e-Learning Acupuncture: Active Learning in the Online Classroom: Examples and Ideas

Blogs are so informative
where we get lots of information on any topic… Thanks and keep up the good work

Assignment Writing

Pakistan team shocked by Peshawar tragedy

Abu Dhabi: Stand-in skipper Shahid Afridi Tuesday led a consolation and condemnation message on the tragic killing in Peshawar, saying the heinous crime had left everyone in the team "shocked and hurt."

The Taliban attack on an army-run school left over hundred people killed, most of them students, sending shocking waves in the Pakistan team camp which is playing a one-day series against New Zealand in United Arab Emirates.

"It's sad what's happened in Peshawar," said Afridi before the fourth match in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

"Our prayers are with the families who have lost their kids. I hope the situation will get better in Pakistan and we live in a secure atmosphere."

Afridi, who also hails from the troubled north-west Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said "Obviously Pakistan is our country and if any thing happens there it saddens us."

"Whether we are in Pakistan or away, it affects us. Ever since we heard this news we were saying that it should not have happened. We hope the situation gets better but we hope that all those who have the responsibility will improve the situation."

Pakistan team manager Moin Khan said the tragedy has left everyone sad in the team.

"It is shocking," said Khan. "We are deeply disturbed by the series of events in Peshawar and at the loss of innocent kids lives. May Almighty give patience to the parents of these kids who lost their lives, we share their grief and loss."

Sohail Tanvir retained for Sri Lanka ODIs

Pakistan fast bowler Sohail Tanvir has been retained for the ODIs in Sri Lanka and will replace the injured opening batsman Nasir Jamshed in the squad. Tanvir impressed in the two Twenty20s in Hambantota, bowling economically and taking four wickets. He also picked up the Man-of-the-Series award.

On the request of team management, chief selector Iqbal Qasim in consultation with the National Selection Committee has recommended the inclusion of Tanvir in the ODI Squad for the series. The chairman of the PCB has approved the replacement.

"In view of the request from the team management and keeping in consideration the current form of Sohail Tanvir, the selection committee has decided that he may be retained for the ODIs in Sri Lanka." Qasim said.

Jamshed, who was originally named in the ODI and T20 squads, was ruled out before the team left for Sri Lanka due to a fractured left index finger. The PCB hadn't named a replacement back then.

Tanvir, who was named only in the Twenty20 squad for the current tour, last represented Pakistan in ODIs during the tour of Bangladesh in December 2011 where he played two matches but failed to pick up a wicket. He will miss at least the first two matches of this season's Friends Life t20 after signing up with English county Worcestershire.

The five-match ODI series starts on June 7 in Pallekele.

All-round Shahid Afridi helps square series

Shahid Afridi rescued a limp Pakistan innings from despair and built his team a middling total with an aggressive half-century that was pragmatically constructed. He then proceeded to tenaciously defend his hard work, and by the time he was through with his spell, Sri Lanka had severely depleted resources to complete an arduous task. The upshot was that Pakistan left Hambantota with the series level at 1-1, and Afridi with his seventh Player-of-the-Match award, a Twenty20 record.

The second T20 played out in a manner remarkably similar to the first, two days ago, only with roles reversed. On Friday, Sri Lanka had chosen to bat and then collapsed, before a hard-hitting cameo lifted them. Today, it was Pakistan. On Friday, in pursuit of a modest total, Pakistan had been dismissed for less than 100. Today, it was Sri Lanka.

Pakistan's innings was a non-starter until half of it was over, with the Sri Lankan bowlers providing meagre opportunities to score while running through the top order. Nuwan Kulasekara bowled sharp inswingers and struck the first blow; Isuru Udana, playing for his country after nearly three years, started with a maiden; and the legspinner Kaushal Lokuarachchi had success in his first two overs. Sri Lanka, who had rested Mahela Jayawardene and Lasith Malinga, had Pakistan for the taking at 41 for 4 after 10.1 overs.

Afridi and Malik started the recovery by rotating strike frequently. When Afridi showed intent by driving the offspinner Sachithra Senanayake to the cover boundary twice, Malik began to play second fiddle, but that did not stop him from taking three consecutive fours off Lokuarachchi in the 15th over. Malik stepped out of his crease to loft the first ball to long-on and drive the second through extra cover. Predicting the bowler would flatten his trajectory, Malik stayed back, and pulled the short ball through midwicket.

Their partnership of 68 had a lot of urgent running between the wickets before Afridi began to shift through his gears. He whipped Thisara Perera to the cow-corner boundary, a stroke that had a resemblance to MS Dhoni's helicopter, and lofted inside out through cover. Afridi was dropped on 42 but Malik was not the very next ball. Afridi ended the 19th over with the innings' first six, a blow back over the bowler's - Perera - head. He had begun the over by hitting the ball straight as well, only that went for four. He got to his 50 off 30 balls and dragged Pakistan to 122.

Sri Lanka had reached 19 for 0 before Kumar Sangakkara slapped Yasir Arafat, who was playing his first international in two years, to cover point. Kulasekara walked in at No. 3, to the surprise and amusement of Tillakaratne Dilshan waiting in the middle, presumably to pinch-hit. He wasn't as good against the new ball as he was with it. All Kulasekara did was play three dots before giving Arafat a second wicket in the fourth over, which cost Pakistan only one run. The third over, from the nippy Sohail Tanvir, had cost only one as well.

Afridi made his entrance in the eighth over, with Sri Lanka 38 for 2, and what an entrance it was. He had two confident lbw appeals against Chamara Kapugedera and another thunderous shout against Dilshan turned down in his first four balls. All those deliveries were quicker ones going on with the arm. Dilshan tried to cut the fifth. He missed, and Afridi did not need the umpire this time.

He and Saeed Ajmal began to squeeze the batsmen; only 25 runs came in the five overs they bowled in tandem. In the last of those overs, the 12th, Kapugedera clubbed Afridi for six over long-on, relieving pressure for Sri Lanka. The next ball was a slider that slid between bat and pad and bowled him. Lahiru Thirimanne once again eased the pressure by taking 10 runs off Mohammad Hafeez's only over. Afridi heaped it back on by conceding only one run in his last over.

Sri Lanka now needed 48 off 36 balls and Afridi could do no more. Tanvir, however, all but shut them out of the game with another miserly over in which he dismissed Dinesh Chandimal. The asking rate was approaching 10 an over and the lower-order batsmen found Mohammad Sami's pace too quick to score off. Three perished while trying.

The game ended when Angelo Mathews, the youngest Sri Lankan captain since Arjuna Ranatunga, mis-hit the ball towards long-off in the final over. The fielder ran in from the boundary and tumbled forward to catch the ball and dismiss the hosts for 99. It was Afridi.

Hosts pin hopes on batting stars

Till recently, Pakistan's full tour of Sri Lanka for a series of two Twenty20s, five ODIs and three Tests existed only in the ICC's Future Tours Programme. The schedule was formally approved by the PCB a month ago and whatever build-up that existed was lost in the frenzy of the IPL. Despite its perfect positioning - the IPL is over, those from the two sides in question are free of other commitments and Sri Lanka is the venue for the World Twenty20 - the pre-series hype that usually accompanies a contest between two high-profile teams as Sri Lanka and Pakistan is missing.

One reason could be the fact that the tour gets underway in far-flung Hambantota, the country's newest cricketing venue; at the cricket board office in Colombo, though, there is little or no activity at the ticket counter.

For Pakistan, international cricket's nomads, it's another series away from home. Deprived of IPL activity, the lead-up to this tour for them consisted of a two-week camp in Lahore under hot conditions sure to test them in Sri Lanka. Fans showed up in thousands to watch a series of practice games between the best limited-overs players in the country. Nothing can substitute international action at home, but this is the best their fans can get.

Only a select number of Sri Lankan players, on the other hand, have had the benefit of rigorous Twenty20 match practice. Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Lasith Malinga have been particularly busy in the IPL, while the others have been keeping busy training at home. Dinesh Chandimal, who failed to get a game with Rajasthan Royals, was released midway to join a training camp at home. A few more weeks in the dugout could have been detrimental to the fledgling star's development. Fitness is paramount in June's punishing cricketing conditions and it's an area both teams will have to address.

The series begins with Twenty20s in Hambantota, which from Pakistan's perspective will be more than just a preparation for the World Twenty20. The series marks the start of a fresh experiment with the captaincy, to see if Mohammad Hafeez has it in him to emulate Younis Khan's achievement in the 2009 World Twenty20. The sudden change in leadership may appear surprising but isn't seismic. A phased change of guard was a necessity given that Misbah-ul-Haq is 38. His own dogged batting style and experience created a sense of stability rarely seen in various Pakistan teams over the last 20 years. He may be the antithesis to some of his mercurial predecessors but his popularity has survived the initial doubts - as reinforced by the popular Twitter hashtag 'TeamMisbah.'

When teams are on a high, one issue that is sometimes ignored - with often catastrophic effects - is succession planning. Misbah wisely decided to step down as T20 captain, though he still harbours intentions of playing the format. His dropping altogether from the T20 squad would have stung him and his followers but his successor is cut from roughly the same cloth. The erudite Hafeez, known to his team-mates as Professor, has been Pakistan's most improved cricketer over the last two years. Given the respect he may have earned in that period, captaincy seemed inevitable. Like Misbah, he too has suffered being a discard, only to rediscover his game and skills when given another chance. Pakistan's immediate success in the format, at least, depends on how fast they embrace this change.

Sri Lanka are not making drastic changes yet, sticking to the same group that performed creditably in Australia though they limped out exhausted in the Asia Cup. A potential banana peel for the hosts in preparation for the World Twenty20 is the lack of match practice in this format as a unit. They're playing after a six-month layoff, with only three games planned in the lead-up to September. The planned Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) will serve as a warm-up but Jayawardene is confident the games are sufficient practice.

What Jayawardene could do with is better support. Sangakkara endured a tepid IPL by his standards and Tillakaratne Dilshan wasn't good enough to command a regular spot in the XI (10 games) unlike Jayawardene (16). The trio firing in unison will be key to trumping the best spin attack in the world. England managed to negate the group of Saeed Ajmal, Hafeez and Afridi with such consummate ease in the one-dayers in UAE that it surprised everyone, including themselves. Sri Lanka may not be as spin-heavy, but the emergence of seam-bowling allrounders in Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews gives Jayawardene more options.

The limited-overs contests aside, what would give Sri Lanka greater satisfaction is success in the Tests. The fallout of Muttiah Muralitharan's retirement remains - they have won just one Test since. Instances of fast bowlers breaking down have increased the burden on their lone quality spinner, Rangana Herath. They now have to rectify those problems against the toughest subcontinent opponents. When Pakistan last visited in 2009, two incredible collapses gave Sri Lanka the series after just two games. The foundations appear less shaky for Pakistan this time, as demonstrated in their 3-0 whitewash of England, achieved through patience at the crease and unrelenting pressure provided by a varied spin attack.

Current form gives Pakistan the edge but Sri Lanka can swing it their way if their batsmen make an early statement.

Decision on Indo-Pak ties likely in June - Ashraf

The ICC's annual conference in Kuala Lumpur in June is where India and Pakistan could take significant steps towards the resumption of cricketing ties, with even the possibility of the announcement of a series, according to PCB chief Zaka Ashraf.

Ashraf is in Delhi for a few days after attending the IPL final (to which he was invited by the BCCI) in Chennai, and he told ESPNcricinfo, "Probably the final decision will be [taken] in Kuala Lumpur, where the ICC board of directors meeting will be held. There Mr Srinivasan and I will hold discussions, and maybe we will be able to formulate and announce something about the resumption of ties."

He denied that the two parties had already discussed or suggested a tentative schedule for a bilateral series during a gap in England's winter tour of India, when the England team will return home for a Christmas break. 

"The BCCI haven't conveyed that to us. What we see on the calendar is that the English team will continue to play matches. But that is now up to the BCCI, the ball is in their court. They have to think which slab is available, where there is a vacuum during which both of us can play. What we can play, what format … they have to take steps and let us know."

During his stay in Delhi on what was his first visit to India, Ashraf said he had met with the Pakistani high commissioner to India, Salman Bashir, and political leaders of several parties, ruling and opposition, whose names he did not wish to reveal.

India and Pakistan have not played each other in a bilateral series since December 2007. It is India's turn to tour Pakistan, but the country has not hosted an international series between two Full Members at home following the Lahore terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team bus in March 2009. Bilateral ties between India and Pakistan have been frozen since the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Pakistan, however, travelled to India to play in the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup.

On the day that an unofficial lunch meeting took place between Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari in April, IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla had told Pakistani channel Geo TV that the participation of Pakistan players in the IPL would depend on bilateral ties between the two nations.

Ashraf said his discussions with BCCI president N Srinivasan had not touched upon the participation of Pakistan players in the IPL much. "I didn't discuss the IPL, because it was more of a commercial thing. I was talking to the BCCI more on the revival of cricketing relations - on bilateral ties, because that is more important. If they feel like inviting Pakistani players [to the IPL], it is up to them. If they want to, I think that will be a good move also."

The participation of the Sialkot Stallions in the Champions League T20 was however confirmed by Ashraf. News of the decision to invite the team from Pakistan to the most lucrative club competition in world cricket was released on Twitter by Sundar Raman, a member of the CLT20 technical committee, but it is yet to be formally announced. Similarly Raman announced on Twitter that the dates for the Champions League T20 would only be released by the end of June. Ashraf, who had talked about the resumption of ties with Srinivasan on the side of ICC meetings in Dubai, said he had been asked for his approval for the Sialkot Stallions not once but twice by Srinivasan.

"He called me once from India about 15-20 days ago to discuss the Champions League T20, saying the issue [of Pakistani participation] has come to the board and 'if we decide in favour of Pakistan do you have any objection'. And I said no, of course not, I am always in favour of ties. So after the meeting he called me and said 'I'm going to the press to announce it. Finally I just want to ask, I hope you don't any objections'. I said our board and our people are also for the revival of ties of cricketing relations, Test series, one-day and Twenty20 games." Ashraf said the news of the invitation extended to the Sialkot Stallions had been welcomed "in the press, by the general public and the board. At least the ice is melting. And things are moving in the right direction."

The meeting between the Indian prime minister and the Pakistani president had been important, because it indicated that the Indian government had no objections to the resumption of cricketing between the two countries. "What I understand is that, again, the honourable president of Pakistan requested that the honourable prime minister of India do something, so that India-Pakistan cricket could be revived. He [the Indian prime minister] said, 'Yes, I'm for it, the government has no objection and we are going to convey it to the [Indian] board. The board should decide the other questions … when and where they should play, because those are the nitty-gritty details.' "

Ashraf said that he had kept aside an extra day after the IPL final to have an extended meeting with Srinivasan. However, the extended meetings could not take place because Srinivasan had to be admitted to hospital during the IPL final for observation. "He never used to smile, but he was smiling then [when Ashraf visited him in hospital]," Ashraf joked. "He was very happy that I went. That showed that brotherly relations between the boards are developing."

He came across goodwill in general, he said, on his visit to India. "I found that everybody in India has got good feelings about Pakistan and they all want cricket to resume between these two great cricketing nations. There's great cricket passion in India, like there is in Pakistan. I brought with me, to the people of India and Indian cricket fans, the warmth and feelings of Pakistani cricket fans. This visit is like a friendship message from both the nations to each other."

Mohammad Amir meets the PCB

The PCB has held talks with banned fast bowler Mohammad Amir, as a prelude to his rehabilitation process following the spot-fixing scandal. Amir, who was released in February after serving half of his six-month custodial sentence in England for spot-fixing during the Lord's Test in 2010, had volunteered to meet the board.

"We have recently had two [meetings] with Amir during which he was debriefed and was asked some questions that we do not want to disclose to the media," the PCB's chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed told AFP."The debriefing was not part of the rehab, but we will soon discuss the matter with the ICC and start his rehabilitation."

Soon after his release, Amir had said that he would not request the ICC to reduce his ban, which runs until 2015. The ICC had advised him to undergo a rehabilitation programme and, recently, he appeared in an educational video on behalf of the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).