One of the supposed benefits of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan was supposed to be that there would be peace for that wartorn country. Of course, the main reason was that the Taliban had taken the position that they would spread disorder themselves if not allowed to rule. Indeed, one of the reasons they have some support in Pakistan is that they had established law and order. Of course, that implied criticism of the local cops, who had failed to bring law and order to a situation satisfactory to the ordinary citizen.
Thus the blast at the Kabul Airport, which led to the death of 13 US servicemen, as well as 100 Afghans, was a bit of a disappointment. There are a number of explanations for why that happened, but the fact remains that it did. ISIS might well have been responsible, but it would be far to ask the Taliban why they let them carry out the blast. Were they just practicing to stay in touch, or should we expect the Karachi Airport to be bombed if the Tehrik Taliban Pakistan was ever to take over?
If that were to happen, not that it is likely, whatever some people might wish, I wonder who would crowd the airport? One of the contributing factors for the Kabul chaos was the fact that people are still trying to get onto US planes out of Afghanistan. It seems that the Taliban are learning something that Imran Khan learned much earlier: opposition is much easier than governing. Of course, Imran has found governing a breeze. At the ceremony to celebrate three years in office, he was upbeat. It seemed that everything was on track: not only was a new Pakistan being built, but accountability was going wonderfully, with vast sums being recovered. Oh yes, and there’s no inflation. The air rings with the blessings being showered on Imran and his team by the people.
He is also a guide to the Taliban. They too should remember that all the problems of the country were caused by the corruption of previous regimes, Of course, if they could blame it on Nawaz Sharif, that would be very welcome, but until then, Ashraf Ghani would do very well.
Also, the Taliban just have to make sure that they get the inswinging yorker right. Cricket is another danger, and the postponement of the Pakistan-Afghanistan ODI series because of the war harks back to World War II when Test cricket was suspended for World War II. There were no neutral venues then.
Now that there’s a former captain as PM, it was only right to make Rameez Raja Chairman of the PCB. The last time a former Test captain, Abdul Hafeez Kardar, was in charge, there was a player rebellion over the Packer Circus. And Imran was one of the players who preferred the money.
Ramiz was not exactly. The greatest of captains, though he had been seen as a future captain from the time he captained the Pakistan-Under 19s that played the Australian Under-19s that toured here back in1980. When he finally got the job, he only captained in 5 Tess, losing two and drawing two. He led in 22 ODIs, winning 7 and losing 22. He was actually more of an ODI player than a Test player, scoring 2833 runs and only two centuries in 57 Tests, but 5841 runs in 198 ODIs with nine centuries. He was a member of the 1992 World Cup team 1992, but he had the grace not to win a World Cup himself as skipper. Apparently, his job would involve making the national team win, but really it will be to do something about Shaheen Afridi.
Shaheen Afridi bowled Pakistan to a series-leveling win against the West Indies with a 10-wicket haul. The West Indies gifted him those wickets from envy of Imran, whose success they could not stand. However, Shaheen still has a long way to go. There’s a World Cup to be won, a Jewess to be married…
But maybe both Imran and Shaheen should realise that they too will face the fate of ‘Ted’ Dexter, the former England captain who passed away at 86. He was also noted for his looks, and though he never became PM, was known as Lord ‘Ted’ because of his aristocratic ways. He captained Sussex too, Imran’s county team. I wonder where Shaheen will go?
