Commercial aspect: The big business behind and around cricket field

The recently-concluded cricket series between Pakistan and Zimbabwe is being considered as a success in terms of somewhat restoring the confidence of other cricket-playing nations to visit the country.

It also has another important dimension: impact on business. Cricket, being part of the entertainment industry, contributes significantly to businesses directly and indirectly.

Sports television channels are the obvious winners, as their viewership graph moves up sharply.

Apart from electronic media, business activity around the cricket match venues increases considerably. The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, for example, where all the matches of the Pakistan-Zimbabwe series took place, was central to an increased business activity.

All the five matches (three One-Day Internationals and Twenty20s) attracted full capacity of the Gaddafi Stadium, 25,000-27,000.

Food consumption (beverages and snacks) is a major activity during and around such matches. If it is assumed that per capita consumption of food during the two T20Is was Rs500, then Rs27 million worth of food was consumed during the two matches. An additional estimated Rs16.2 million was consumed by the crowd before/after the matches in the restaurants around the stadium.

During the ODIs, estimated food consumption was Rs75 million for the three matches (assuming Rs1,000 per capita consumption). This gives us an estimated grand figure of Rs118.2 million.

Despite the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) having to pay hefty fees to the Zimbabwe cricketers and bearing all the expenses of the tour, amounting to about $500,000 in total, the PCB ran a surplus at the conclusion of the tour. The $500,000 was recovered by the sale of tickets alone, which was around Rs47 million. The revenue in terms of TV rights and sponsorships must have contributed to the surplus, if one assumes that PCB didn’t have to bear heavy expenses on security and law and order.

When cricket returns to normalcy in Pakistan, it is expected to stir a lot of business activity. In this respect, the example set by India must be seriously considered. Indian Premier League (IPL) has changed the commercial aspect of cricket altogether. Pakistan has a potential to emulate IPL’s success in the country, albeit not in the exact magnitude.

The success of the Zimbabwe tour should encourage PCB to start planning for a Pakistan Premier League. Any cricket player has a price – and the right price for each international player should be paid to bring them to Pakistan to play the proposed T20 tournament.

Although IPL has excluded Pakistani players, the country needs to keep its doors open by extending an invitation to their neighbours.

Pakistan should also attempt to use cricket as a tool to further deepen its business relationships with China. By involving China, Pakistan can play a strategic role to check the ever-increasing influence of India. The recent official visit of the Chinese president to Pakistan upset not only the Indian media but also the Indian government.

This may look like a far-fetched idea, given the recent performance of the Chinese national cricket team in the 2014 ACC Twenty20 Cup where it lost to all other participating teams, and hence stood last in the tournament. Pakistan has the required resources to offer coaching to the Chinese, and one should expect a great cricketing team emerging from China in a matter of few years if Pakistan helps it.

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Two-day scrabble festival concludes at Karachi mall

 A two-day scrabble Festival organized by Pakistan Scrabble Association (PSA) here at Park Towers concluded on Sunday.

A large number of people turned up to see the Pakistan’s star players of scrabble in action. Exhibition matches were played for the benefit of onlookers. There were impromptu coaching lessons from senior players for anyone who took interest.

Played in the middle of a busy shopping center, the event provided a real festive look as shoppers stopped by to see young players making strange and new English words on scrabble boards.

The space was decorated with posters having pictures of players along with brief details of their achievements.

The onlookers were amazed to find that Pakistan has been doing so well at the international level. Some couldn't believe that Pakistan has produced a World Youth Champion, a runner-up and winners of several other international tournaments.

People took "selfies" with the World Youth Champion, Moiz Baig, national champion Waseem Khatri, world number 1 female youth player Mariam Arif and 10 year old Hasham Hadi who scored an amazing 876 in an international match last year.

The most exciting segment of the event proved to be the "Scrabble Challenge". Five players played a ten-minute game against anyone who wished to challenge. Although the challengers were allowed to use a dictionary during the match very few managed to win.

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Dravid to shape next generation of Indian cricketers

Rahul Dravid has been entrusted with shaping the future of Indian cricket and agreed in principle to coach the country's under-19 and A teams. The Indian cricket board (BCCI) last week named a three-member advisory committee comprised of former cricketers Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman but the absence of former captain and batting great Dravid had surprised many. BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur laid the concerns to rest by confirming that the modalities of Dravid's contract will be finalised in the next few days.

The good news is that Rahul Dravid has agreed to coach India A and India under-19 in the future," Thakur told reporters in Kolkata after a meeting with the advisory committee on Saturday. The 42-year-old Dravid, who has over 13,000 runs in tests and close to 11,000 in the 50-over format, will start by preparing the India A side for a home series against Australia A and South Africa A in July and August. Dravid said the role suited his family life fine and he did not see it as a platform to groom himself for the national team's head coaching job which remains vacant after the departure of Duncan Fletcher in March.

"I think it is really exciting because it has been an area I have always been interested in," Dravid told ESPNcricinfo of his new role. "I feel it is a very important stage of development of a lot of cricketers, having been through myself, and I am just hoping that ... I will probably be able to help some of these young cricketers on their journey. "I don't see this as any stepping stone, I just see this as an opportunity to work with young players over the next few months, six weeks of an A tour and may be six or seven weeks, with the under-19 team."

With India widely known as poor travellers, Dravid's role will be crucial. The new advisory panel has recommended increasing the overseas trips of junior teams and organising tours a year earlier in countries where the senior team would be scheduled to play a major tournament or series. "One of the suggestions by the legends was to increase the number of India A tours overseas so that we can give more and more exposure to our A players and they can play competitive cricket," Thakur said. "In the past few years, the performance of the Indian team was not up to the mark overseas, so our focus would be on India A tour overseas. For example, if we have to play Champions Trophy in England, then India A must tour England or nearby countries one year in advance." The panel has also suggested identifying a pool of 30 bowlers, comprising of 15 pacemen and the same number of spinners, to be groomed for international cricket over a four-year cycle.

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Women's World Cup: Hosts Canada beat China 1-0 in opening match thanks to last-gasp penalty

The 31-year-old stepped up two minutes into time added on to convert a controversial penalty awarded for a foul on Kaylyn Kyle by Zhao Rong in the box.

And with the experience of her 15 years with the national team Sinclair coolly slotted the ball past Wang Fei in the Chinese goal to jubilation among the 53,000 crowd at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.

"Only one woman in the world could step up like that in the 90th minute and write that script," said coach John Herdman after Sinclair achieved the 154th goal of her career.

"Cometh the hour, cometh the woman. It's always going to end the right way with Sinclair."

The Olympic bronze medallists had been desperate for all three points to set themselves up as challengers at their home tournament.

Group A rivals the Netherlands beat New Zealand 1-0.

For the young Chinese team, nicknamed The Steel Roses, it was a first defeat in their opening match of a World Cup.

In a dour first half which produced few real scoring opportunities,CANADA'S Kadeisha Buchanan got the first shot at goal after three minutes but Wang held firm.

China also had chances with midfielder Wang Lisi hitting the post after 23 minutes, quickly followed by Canada's Josee Belanger rattling the crossbar and a Jonelle Filigno effort just off target.

China pushed forward after the break with an angled ball into the box escaping Ren Guixin, marked closely by Buchanan on 58 minutes.

Wang drew jeers from the crowd as she took her time with a goal-kick, as China looked to be after a point.

With 10 minutes to go and boosted by cheers of 'Let's go Canada, Let's go!' resounding around the stadium Sinclair had a chance to break the deadlock after 76 minutes but her header went wide.

With the clock ticking, another Sinclair effort went straight into the hand of the Chinese goalie, with a long range Sophie Schmidt effort flying just left of a diving Wang in goal.

But there was drama in store when Ukrainian referee Kateryna Monzul pointed to the spot in favour of Canada on 90 minutes, setting up a fairytale start to the campaign for the hosts.

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French Open: 'Machine' Djokovic on Brink of Grand Slam history

Novak Djokovic faces Stan Wawrinka in the French Open final on Sunday targeting a first Roland Garros title to become just the eighth man to secure a career Grand Slam.

World number one Djokovic takes a 17-3 career lead into his clash against Wawrinka whose win over the Serb in the 2014 Australian Open quarter-finals put him on the way to his first, and so far only, major title.

It also snapped an eight-year losing streak against the eight-time Grand Slam trophy winner.

Djokovic will be playing in his third French Open final having lost the 2012 and 2014 championship matches to nine-time champion Rafael Nadal.

But having handed Nadal just his second ever loss at Roland Garros in the quarter-finals and then seeing off world number three Andy Murray in five sets in a semi-final stretched over two days, the 28-year-old is primed for history.

Only Fred Perry, Don Budge, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Andre Agassi,ROGER Federer and Nadal have won all four majors.

But Djokovic has even greater objectives in sight - victory over Wawrinka would put him halfway to a calendar Grand Slam, a challenge so daunting that only Budge (1938) and Laver (1962 and 1969) have managed to pull it off.

"It is obviously very encouraging knowing that I have won all of the big events from last October, and playing some of my best tennis," said Djokovic, who has lost just twice in 41 matches in 2015, is on a 28-win streak and has already claimed a fifth Australian Open as well as Masters at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Rome this year.

"But I have been in this situation before when people were speculating, is this the year or not? Can I win the title or not."

Djokovic insists that having to come back on Saturday to play another hour to finish his semi-final against Murray after a Friday night suspension will have no bearing on his physical fitness for Sunday's match.

"It wasn't physically an easy match, that's for sure, but I think I will be fine for the final," said the Serb.

Djokovic and Wawrinka have met six times on clay and the Swiss has won just one of those -- in Umag in the pair's first clash way back in 2006 and even that was through a retirement.

Djokovic also came out on top in their most recent battle, a five-set marathon in the Australian Open semi-finals in January where the world number one clinched the deciding set 6-0.

Wawrinka, who put out Federer in the quarter-finals in Paris, insists his poor record against Djokovic will not be a factor as he tries to escape the 'one Slam wonder' club.

"He's a machine," said the 30-year-old of Djokovic.

"But again, he has never won the French Open. Maybe he's gonna play his best tennis and beat me straight sets," he said.

"But I shouldn't forget that my game can bother the top players and when I am in form I can seize the opportunity to defeat them all."

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ICC can’t force either India or Pakistan to revive ties: Richardson

ICC can’t force either India or Pakistan to revive ties: Richardson

International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Dave Richardson has said the world cricketing body is in favour of India and Pakistan resuming cricketing ties, but added that it cannot interfere in the matter concerning boards from both countries.

“We realise just how important it is for world cricket to have regular matches between Pakistan and India but unfortunately the ICC cannot interfere in this matter as it is a bilateral matter purely between two boards,” Richardson was quoted as saying by PTI.

Richardson pointed out that the spectator and viewer interest in Pakistan and India matches was phenomenal and it was great for cricket as a sport.

“We have seen the interest and hype their matches generate even in ICC events but after the new governance system now bilateral tours are to be decided between individual boards and the ICC is only responsible for posting match officials,” he said.

“So we can’t interfere or do anything in this matter but we would like to see them playing bilateral matches again.”

Richardson also ruled out the impression that the ICC was not happy on revival of international cricket in Pakistan with the tour of the Zimbabwe side recently.

“We didn’t send match officials because we look at a situation differently from national teams but it is not as if we don’t support having international cricket in Pakistan.

“I thought it was a boost for Pakistan with the passion their people showed for the Zimbabwe series. International cricket needs Pakistan as a strong cricket nation and team and we are always looking at ways to support them,” he stated.

The ICC refused to send its match officials for the limited-overs series in Pakistan played late May but it gave international status to the T20 and One- day International matches played between the two sides.

Zimbabwe became the first Test side to tour Pakistan in six years.

Richardson also made it clear he always liked going to Pakistan but this time couldn’t accept the invitation to visit Lahore for the Zimbabwe series due to prior commitments.

“I was in the United States for business and couldn’t get out of there. But I have been to Pakistan several times after 2009,” he said.

Richardson added that if any other board wants to send its team to Pakistan it is a matter between the two boards and they have to deal with all aspects of the tour.

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Serena Williams almost choked away the French Open title

Serena Williams almost choked away the French Open title

The woman responsible for some of the greatest tennis in history was nearly responsible for its greatest choke. Instead, Serena Williams survived one of the most surreal scenes this century to win the French Open and her jaw-dropping 20th Grand Slam on Saturday, defeating No. 13 seed Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2. She becomes just the second player of the Open era (man or woman) to get to 20 majors and is now two behind the all-time leader, Steffi Graf with 22. The world No. 1 also becomes the first woman since Jennifer Capriati to win the first two legs of the calendar Slam, extended her major winning streak to 21 matches and is one Wimbledon title away from another Serena Slam, which would make her the reigning champion at all four majors.

But it almost all slipped away, thanks to an inexplicable case of the yips that hit as Serena was serving at 4-1, 40-15, up a set and two breaks. Just one point away from 5-1, Serena double-faulted three times to hand No. 13 Lucie Safarova the game. She was broken twice more, then routed in a tiebreak to even the match and send it to the most unlikely third set in recent memory.

Dropping f-bombs left and right (finally earning a code violation after hitting about a baker’s dozen), Serena was broken in her opening service game of the third, giving Safarova her first lead of the match. But Serena quickly broke back, the broke again and once again had the match on her racquet. This time, she didn’t let it get away.

The odds were stacked high against the Czech from the outset — Serena was 19-4 in Grand Slam finals entering Saturday and Safarova was making her Grand Slam final debut. Then, those odds got stacked even higher after the first set, as Serena’s record when taking the first set of a Slam final was a fairly impressive 17-0.

But when the yips came (an effect of the “flu,” perhaps?) It was an unbelievable turnaround in a match Serena had so thoroughly dominated. Whereas Safarova barely had room to breathe for the first 60 minutes of the match, she all of a sudden had visions of a title in her head, which is what perhaps undid her in the third set.

Surprisingly, this is “just” Serena’s third French Open title. But, in a stat that flaunts her dominance, she’s still fifth all-time in Roland Garros titles despite it being her most inept Slam, by far. She didn’t win the tournament from 2003-2012 and suffered the worst defeat of her Grand Slam career — a first-rounder in 2012 to Virginie Razzano — during that stretch. But like all great champions, Williams adapted, opting to playing quicker, more aggressive points to nullify the slowing effects of clay. Now she has two titles in Paris in the past three years.

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