Cover Drive
Senior ODI Player
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2009
- Runs
- 23,230
Paradox has been on PakPassion since October 2009 and has certainly made an impression with his outstanding posts, his humour and wit, and his calm attitude.
Here Paradox speaks to PakPassion and its members regarding his life, his views on Pakistan cricket and much more.
PakPassion.Net: What’s the logic behind the username Paradox?
Paradox: Good question. To be honest, there was no logic involved, really. I spent quite a few minutes there on the registration page thinking of a good one-worded username, something nice like Whippy or Poison, and thought of Paradox. I don't really know how "Paradox" is really related to Pakistan Cricket, but maybe one of you can enlighten me.
PakPassion.Net: How did you come across PakPassion? Also what makes you come on PakPassion every day and how much time do you spend?
Paradox: Google. I wasn't searching for a "Pakistan Cricket forum" but it was something related to Mohammad Aamer, and it linked to a certain link on PakPassion. I found out they had discussion forums too, and me, being the huge fan of discussion forums, decided to register then.
What makes me come on to PakPassion every day is just the fact that something new is going to be posted in the forums almost every couple of hours. I just love reading other people's views (they do have to be sensical, though) and opinions. You also get the latest news from pretty much all around the world of cricket. So what the PakPassion forums do are act as a CricInfo (with latest news and match commentary) and a mode of discussion with thousands of people around the world too. There's no other site as good as this. I love the fact that you can get the latest news from the world of cricket at the blink of an eye after it happens and discuss them at the same time.
As for time spent on PakPassion everyday - a few of you might notice that a couple of months ago, my average number of posts every day on PP would be around 50 or 60, and I'd even go on to post around a 100+ posts occasionally. I do read PP each and every day now though and thoroughly browse the forums, but I don't post as much.
PakPassion.Net: Which poster have you learned the most from? How?
Paradox: Hard question to answer. Each and every poster has something new or interesting to tell, everybody has their own opinion/view and it's nice to listen to them and discuss with them. I can't pick one specific poster from who I've 'learned' the most, personality-wise or cricket-wise.
PakPassion.Net: Do you have any favourite mod and posters? If so then who are they?
Paradox: My favorite mod would be Momo, solely for the fact that his posts are of the a very high quality and he has an outstanding sense of humor. I have quite a few favorite posters though - the cream of the crop however would be Kingusama92, Cpt. Rishwat, Sledger, Poison, Easa, and Saqib Salman. I also am a huge fan of a few of the non-Pakistani posters on PakPassion, such as Random Aussie, OZGOD, Whippy - they're just top quality posters.
PakPassion.Net: What is the meaning of life?
Paradox: I haven't figured this out myself yet. I'm learning something new every day, and my own personal 'meaning of life' is changing quite often. I'll probably only be able to give a proper answer to this just before I'm about to die and have seen the world.
PakPassion.Net: How religious are you? Also how much importance do you give to Islam?
Paradox: I'm not religious as a few of you would have seen from my posts, particularly in religious debates previously in the Time Pass section.
PakPassion.Net: What's it like shuttling between Singapore and Bangkok?
Paradox: It's not bad, I don't mind it. I quite dislike living in Singapore for various reasons but Bangkok is the best place to live in in the world.
PakPassion.Net: What is your education currently? What do you plan to achieve as a career?
Paradox: I won't tell you my exact age ( ) but I'm extremely close to finishing high school and graduating. I'm going in my father's footsteps and taking over his company after he retires and I get my degree, but I've always planned to play professional league cricket in Australia or in the UK and perhaps make it big. Maybe after I'm settled with the company. It's a pesonal goal I've always wanted to achieve. But for now, cricket isn't on my mind.
PakPassion.Net: How long has it been since you went to Pakistan?
Paradox: I went to Pakistan late last year in 2009.
PakPassion.Net: Were you born in Bangkok, or did you move there? If so how old were you and how old are you right now?
Paradox: No, I was not born in Bangkok. I was born in Karachi (Defence) and lived there, then moved to South Korea, then moved to Bangkok, and am now in Singapore (but go to Bangkok extremely often and practically live there almost).
PakPassion.Net: What other countries have you travelled too?
Paradox: Quite a lot – Pakistan, Thailand, Singapore, and South Korea for starters (as I've lived there), but I've also been to Japan (my dad lived there for twenty-two years and is a fluent speaker of the language), Canada, Myanmar, Australia, Hong Kong, and a few other countries.
PakPassion.Net: Why do you shuttle around Singapore and Bangkok? Don’t you have work/study commitments? If so, how do you handle that?
Paradox: Well, it's not exactly LIVING in both Singapore and Bangkok. I live in Singapore, but I visit Bangkok extremely, extremely often as my father still lives there and I have a house and friends there to meet. I visit Bangkok at the slightest opportunity, I hop onto a plane and get there even if I have a break off school for a few days. And by the end of the year – I realize I've spent around 4-5 months of the year itself there in Bangkok, so it's pretty much like having two homes.
PakPassion.Net: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Paradox: Just for fun.
PakPassion.Net: What would happen if you mixed together Skittles, Starburst and Diet Coke or Pepsi?
Paradox: I don't know, a really horrible tasting sweet?
PakPassion.Net: Why a person who handles money is called a broker?
Paradox: Because he's someone who gets you broke.
PakPassion.Net: Why do you drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?
Paradox: Because it's made to be like that, stop questioning life.
PakPassion.Net: If a dog is barking in the forest and no one can hear him, is he still a bad dog?
Paradox: Not really, no.
PakPassion.Net: Why is a package in a truck called a SHIPment, but if it's on a ship it's CARgo?
Paradox: I don't know. Food for thought..
PakPassion.Net: How do you deal with general problems in everyday life?
Paradox: Well, to be honest, life was going pretty badly at the beginning of this year and I was involved in a lot of problems. Before, when I had problems in life, I would usually panic and go to various extremes in order to solve them. Sometimes they would go away, but usually they wouldn't. Later, I decided to let life just go along and let it do it's own thing, and whenever I was faced with a problem I would just tell myself to relax and do everything calmly. It really helped, and to be honest, life is better now.
PakPassion.Net: What are your favourite food dishes?
Paradox: I like (almost) each and every Pakistani dish. Other than Pakistani food, I love Italian food – especially GOOD pizza from a nice restaurant (pizzas from chains like Pizza Hut etc. are just an insult to.. pizza.). I love Japanese food too.
PakPassion.Net: Do you have family back in Pakistan, and if you have, then how is the status in Pakistan, and living condition?
Paradox: I do have family back in Pakistan, living in Karachi. They're only from my mother's side, though. They're doing alright.
PakPassion.Net: What is your opinion about Imran Khan, as should he continue to fight for election and the nation, or should quit the party and focus on Pakistan cricket?
Paradox: I don't know much about Imran Khan the politician, so I can't comment on that. However, recent rumors are going around that Ijaz Butt is to be fired and Ehsan Mani is to replace him, and Mani has generally gotten good reviews. Maybe he can fix our cricket.. if he does, then Imran Khan can stay in politics. I would like to see Imran Khan win the elections one day though, it would be interesting.
PakPassion.Net: What is your solution for the problems encompassing Pakistan [the nation] at the moment?
Paradox: I'll admit something to you (a few of you might be disappointed) – I'm not very interested in the problems that face Pakistan the country itself. A lot of the problems start from the politics within, which I'm not at all interested in. One huge step in solving a lot of the problems encompassing Pakistan would be a change in government, and even a half-decent government this time would go and help the country in some way.
PakPassion.Net: How would you like to see Pakistan (the nation) in the next 10 years?
Paradox: One simple answer – I would like to see Pakistan the nation with a higher reputation and respected much more worldwide. That will take quite a long time though, I'm sure.
PakPassion.Net: Do you like Pakistan as a country? Would you go back and live there if you have an option?
Paradox: I like Pakistan as a country. I like it and feel like staying for longer whenever I visit there for holidays. However, no – I would not go back and live there even if I had the option. A lot of the reason why we moved out of Pakistan was that we did not find it safe at all anymore. During our last six months in Pakistan, I'm pretty sure our house (Defence Phase IV, you don't expect too much robberies/burglaries there do you?) had been robbed around 2-3 times. I can also clearly remember when burglars entered our house (we had two guards outside, and they went through both of them) and took me (I was quite young at that time), holding a knife across my throat and telling my parents to give whatever they had. I could have easily died that day. And that was the boiling point really – that was the incident that provoked my parents to get the hell out of that place. We got our visas, got our passports, sold our house in Defence, and moved out of the country in a few weeks. So that's one reason – it's not safe at all, or atleast that's what my family and I think after that incident.
After that though, I've been living in countries like South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore where the standard of living is much higher compared to Karachi. That's another reason why I would not move back to Karachi even if I had the choice. I guess I'm just too used to it – it would be a 'downgrade' in a way if I moved back to Karachi. Again, a few of you might be disappointed with my criticism, but that's what I think.
PakPassion.Net: What would you do/what change would you make if you were made the president of Pakistan?
Paradox: After quite a few minutes of thinking, I've decided to skip this question. Again, I'm not interested in the problems of Pakistan the country or politics
in general at all, so I don't think I should go on and answer this question.
PakPassion.Net: What are your thoughts on our lovely president - Asif Ali Zardari? Is he really that incompetent?
Paradox: Yes, he is.
PakPassion.Net: Do you play cricket? If so then what’s the highest level of cricket you have played? Also how good cricketer do you rate yourself?
Paradox: Yes, I do play cricket. I'm a batting all-rounder, a very aggressive batsman who floats in the middle order according to the situation, and a pace bowler if I'm opening the bowling with the new ball or a military-medium bowler if I'm bowling with an old ball.
I strongly believe in what Shahid Afridi says – you're only good at fielding if you enjoy it. I quite enjoy fielding and love throwing my body around, jumping and diving. It motivates me to field even better.
The highest level of cricket I have played here is Division 2 cricket, which is the Division below Devision 1 cricket then the national league. I think it isn't too bad for a student who has to go to school 5 days a week as well.
I like to think of myself as a good cricketer, and I'm always practicing to be even better, but no practice is ever enough. I do sometimes have temperament issues though (
) and am sometimes troubled by the quick short ball (insert emoticon of any Indian batsman here).
PakPassion.Net: What do you look for in a bat? What weight, shape, profile, grains etc do you prefer?
Paradox: I'm an aggressive batsman and look for a bat which cater to my needs. The bat I have right now, the MB Malik Bubber Sher, is the perfect example – over 10 grains, absolutely massive edges, not too heavy, and a good balanced pickup. A huge sweet spot is ideal too.
PakPassion.Net: What was the reason you became interested in cricket and the obsession with Shahid Khan Afridi? What do you like about both?
Paradox: I don't think there's really a reason for why I become interested in cricket. We're Pakistani, it's pretty much there in our blood. I don't know what exactly the first match I watched was, but I remember myself watching Double Wicket Cricket live on TV back in 1999 or 2000.
And as for what I like about Shahid Afridi – the question should rather be rephrased to what I don't like about Shahid Afridi, cause the answer is nothing! I love each and every single thing about the man – his personality, his charisma, his attitude, the way he plays his cricket, pretty much everything.
PakPassion.Net: Apart from the Shahid Khan Afridi, who else you love to watch? Name at least three cricketers.
Paradox: I'll name three Pakistani cricketers I love to watch and three other international cricketers that I love to watch. Three Pakistani cricketers I love watching (when they're in full flow) are Shoaib Akhtar – I don't think I need to explain why, Mohammad Asif – he's just a gem to watch when he's in the zone and playing in ideal conditions, poetry in motion really – and any one of the Akmal brothers, their batting is just extremely, extremely pleasing to the eye when they're in full flow.
Three non-Pakistani cricketers that I love to watch when they're in full flow are Shaun Tait – only when he's fully fit and firing. I'll never forget how he destroyed us in the Twenty20 match we played against them in Australia earlier this year. Kevin Pietersen too – I've been a fan of his batting ever since that outstanding 158 he scored in the 2005 Ashes series, and Eoin Morgan – some of the shots this guy plays and the calmness he has for just a young player is unbelievable to say the least.
PakPassion.Net: When did you watch your first Pakistan match?
Paradox: Like I wrote before – I don't exactly know when exactly I watched my first Pakistan match but my oldest memory is watching Double Wicket Cricket live on TV, which should have been around 1999 or 2000.
PakPassion.Net: Have you ever been to any cricket match? If so, which one?
Paradox: I've only been to cricket matches that I've played in myself. ( ) Otherwise, no, sadly.
PakPassion.Net: Who would you nominate for PCB chairman?
Paradox: Ehsan Mani, or Imran Khan.
PakPassion.Net: What are your thoughts on the recent spot-fixing controversy that has embroiled our team/nation?
Paradox: Wow – I could write for ages and ages on this.
All I want to say about this is that, what's happened has happened. We can't help it anymore. No tour of England can ever go spotless (get the pun).
Whoever is found guilty needs to be punished according to how severe their role was in this whole mess, and whoever is found innocent in any way still needs to be given a slap on the wrist for being careless ('careless' is quite an understatement, to be honest) and need to be put back into the national team. Like it or not, we'll miss all three of these players – Salman Butt not as much as Asif and Aamer, but Salman was still our best opener (says a lot about opening batsmen in our country).
PakPassion.Net: I see your passion for the ODI and T20, and however, how do you like Test format? And also after the spot fixing in the last test of England, and did that really killed your interest of watching Test format at all? It sure did mine.
Paradox: I find it weird how you find my passion for the ODI and Twenty20 formats but not too much for the Test format (is that what you were trying to imply in your question?), because Test cricket is my favorite format of cricket to watch. I would much rather watch a Test match between Australia and England or India and Pakistan, than say an ODI or a Twenty20 between Australia and England or India and Pakistan. The excitement that one single SESSION in Test match cricket can give you is much, much more than the excitement a whole ODI or Twenty20 match can give you. Test cricket is also the prime format of the game solely because it's the toughest for a player, physically and mentally. It shows you who belongs out there on the pitch representing their country and who does not. Personally, being a fan of Test cricket, I'm sad that it's on the decline and a format like Twenty20 (which is 'fun' and entertaining, yes, but still) is taking over cricket.
And, the spot fixing case hasn't changed my opinions or killed my interest in Test cricket at all. Why would it? It's three players who've been accused of spot fixing. That's nothing really related to Test cricket or hasn't changed my view on it at all.
PakPassion.Net: Do you want Amir, Asif and Butt to be punished, if they are four guilty? If they are non-guilty would you still have same respect as you had before?
Paradox: Yes - like I said, they should be punished according to how much exactly each of them were 'involved' in the case itself. If they are found to be innocent, I would still have the same 'respect' I had for them before but would just be a little more doubtful and suspicious over them. This case would always be on the back of my mind.
PakPassion.Net: If you could bring back one cricketer from the past into our present team - who would it be?
Paradox: A very, very tough one. Would have to be one of Saeed Anwar, Inzamam, or Wasim Akram. Saeed Anwar because we've been in a huge opening crisis ever since he retired around 7 years ago, Inzamam because our batting is very fragile and we're really missing out on a calm batsman/and an outstanding finisher and slip fielder like him, and Wasim Akram because we've lost (atleast temporarily, for now) the only thing we had going for us in world cricket – quality fast bowlers.
PakPassion.Net: What is your opinion on Younus Khan [the player/leader] and his current situation (and past)? It would be great if you also share the same about Mohammad Yousuf as well.
Paradox: Younus Khan the player: not cut out for the limited overs formats anymore, absolute quality player in Tests. We need him back in the Test side.
Younus Khan the leader/captain: did pretty well while he lasted in terms of on-field captaincy, off-field captaincy is a completely different story.
Younus Khan the person/personality: now, I might receive criticism from a lot of you for saying this, but he isn't an absolute saint himself like a lot of
Younus' fans here on PakPassion make him out to be. If he was a saint who couldn't do anything wrong then he wouldn't have a lot of his own teammates going against him. Teammates won't go against other teammates for no reason – they need to have a reason to do so, and I'm sure they had a reason to go and revolt against Younus. YK must have done something wrong.
Mohammad Yousuf the player: my views on him are the same as I have for Younus. Not cut out for the limited overs formats anymore I reckon, but we really need him in the Test side (for now).
Mohammad Yousuf the leader/captain: On field, mediocre. His field placings on Day 4 of the Sydney Test just took stupidity to another level. Off field is, again, a totally different story.
PakPassion.Net: How would you resolve Pakistan cricket's ills?
Paradox: A good question to finish off the interview. The major problems that need solving are these:
Our batting lineup – our batting is too fragile and we really need to find good batsmen. We need to find our strongest team combination before the World Cup next year, and we need a solid, cemented lineup.
People in the team setup – head coach, batting coach, bowling coach, fielding coach, team manager, media manager, etc,. We need a proper, qualified person for all of these posts.
People in the PCB – our chairman is quite incompetent, but his term might be ending soon anyway so that's around half the job done. We need to get rid of all the corrupt people working in the PCB – which includes coaches, people influencial to the national team, etc. who're letting sifarishi players get into the side. Our national team needs to be picked on merit and domestic performances.
Once we get these problems solved, I'm sure we'll be alright.
Here Paradox speaks to PakPassion and its members regarding his life, his views on Pakistan cricket and much more.
PakPassion.Net: What’s the logic behind the username Paradox?
Paradox: Good question. To be honest, there was no logic involved, really. I spent quite a few minutes there on the registration page thinking of a good one-worded username, something nice like Whippy or Poison, and thought of Paradox. I don't really know how "Paradox" is really related to Pakistan Cricket, but maybe one of you can enlighten me.
PakPassion.Net: How did you come across PakPassion? Also what makes you come on PakPassion every day and how much time do you spend?
Paradox: Google. I wasn't searching for a "Pakistan Cricket forum" but it was something related to Mohammad Aamer, and it linked to a certain link on PakPassion. I found out they had discussion forums too, and me, being the huge fan of discussion forums, decided to register then.
What makes me come on to PakPassion every day is just the fact that something new is going to be posted in the forums almost every couple of hours. I just love reading other people's views (they do have to be sensical, though) and opinions. You also get the latest news from pretty much all around the world of cricket. So what the PakPassion forums do are act as a CricInfo (with latest news and match commentary) and a mode of discussion with thousands of people around the world too. There's no other site as good as this. I love the fact that you can get the latest news from the world of cricket at the blink of an eye after it happens and discuss them at the same time.
As for time spent on PakPassion everyday - a few of you might notice that a couple of months ago, my average number of posts every day on PP would be around 50 or 60, and I'd even go on to post around a 100+ posts occasionally. I do read PP each and every day now though and thoroughly browse the forums, but I don't post as much.
PakPassion.Net: Which poster have you learned the most from? How?
Paradox: Hard question to answer. Each and every poster has something new or interesting to tell, everybody has their own opinion/view and it's nice to listen to them and discuss with them. I can't pick one specific poster from who I've 'learned' the most, personality-wise or cricket-wise.
PakPassion.Net: Do you have any favourite mod and posters? If so then who are they?
Paradox: My favorite mod would be Momo, solely for the fact that his posts are of the a very high quality and he has an outstanding sense of humor. I have quite a few favorite posters though - the cream of the crop however would be Kingusama92, Cpt. Rishwat, Sledger, Poison, Easa, and Saqib Salman. I also am a huge fan of a few of the non-Pakistani posters on PakPassion, such as Random Aussie, OZGOD, Whippy - they're just top quality posters.
PakPassion.Net: What is the meaning of life?
Paradox: I haven't figured this out myself yet. I'm learning something new every day, and my own personal 'meaning of life' is changing quite often. I'll probably only be able to give a proper answer to this just before I'm about to die and have seen the world.
PakPassion.Net: How religious are you? Also how much importance do you give to Islam?
Paradox: I'm not religious as a few of you would have seen from my posts, particularly in religious debates previously in the Time Pass section.
PakPassion.Net: What's it like shuttling between Singapore and Bangkok?
Paradox: It's not bad, I don't mind it. I quite dislike living in Singapore for various reasons but Bangkok is the best place to live in in the world.
PakPassion.Net: What is your education currently? What do you plan to achieve as a career?
Paradox: I won't tell you my exact age (
) but I'm extremely close to finishing high school and graduating. I'm going in my father's footsteps and taking over his company after he retires and I get my degree, but I've always planned to play professional league cricket in Australia or in the UK and perhaps make it big. Maybe after I'm settled with the company. It's a pesonal goal I've always wanted to achieve. But for now, cricket isn't on my mind.PakPassion.Net: How long has it been since you went to Pakistan?
Paradox: I went to Pakistan late last year in 2009.
PakPassion.Net: Were you born in Bangkok, or did you move there? If so how old were you and how old are you right now?
Paradox: No, I was not born in Bangkok. I was born in Karachi (Defence) and lived there, then moved to South Korea, then moved to Bangkok, and am now in Singapore (but go to Bangkok extremely often and practically live there almost).
PakPassion.Net: What other countries have you travelled too?
Paradox: Quite a lot – Pakistan, Thailand, Singapore, and South Korea for starters (as I've lived there), but I've also been to Japan (my dad lived there for twenty-two years and is a fluent speaker of the language), Canada, Myanmar, Australia, Hong Kong, and a few other countries.
PakPassion.Net: Why do you shuttle around Singapore and Bangkok? Don’t you have work/study commitments? If so, how do you handle that?
Paradox: Well, it's not exactly LIVING in both Singapore and Bangkok. I live in Singapore, but I visit Bangkok extremely, extremely often as my father still lives there and I have a house and friends there to meet. I visit Bangkok at the slightest opportunity, I hop onto a plane and get there even if I have a break off school for a few days. And by the end of the year – I realize I've spent around 4-5 months of the year itself there in Bangkok, so it's pretty much like having two homes.
PakPassion.Net: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Paradox: Just for fun.
PakPassion.Net: What would happen if you mixed together Skittles, Starburst and Diet Coke or Pepsi?
Paradox: I don't know, a really horrible tasting sweet?
PakPassion.Net: Why a person who handles money is called a broker?
Paradox: Because he's someone who gets you broke.
PakPassion.Net: Why do you drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?
Paradox: Because it's made to be like that, stop questioning life.
PakPassion.Net: If a dog is barking in the forest and no one can hear him, is he still a bad dog?
Paradox: Not really, no.
PakPassion.Net: Why is a package in a truck called a SHIPment, but if it's on a ship it's CARgo?
Paradox: I don't know. Food for thought..
PakPassion.Net: How do you deal with general problems in everyday life?
Paradox: Well, to be honest, life was going pretty badly at the beginning of this year and I was involved in a lot of problems. Before, when I had problems in life, I would usually panic and go to various extremes in order to solve them. Sometimes they would go away, but usually they wouldn't. Later, I decided to let life just go along and let it do it's own thing, and whenever I was faced with a problem I would just tell myself to relax and do everything calmly. It really helped, and to be honest, life is better now.
PakPassion.Net: What are your favourite food dishes?
Paradox: I like (almost) each and every Pakistani dish. Other than Pakistani food, I love Italian food – especially GOOD pizza from a nice restaurant (pizzas from chains like Pizza Hut etc. are just an insult to.. pizza.). I love Japanese food too.
PakPassion.Net: Do you have family back in Pakistan, and if you have, then how is the status in Pakistan, and living condition?
Paradox: I do have family back in Pakistan, living in Karachi. They're only from my mother's side, though. They're doing alright.
PakPassion.Net: What is your opinion about Imran Khan, as should he continue to fight for election and the nation, or should quit the party and focus on Pakistan cricket?
Paradox: I don't know much about Imran Khan the politician, so I can't comment on that. However, recent rumors are going around that Ijaz Butt is to be fired and Ehsan Mani is to replace him, and Mani has generally gotten good reviews. Maybe he can fix our cricket.. if he does, then Imran Khan can stay in politics. I would like to see Imran Khan win the elections one day though, it would be interesting.
PakPassion.Net: What is your solution for the problems encompassing Pakistan [the nation] at the moment?
Paradox: I'll admit something to you (a few of you might be disappointed) – I'm not very interested in the problems that face Pakistan the country itself. A lot of the problems start from the politics within, which I'm not at all interested in. One huge step in solving a lot of the problems encompassing Pakistan would be a change in government, and even a half-decent government this time would go and help the country in some way.
PakPassion.Net: How would you like to see Pakistan (the nation) in the next 10 years?
Paradox: One simple answer – I would like to see Pakistan the nation with a higher reputation and respected much more worldwide. That will take quite a long time though, I'm sure.
PakPassion.Net: Do you like Pakistan as a country? Would you go back and live there if you have an option?
Paradox: I like Pakistan as a country. I like it and feel like staying for longer whenever I visit there for holidays. However, no – I would not go back and live there even if I had the option. A lot of the reason why we moved out of Pakistan was that we did not find it safe at all anymore. During our last six months in Pakistan, I'm pretty sure our house (Defence Phase IV, you don't expect too much robberies/burglaries there do you?) had been robbed around 2-3 times. I can also clearly remember when burglars entered our house (we had two guards outside, and they went through both of them) and took me (I was quite young at that time), holding a knife across my throat and telling my parents to give whatever they had. I could have easily died that day. And that was the boiling point really – that was the incident that provoked my parents to get the hell out of that place. We got our visas, got our passports, sold our house in Defence, and moved out of the country in a few weeks. So that's one reason – it's not safe at all, or atleast that's what my family and I think after that incident.
After that though, I've been living in countries like South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore where the standard of living is much higher compared to Karachi. That's another reason why I would not move back to Karachi even if I had the choice. I guess I'm just too used to it – it would be a 'downgrade' in a way if I moved back to Karachi. Again, a few of you might be disappointed with my criticism, but that's what I think.
PakPassion.Net: What would you do/what change would you make if you were made the president of Pakistan?
Paradox: After quite a few minutes of thinking, I've decided to skip this question. Again, I'm not interested in the problems of Pakistan the country or politics
in general at all, so I don't think I should go on and answer this question.
PakPassion.Net: What are your thoughts on our lovely president - Asif Ali Zardari? Is he really that incompetent?
Paradox: Yes, he is.
PakPassion.Net: Do you play cricket? If so then what’s the highest level of cricket you have played? Also how good cricketer do you rate yourself?
Paradox: Yes, I do play cricket. I'm a batting all-rounder, a very aggressive batsman who floats in the middle order according to the situation, and a pace bowler if I'm opening the bowling with the new ball or a military-medium bowler if I'm bowling with an old ball.
I strongly believe in what Shahid Afridi says – you're only good at fielding if you enjoy it. I quite enjoy fielding and love throwing my body around, jumping and diving. It motivates me to field even better.
The highest level of cricket I have played here is Division 2 cricket, which is the Division below Devision 1 cricket then the national league. I think it isn't too bad for a student who has to go to school 5 days a week as well.
I like to think of myself as a good cricketer, and I'm always practicing to be even better, but no practice is ever enough. I do sometimes have temperament issues though (
) and am sometimes troubled by the quick short ball (insert emoticon of any Indian batsman here).PakPassion.Net: What do you look for in a bat? What weight, shape, profile, grains etc do you prefer?
Paradox: I'm an aggressive batsman and look for a bat which cater to my needs. The bat I have right now, the MB Malik Bubber Sher, is the perfect example – over 10 grains, absolutely massive edges, not too heavy, and a good balanced pickup. A huge sweet spot is ideal too.
PakPassion.Net: What was the reason you became interested in cricket and the obsession with Shahid Khan Afridi? What do you like about both?
Paradox: I don't think there's really a reason for why I become interested in cricket. We're Pakistani, it's pretty much there in our blood. I don't know what exactly the first match I watched was, but I remember myself watching Double Wicket Cricket live on TV back in 1999 or 2000.
And as for what I like about Shahid Afridi – the question should rather be rephrased to what I don't like about Shahid Afridi, cause the answer is nothing! I love each and every single thing about the man – his personality, his charisma, his attitude, the way he plays his cricket, pretty much everything.
PakPassion.Net: Apart from the Shahid Khan Afridi, who else you love to watch? Name at least three cricketers.
Paradox: I'll name three Pakistani cricketers I love to watch and three other international cricketers that I love to watch. Three Pakistani cricketers I love watching (when they're in full flow) are Shoaib Akhtar – I don't think I need to explain why, Mohammad Asif – he's just a gem to watch when he's in the zone and playing in ideal conditions, poetry in motion really – and any one of the Akmal brothers, their batting is just extremely, extremely pleasing to the eye when they're in full flow.
Three non-Pakistani cricketers that I love to watch when they're in full flow are Shaun Tait – only when he's fully fit and firing. I'll never forget how he destroyed us in the Twenty20 match we played against them in Australia earlier this year. Kevin Pietersen too – I've been a fan of his batting ever since that outstanding 158 he scored in the 2005 Ashes series, and Eoin Morgan – some of the shots this guy plays and the calmness he has for just a young player is unbelievable to say the least.
PakPassion.Net: When did you watch your first Pakistan match?
Paradox: Like I wrote before – I don't exactly know when exactly I watched my first Pakistan match but my oldest memory is watching Double Wicket Cricket live on TV, which should have been around 1999 or 2000.
PakPassion.Net: Have you ever been to any cricket match? If so, which one?
Paradox: I've only been to cricket matches that I've played in myself. (
) Otherwise, no, sadly.PakPassion.Net: Who would you nominate for PCB chairman?
Paradox: Ehsan Mani, or Imran Khan.
PakPassion.Net: What are your thoughts on the recent spot-fixing controversy that has embroiled our team/nation?
Paradox: Wow – I could write for ages and ages on this.
All I want to say about this is that, what's happened has happened. We can't help it anymore. No tour of England can ever go spotless (get the pun).
Whoever is found guilty needs to be punished according to how severe their role was in this whole mess, and whoever is found innocent in any way still needs to be given a slap on the wrist for being careless ('careless' is quite an understatement, to be honest) and need to be put back into the national team. Like it or not, we'll miss all three of these players – Salman Butt not as much as Asif and Aamer, but Salman was still our best opener (says a lot about opening batsmen in our country).
PakPassion.Net: I see your passion for the ODI and T20, and however, how do you like Test format? And also after the spot fixing in the last test of England, and did that really killed your interest of watching Test format at all? It sure did mine.
Paradox: I find it weird how you find my passion for the ODI and Twenty20 formats but not too much for the Test format (is that what you were trying to imply in your question?), because Test cricket is my favorite format of cricket to watch. I would much rather watch a Test match between Australia and England or India and Pakistan, than say an ODI or a Twenty20 between Australia and England or India and Pakistan. The excitement that one single SESSION in Test match cricket can give you is much, much more than the excitement a whole ODI or Twenty20 match can give you. Test cricket is also the prime format of the game solely because it's the toughest for a player, physically and mentally. It shows you who belongs out there on the pitch representing their country and who does not. Personally, being a fan of Test cricket, I'm sad that it's on the decline and a format like Twenty20 (which is 'fun' and entertaining, yes, but still) is taking over cricket.
And, the spot fixing case hasn't changed my opinions or killed my interest in Test cricket at all. Why would it? It's three players who've been accused of spot fixing. That's nothing really related to Test cricket or hasn't changed my view on it at all.
PakPassion.Net: Do you want Amir, Asif and Butt to be punished, if they are four guilty? If they are non-guilty would you still have same respect as you had before?
Paradox: Yes - like I said, they should be punished according to how much exactly each of them were 'involved' in the case itself. If they are found to be innocent, I would still have the same 'respect' I had for them before but would just be a little more doubtful and suspicious over them. This case would always be on the back of my mind.
PakPassion.Net: If you could bring back one cricketer from the past into our present team - who would it be?
Paradox: A very, very tough one. Would have to be one of Saeed Anwar, Inzamam, or Wasim Akram. Saeed Anwar because we've been in a huge opening crisis ever since he retired around 7 years ago, Inzamam because our batting is very fragile and we're really missing out on a calm batsman/and an outstanding finisher and slip fielder like him, and Wasim Akram because we've lost (atleast temporarily, for now) the only thing we had going for us in world cricket – quality fast bowlers.
PakPassion.Net: What is your opinion on Younus Khan [the player/leader] and his current situation (and past)? It would be great if you also share the same about Mohammad Yousuf as well.
Paradox: Younus Khan the player: not cut out for the limited overs formats anymore, absolute quality player in Tests. We need him back in the Test side.
Younus Khan the leader/captain: did pretty well while he lasted in terms of on-field captaincy, off-field captaincy is a completely different story.
Younus Khan the person/personality: now, I might receive criticism from a lot of you for saying this, but he isn't an absolute saint himself like a lot of
Younus' fans here on PakPassion make him out to be. If he was a saint who couldn't do anything wrong then he wouldn't have a lot of his own teammates going against him. Teammates won't go against other teammates for no reason – they need to have a reason to do so, and I'm sure they had a reason to go and revolt against Younus. YK must have done something wrong.
Mohammad Yousuf the player: my views on him are the same as I have for Younus. Not cut out for the limited overs formats anymore I reckon, but we really need him in the Test side (for now).
Mohammad Yousuf the leader/captain: On field, mediocre. His field placings on Day 4 of the Sydney Test just took stupidity to another level. Off field is, again, a totally different story.
PakPassion.Net: How would you resolve Pakistan cricket's ills?
Paradox: A good question to finish off the interview. The major problems that need solving are these:
Our batting lineup – our batting is too fragile and we really need to find good batsmen. We need to find our strongest team combination before the World Cup next year, and we need a solid, cemented lineup.
People in the team setup – head coach, batting coach, bowling coach, fielding coach, team manager, media manager, etc,. We need a proper, qualified person for all of these posts.
People in the PCB – our chairman is quite incompetent, but his term might be ending soon anyway so that's around half the job done. We need to get rid of all the corrupt people working in the PCB – which includes coaches, people influencial to the national team, etc. who're letting sifarishi players get into the side. Our national team needs to be picked on merit and domestic performances.
Once we get these problems solved, I'm sure we'll be alright.
