball more often early in his innings until he can understand the conditions and movement of the ball perfectly. Too often I see him edging the ball to the WK / slips playing a shot that he could have left early on in his innings. It is a consequence of playing a lot of the shorter formats but something that can be easily rectified. Have not seen much of Usman but hope he can achieve his best too.
Now to the bowlers – it is still early days for Shadab and Hassan but I hope they are able to replicate their form from the shorter formats into Test cricket. I would also advocate playing Wahab in Tests as I think that is the only format where he can excel. Also hope that Junaid and Amir can find their feet in Test cricket as they have done in ODI’s recently. Sarfraz’s batting is great in Asian conditions but I hope that he can replicate his purple patch from 2014/15 soon. He clearly has it in him but just needs to be more consistent as a batsman.
Overall – our Test form will decline in the short term. Back in the early 2000’s (2000-2004) our Test team was quite mediocre then too. However, we became a formidable Test team during Inzy’s reign from 2005-2007. Maybe we should expect a similar outcome too right now as well as it might take a few years for our Test team to become very good. Definitely a lot to look forward too!
PakPassion.net: Why do you still back Ahmed Shehzad despite his consistent failures at the top level?
msb314: Haha I expect quite a few posters will be curious to know my answer to this Overall – I think it’s fair to say that Ahmed hasn’t quite hit the heights that many expected him to back in 2014/15. At one point – he was primed to take over T20 captaincy at one point but those plans fell through by 2015. He has become plagued with inconsistency and struggles to get going at the start of his innings. However, I do think that some criticism directed towards him is a bit harsh and him being dropped from the Test team (despite good stats) was uncalled for… The good thing going for him is that he is still relatively young in cricketing age despite having made his debut back in 2009. At the age of 25 – he still has plenty of time to sort his mental game and take a more organized approach to his batting and pacing his innings.
I recently saw a thread where Ahmed was consulting a psychologist so I hope that works out for him. Maybe he just needs to spend more time with Grant Flower on how to approach the first few overs with the new ball until he gets set. Maybe look to hit a boundary every over during the PP overs… Not sure exactly what but hope him and the management spend some time on it. Also needs to ensure his feet move quicker and to the pitch of the ball which will better equip him to handle lateral movement. He definitely has the shots in the book as he regularly plays the lap sweep, hook, pull, straight drive, cover drive and square cut off fast bowlers and is not afraid to go down the track to the spin bowlers. He has already scored 6 international ODI centuries at the age of 25 which is no easy feat – our very own YK, Malik and even Inzy took a while to get to that landmark so credit to Ahmed for having gotten this far at the age of 25.
However, the most important part is that he must realize that he is capable of doing MUCH more and not let his career drift away like many talented players have done so in the past. A great source of inspiration for him should be his own teammate Babar Azam who has had a stellar start to his ODI career! Loved watching them bat and pace their innings together during the recent World XI tour. With the opening spot up for grabs in the T20, ODI and Test teams – it is up to him to focus on his weaknesses and make a strong comeback to progress along his career.
PakPassion.net: Apart from Person of Interest, what are some similar TV shows that you have enjoyed?
msb314: I really do enjoy watching The Blacklist – which is a show about how a former criminal turned FBI informant helps the FBI catch criminals that they were unaware of or thought had been dead whilst pursing an ulterior motive of his own. Definitely a fantastic show and James Spader does a great job of acting in his role! Also greatly enjoyed Sherlock! Extremely well directed and the plot, storylines and acting were just amazing! Although each season is only 3 episodes long but each episode is worth its weight in gold. It is probably the best modern day portrayal of Sherlock Holmes that I have been. Only downside is that the Season 4 finale was a bit of a letdown by my expectations but I would highly recommend it to anyone. I also regularly watch Gotham and I think it does a fantastic portrayal of Jim Gordon and the villains in the DC universe. The story is very good and a lot of subplots make for a great show! The only downside I would say is that of villians dying but magically returning back to life – like Indian dramas haha! I am also now watching Stranger Things and it has been very good too! Still need to catch up on Season 2 but enjoyed the Sci-Fi plot so far! Heard season 2 is even better than season 1 so look forward to that!
PakPassion.net: What do you like about PakPassion?
msb314: I would say that the opportunity to interact with like-minded people who are equally passionate – if not more – than I am about cricket! Everyone has diverse backgrounds and a lot of knowledge as well as a bit of their own bias about cricket which makes for interesting discussions and some great threads and posts. Some folks are about fact and stats based whilst others discuss historical knowledge whilst others like to give their opinion on matters so there is a good mix of everything. I also really like the fact the PP is very active and there is constant activity going on every day so nothing gets outdated or result in stale discussions. The entire PP community is definitely what makes PP so great! A special mention to the mods whom I think do a fantastic job of moderating and monitoring the discussions to ensure everyone’s opinion is respected and posting is done in a civilized and respectful manner.
PakPassion.net: What is your favorite sauce?
msb314: If I am eating French fries, onion rings or mozzarella sticks – I love BBQ sauce to dip those in! The rest of my family however hates it so I don’t get a lot of opportunity to taste it however. For pasta – I absolutely crave Alfredo sauce as it makes a pasta complete IMO. Unfortunately – it is not great for my waistline or calorie intake haha! For seafood – like to enjoy tartar sauce with fish, shrimp, calamari etc.
PakPassion.net: Give me 10 reasons why Roman Reigns deserves to be in the top 5 in the world today?
msb314:
msb314: Hello! First of all, thanks to PP for this wonderful opportunity to do an interview. Truly grateful for this A little bit about my background – was born in the US and lived there for several years before moving to the Saudi Arabia. Spent 11 years in the Middle East and had a wonderful time there. Moved back to the States to pursue college education in Industrial Engineering and by the grace of Allah also had the chance to pursue a Masters in Manufacturing right afterwards. Found a job in a Fortune 50 company in a Leadership Development Program that I am currently in. Very blessed for everything Alhumdullilah!
One thing to note is that I was NOT born in Pakistan and in fact, I have never lived in Pakistan either. Thankfully when I was in Saudi Arabia – I did get the chance to visit Pakistan many times during my times there.
Very excited to announce that I will be getting married in a few days so please keep me in your prayers!!
PakPassion.net: What are your expectations of Pakistan cricket in 2018?
msb314: My expectations are certainly pretty high going into 2018 – especially in the shorter formats. I think the tour of NZ will be our first major litmus test since the CT and given NZ’s own woes in the middle order of Latham, Neesham, Anderson, I think we can have a great chance at winning the series if we get Guptill and Williamson early on. As I have mentioned before – our best bet is to bowl the opposition out for less than 250 and back ourselves to chase their totals down.
For ODI’s – I think our team has become very settled. As of now – Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz, Hassan Ali, Shadab Khan, Amir and Junaid automatically pick themselves. Our trio of pacers have done a fantastic job IMO since the tour of Australia – Hassan has been amongst the wickets whilst Amir and Junaid are bowling very economically and give little away for the batsman barring a bad over or two. With Amir – I am fairly confident that he still has the capability to run through a lineup on his own when he in the zone! Shadab is still quite young and raw at the international level but he has definitely shown the capability to bowl accurately and take wickets at the highest level. His batting and excellent fielding is a huge BONUS as players have to be flexible to have the most impact in the shorter formats of the game. I hope he has learnt his lesson after being hit for multiple 6’s in the CT final off of Hartik Pandya as in more closely contested game – it could have been a game changing spell. Malik has been in fairly good form with the bat but cannot really question his batting although some eyebrows will be raised regarding his away form in foreign conditions. With Hafeez now being banned from bowling – this presents a fantastic opportunity for Haris whom I really hope he can cement his place in the ODI team like he did back in 2015, I hope the management sees this as well and hopefully we can go to see the bowling side of his game too. Special mention to Babar who is clearly in rich vein form and I hope that may continue! There are some question marks over our opening slots and to be honest I am a bit disappointed that Fakhar hasn’t scored a half century since the CT final but I agree with many posters that the NZ pitches will suit him. One positive is that there is a lot of competition for the opening slots so none of the openers can afford to take their place for granted.
Similar situation with the T20 side although there is some criticism for Babar’s less than ideal strike rate but I think he can really grow into that role and the more he plays T20’s and PSL – the better he will become at the no. 3 role. I will still maintain that to stay at the top in T20’s – we have to bat at a high RR during the initial PP overs and maintain a high RR throughout the innings on flat / batting friendly pitches.
PakPassion.net: How do you maintain an interest in cricket while living in USA?
msb314: I’ll be the first to admit that it is not easy! From the time zone differences to lack of TV coverage and cricketing culture – you have to put in some effort to stay up to date with the games. I think with smartphones and widespread data coverage – it is easy to check scores and read up on PP, Facebook etc. during lunch times at work and when I am back home and also chat about it with friends and family. I try to log into PP for a bit every day to check up on what’s going on and any cricket related news. Obviously – have a lot more free time on the weekends Time zone differences can prevent me from watching games during the weekdays but I do try keep up with the score on Cricinfo and watch highlights later on. On weekends – it is a different story! I will setup my alarm to wake up early in the morning to watch a game – even if it is a bilateral series! My dad has a keen interest in cricket too so we often chat about it on the phone as well. If you are interested and passionate about something – you will put the effort to stay in touch with the sport no matter the circumstances
PakPassion.net: How do you deal with stressful situations?
msb314: That’s an interesting question because it really is an art rather than a science. Everyone’s mind, thought process and feelings work differently. For me personally – I think taking some time away from a stressful situation really helps. Whether it is just doing some exercise for an hour or doing some other activity that I enjoy such as reading, watching a movie or TV show or just talking with a friend or relative. I would definitely say that walking to my family about a stressful situation and the circumstances that I am going through really helps! I get words of encouragement and advice which can be very relieving. All of this can help approach the situation with a fresh frame of mind and a positive perspective which can then help me better deal and manage the situation.
Using a personal example – a few years back, I had been laid off from an internship that I was doing for a few months. To most, it may not seem like a big deal but completing my internship was tied to getting an offer at a graduate school program that I was pursuing and they required the work experience to be admitted. Safe to say, my future plans went down the drain very quickly and my career was over before it even began… At least it felt that way at the time. However, talking to family and spending time with them back home for a few months really helped me gain some perspective and refocus myself. With some advice from my parents – I was able to collect myself and began applying for jobs and also to other graduate programs. On a memorable October night in 2013 – I was accepted into another graduate program for my Master’s to begin in January and never looked back since One thing I would definitely advise if to always have a backup plan that is almost as good as your first choice and something you would be willing to accept if need be. Whether it is academic stuff, career stuff or even trips / events / vacation etc. if something goes wrong – then you won’t be stranded and will have the luxury to call upon your backup plan in such circumstances and happily move on.
PakPassion.net: How would you best describe yourself, a guy who will only cross the road when the traffic light is red even when the coast is clear or the type of guy who is looking to cross the road the moment an opportunity presents itself regardless of whether the light is red or green?
msb314: Ultimately – this boils down to whether I am risk neutral or risk loving. During the last few years - I would have described myself as someone who would look to cross the road the moment an opportunity presents itself regardless of a green or red light. I took risks that my family often advised against such as declining job offers and internship offers without any other offers in hand but being hopeful that I am capable of finding something better!
I also bought a car without having been approved for a loan but was confident that I could finance it for a low rate given my credit score and a good offer with the dealership. Even my current job in a Leadership Development Program at a Fortune 50 company as a bit of a gamble as I have to do 3 1-year rotations and have to relocate every year so getting acquainted in a new role and work environment as well as a new location every year for the last 3 years involves some risk as well but I certainly learnt a lot from a career point of view.
Perhaps the biggest gamble of all was leaving my friends and family in the Middle East when I was only 18 to go the United States for college and pursue a better opportunity their and investing in my future. Alhumdullilah – all of these gambles paid off for me but I would not advise anyone in taking excessive gambles haha!
Ultimately – as I am settling down now and will be getting married in a few days, I think I will become someone who will only cross the road when the traffic light is red as I will have additional responsibilities for my wife, parents, in-laws etc. as they will become dependent on me and count on me to do the right thing to ensure comfort and peace of mind. Look forward to the transition haha!
PakPassion.net: What would be your top 3 questions if you found life beyond earth?
msb314:
1) How do you sustain your planet and ecosystem? Given the environmental impact and pollution that has become a major problem for our planet during the last 50 years or so – I would be interested in how an extraterrestrial species manages their planet and whether they encounter or ever encountered the same issues that humans did
2) How do you communicate? Our language and syntax have developed a lot over thousands of years and electronic communication like email, instant messaging, social media have refined that even further during the last few years but I would if there exists any higher forms of communication like telekinesis using transmitters or something like that.
3) What is your purpose? I think it’s safe to say the purpose of PP’ers is to post on PP or lurk around! Jokes aside – I would be interested in knowing whether aliens are interested in self-sustaining themselves, colonizing new areas, advancing technology or just living their normal lives like most humans.
PakPassion.net: What are your earliest memories of cricket?
msb314: My earliest memories of cricket go back to right before the 1999 WC. Our family had just relocated to Saudi Arabia from the US and so one day me and my dad were looking around in a shopping center and my dad bought me a PS1 game called “Brian Lara Cricket ‘99” ! At the time – I had no idea what cricket was so asked my dad “what is this game?” He explained to me how cricket is a bat and ball game that is played in many countries around the world! By the time the 1999 WC had started – I quickly became hooked and never looked back!
My first international game that I watched was the group stage game between Pakistan vs WI. I believe Pakistan had made around 223 during our innings and dismissed WI for around 202 I had cried immensely when we lost to Bangladesh during that WC and also to Australia in the final but my parents explained to me how we still had a great tournament and did really well to reach the final! Needless to say I was hooked by that point! There was a time period around 2003 when I stopped following cricket for a while – just got busy with school and other stuff that was going on but when India toured Pakistan during March 2004 – I got hooked again and boy did I love that series! Still recall every game so fondly despite us losing the ODI series 2-3 and the Test series 1-2. It felt like two great teams going at each other with all they had. Cricket felt like a different game back then without the political agendas and and enormous money that is generated nowadays. It was just a game of pure passion. Sometimes I feel that some of that has gotten lost along the way… Still – I try to watch every series that Pakistan plays in including PSL and even other tours that are going on. Just love the game!
PakPassion.net: Who is your favorite player that doesn’t play for Pakistan?
msb314: I hate to sound clichéd but right now it has to be Virat Kohli – simply a phenomenal player and I love the way how he paces his innings in ODI’s whilst still maintaining a SR of 85+ throughout his innings. Remarkably consistent and has balanced record in home and foreign conditions. He is beginning to find his grove in Test cricket now as well so good for him! I hope a lot of our own upcoming batsman look up to Kohli as a role model and learn a lot from his batting and approach to ODI’s.
From the new and upcoming players – I also really like Quinton De Kock. He is very consistent and has shown to make the big scores in ODI cricket as well. Plays at a fast SR too and has a lot of shots in his repertoire and packs a punch too despite having a small frame. Expect him to have a long and successful career ahead.
I also really admire the opening pair of Jason Roy and Alex Hales. I love their aggressive approach ODI batting and how they are able to bat at a RR of 6-7 so effortlessly. Rather than slogging – they are able to play conventional shots in the V and through the line. Flat pitches do help their cause but their arsenal of strokes definitely helps them play their natural game in ODI’s and take the attack to the opposition. I believe I made a thread about how our young batsman should learn from Roy and Hales in the PSL how to approach LOI batting. Super excited to see them playing in the PSL this year!
PakPassion.net: Is PCB being run by megalomaniacs or people with the best interests of Pakistan cricket?
msb314: Unfortunately – like most organizations and institutions – PCB’s also had its fair share of megalomaniacs and corruption. Case in point includes the well-known example of Arsal Shaikh’s inclusion in the PSL and Shan Masood’s inclusion in Tests despite less than stellar stats. Given the reports we hear about PCB officials and journalists travelling on business class flights and staying in expensive hotels whilst doing absolutely nothing – I am sure that a lot of PCB’s funds are probably still being mismanaged and costs are not being carefully scrutinized so that definitely presents an opportunity for PCB so straighten its books.
However, I do believe most PCB officials are trying to improve our cricketing setup and have our cricketing development as their main strategic goal. Although it has been mentioned before – a lot of credit has to be given to Najam Sethi for the launch of the PSL. Its importance cannot be understated. Even if there are still some less than stellar players playing for some of the franchises and retired has-beens playing on Platinum and Diamond contracts – the opportunity to learn under top foreign coaches like Tom Moody, Mickey Arthur, Dean Jones is extremely vital for young players as well as the constant guiding and shadowing of established players like Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Darren Sammy, KP etc. This will go a long way to developing our players for the future. Credit has to be given for the prioritization of returning international cricket back to Pakistan.
UAE has been a nice stepping stone but the value of playing cricket in Pakistan from a logistics and costs perspective, potential sponsors and the entertainment value to the common Pakistani and the youth who are being deprived of watching their heroes play in front of them is priceless to state. However, it has be to be done in a step by step approach as any further incidents may cause long term setbacks. Moving the PSL back to Pakistan is a great idea and hopefully in a decade or so – I hope to see the likes of India, England and even Australia tour Pakistan without any discomfort.
One of the main issues that I would like to see tackled more aggressively is the state of our domestic cricket. We MUST start producing better pitches that are true to their nature and allow the ball to come nicely onto the bat. It is a batsman’s game after all so hope to see good pitches in the near future that will help our upcoming batsman. The curators and management have to put emphasis on this. Need to also reduce the number of domestic teams so that the talent pool is not stretched too thin and only the best of the upcoming players are playing in domestic cricket. It should always be viewed as a stepping stone to international cricket and not a black hole where players should find themselves stuck in forever. Related to that – hope see improved player salaries and allowances at the domestic level that will coerce young, upcoming talent to take up and pursue cricket as an ideal career choice.
PakPassion.net: Who would you rate as the best all-rounder in the world at the moment?
msb314: Personally – I enjoy watching seam bowling all-rounders more than spin bowling allrounders! Probably because the dearth of fast bowling all-rounders in Pakistan! From the current lot – Ben Stokes clearly stands out as he is a great bowling and powerful hitter for England in their lower middle order. Also like Jason Holder (more so than Andre Russell tbh) as he had to marshal a young WI team at an early age in all formats in addition to his batting and bowling skills. Same situation for Angelo Matthews albeit he is more experienced than Holder and having gained valuable experience playing with Mahela and Sanga. Also like Mitch Marsh but I feel that he is a tad bit underrated due to play second fiddle to Warner, Smith and Maxwell. For spin bowling all-rounders – my favorite has to be Moeen Ali. He is a useful bowler and a fantastic batsman as shown by his 53 ball century against WI recently. His batting also goes under the radar sometimes as he plays in the lower middle order after Roy, Hales, Root, Bairstow etc. Heard a lot about Shakib and although I do not watch Bangladesh play that much but his rankings is a testament to his skill as an all-rounder.
PakPassion.net: What are your thoughts on the Pakistan Test team?
msb314: I feel like our Test team has some young and exciting players coming through and will be a force to reckon with in a few years. However, before that, we will go through some growing pains which will result in several series losses – both home and away. For a start – our batting is clearly dependent on Azhar Ali. If he clicks – we will make a reasonably score but if not – we will crumble. Asad Shafiq is a very good technical batsman but as most PP’ers are aware – he clearly lacks the consistency and drive to become a top batsman in the world. However, his contributions have been useful in the past and if he could become a bit more consistent – he will be an indispensable part of our team. I personally think Sami Aslam is a decent player but needs to come out of his shell more and look to play his strokes whenever the opportunity arises. Unfortunately – cannot say the same for Shan Masood and I think he needs to be discarded asap!
Now onto Haris, Babar and Usman – out of the 3 Haris is the best equipped to succeed in Test cricket as of now but that can quickly change in the near future. He has a very solid temperament and has the right game plan to become a top Test batsman. His bowling is also an added bonus now that Hafeez has been banned. Babar is very talented as shown by his prowess in the shorter formats. However, to become a top test batsman, he needs to learn where his off stump is and adapt to leaving the ball more often early in his innings until he can understand the conditions and movement of the ball perfectly. Too often I see him edging the ball to the WK / slips playing a shot that he could have left early on in his innings. It is a consequence of playing a lot of the shorter formats but something that can be easily rectified. Have not seen much of Usman but hope he can achieve his best too.
Now to the bowlers – it is still early days for Shadab and Hassan but I hope they are able to replicate their form from the shorter formats into Test cricket. I would also advocate playing Wahab in Tests as I think that is the only format where he can excel. Also hope that Junaid and Amir can find their feet in Test cricket as they have done in ODI’s recently. Sarfraz’s batting is great in Asian conditions but I hope that he can replicate his purple patch from 2014/15 soon. He clearly has it in him but just needs to be more consistent as a batsman.
Overall – our Test form will decline in the short term. Back in the early 2000’s (2000-2004) our Test team was quite mediocre then too. However, we became a formidable Test team during Inzy’s reign from 2005-2007. Maybe we should expect a similar outcome too right now as well as it might take a few years for our Test team to become very good. Definitely a lot to look forward too!
PakPassion.net: Why do you still back Ahmed Shehzad despite his consistent failures at the top level?
msb314: Haha I expect quite a few posters will be curious to know my answer to this Overall – I think it’s fair to say that Ahmed hasn’t quite hit the heights that many expected him to back in 2014/15. At one point – he was primed to take over T20 captaincy at one point but those plans fell through by 2015. He has become plagued with inconsistency and struggles to get going at the start of his innings. However, I do think that some criticism directed towards him is a bit harsh and him being dropped from the Test team (despite good stats) was uncalled for… The good thing going for him is that he is still relatively young in cricketing age despite having made his debut back in 2009. At the age of 25 – he still has plenty of time to sort his mental game and take a more organized approach to his batting and pacing his innings.
I recently saw a thread where Ahmed was consulting a psychologist so I hope that works out for him. Maybe he just needs to spend more time with Grant Flower on how to approach the first few overs with the new ball until he gets set. Maybe look to hit a boundary every over during the PP overs… Not sure exactly what but hope him and the management spend some time on it. Also needs to ensure his feet move quicker and to the pitch of the ball which will better equip him to handle lateral movement. He definitely has the shots in the book as he regularly plays the lap sweep, hook, pull, straight drive, cover drive and square cut off fast bowlers and is not afraid to go down the track to the spin bowlers. He has already scored 6 international ODI centuries at the age of 25 which is no easy feat – our very own YK, Malik and even Inzy took a while to get to that landmark so credit to Ahmed for having gotten this far at the age of 25.
However, the most important part is that he must realize that he is capable of doing MUCH more and not let his career drift away like many talented players have done so in the past. A great source of inspiration for him should be his own teammate Babar Azam who has had a stellar start to his ODI career! Loved watching them bat and pace their innings together during the recent World XI tour. With the opening spot up for grabs in the T20, ODI and Test teams – it is up to him to focus on his weaknesses and make a strong comeback to progress along his career.
PakPassion.net: Apart from Person of Interest, what are some similar TV shows that you have enjoyed?
msb314: I really do enjoy watching The Blacklist – which is a show about how a former criminal turned FBI informant helps the FBI catch criminals that they were unaware of or thought had been dead whilst pursing an ulterior motive of his own. Definitely a fantastic show and James Spader does a great job of acting in his role! Also greatly enjoyed Sherlock! Extremely well directed and the plot, storylines and acting were just amazing! Although each season is only 3 episodes long but each episode is worth its weight in gold. It is probably the best modern day portrayal of Sherlock Holmes that I have been. Only downside is that the Season 4 finale was a bit of a letdown by my expectations but I would highly recommend it to anyone. I also regularly watch Gotham and I think it does a fantastic portrayal of Jim Gordon and the villains in the DC universe. The story is very good and a lot of subplots make for a great show! The only downside I would say is that of villians dying but magically returning back to life – like Indian dramas haha! I am also now watching Stranger Things and it has been very good too! Still need to catch up on Season 2 but enjoyed the Sci-Fi plot so far! Heard season 2 is even better than season 1 so look forward to that!
PakPassion.net: What do you like about PakPassion?
msb314: I would say that the opportunity to interact with like-minded people who are equally passionate – if not more – than I am about cricket! Everyone has diverse backgrounds and a lot of knowledge as well as a bit of their own bias about cricket which makes for interesting discussions and some great threads and posts. Some folks are about fact and stats based whilst others discuss historical knowledge whilst others like to give their opinion on matters so there is a good mix of everything. I also really like the fact the PP is very active and there is constant activity going on every day so nothing gets outdated or result in stale discussions. The entire PP community is definitely what makes PP so great! A special mention to the mods whom I think do a fantastic job of moderating and monitoring the discussions to ensure everyone’s opinion is respected and posting is done in a civilized and respectful manner.
PakPassion.net: What is your favorite sauce?
msb314: If I am eating French fries, onion rings or mozzarella sticks – I love BBQ sauce to dip those in! The rest of my family however hates it so I don’t get a lot of opportunity to taste it however. For pasta – I absolutely crave Alfredo sauce as it makes a pasta complete IMO. Unfortunately – it is not great for my waistline or calorie intake haha! For seafood – like to enjoy tartar sauce with fish, shrimp, calamari etc.
PakPassion.net: Give me 10 reasons why Roman Reigns deserves to be in the top 5 in the world today?
msb314:
- He can function as a great heel due to public disapproval of him and his lack of charisma. This can work in his favor if he is paired with a strong face like Daniel Bryan or John Cena
- He has a lot of power and athleticism – this can often be understated but his Spear and Superman punch is a very convincing finishing move and his physical build would definitely help legitimize his reputation as a top wrestler and fighter.
- Previous experience with the Shield – during his promos he can recall his past matches and experience as a member of the Shield which can make for some interesting promos or even storylines if he is paired with Dean Ambrose or Seth Rollins
- Experience with a lot of top wrestlers – this goes in his favor too as he has had a lot of experience working with main event wrestlers like Randy Orton, John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Triple H, Braun Strauman, Lesnar etc. so he can understand their style and psyche. This will help make for great matches IMO.
- Experience being a previous champion and hence understands how to wrestle and work in the main event.
- Royal Rumble success – reached the final 2 of the 2014 and 2016 Royal Rumble and won the 2015 Royal Rumble so had tasted main event success.
- Physical match with Brock Lesnar – he has previously fought with Brock Lesnar and due to his size and strength, he was more than a good match with him and is one of the few wrestlers who can compete with him on a physical level along with Braun Strauman.
- Can work as a singles competitor or in tag team – perhaps not as important but with the Shield reunited Roman can become a strong tag team wrestler as well if he wants. Has the option of branching out
- Relatively large move set – in addition to the Spear and the Superman punch, Roman can also do the powerbomb, suplex, running clothesline and various moves and so is not limited like John Cena haha!
- Experience with the Authority and Paul Heyman – has worked against them and with them and so can be inserted into various storylines as a main eventer or an enforcer without too much hassle.
he's very underrated, hardly see him in a bad match anymore works well with everyone and is among the best P4P in ring performers. I don't think you quiet answered the main reason for supporting Ahmed Shehzad though 
Like your questions to life beyond earth, especially the one with regards to what their ecosystem is like because that's the biggest challenge for sustained life on Mars. And congrats on the wedding mate, wish you the best in the future hopefully it all works out god willing!
