Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Green

13-12-2011
Green (by Ahmad Babar):
I hurt some people
I let others go
I knew I could’ve had hung on
Till the end of the show
But what’s the point
When there’s no way to go
Away from all that hurts
And life’s getting too slow
I kick the dust on the beach
I stay away from the water
The waves remind me of the moment
When my heart began to shatter
I dig my feet deep into the sand
Look at the kids playing around
Their smiles take me back
To the moment when we began
Began our journey
Just you and me
It’s no longer the same
The sea’s blue but all I see is green
All I see is green, you and me
Washed away into the sea

Monday, December 5, 2011

Fighting Love

This is an old one...

Fighting love (by Ahmad Babar):
I realized it too late
I had myself closed the gates
I was crying in the rain
Fighting all of this pain
Now I know I was wrong
This is not where I belong
I see their faces in my eyes
I close my ears to their lies
It is something, something so sweet
She and I will never meet
I try to stop this pain
I am fighting love again

My heart doesn't want to let go
My mind craves for the end of the show
It was something, it was you
It was something, it was new
There was a pleasure in all this pain
That I felt in my veins
There is no one around
I lay alone on the ground
I get drenched in the rain
I am fighting love again

Now stop what you are doing
Now stop pretending
I hate you, I hate you more
You have turned me so sore
I gave you all that I had
Where we are is all so sad
Now I don't love you like I used to
Hating you is now all that I do
Still somehow the heart feels pain
I am fighting love again

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

The moments

01/11/2011
The Moments (by Ahmad Babar):
Its too early to be over
It’s a little too late to be something
So I sit here by the sea shore
I think of you, I think of us and I sing
About all that could be
About all that was and still is
The longing look in your eyes
Reminds me of the moment when we first kissed
I remember the first time I saw you
And the moment you heard my name
I wonder, if I will ever
Find a feeling that is the same
Same as the moment, the very moment
When my hand brushed your hair
And I don’t know why
Why you still seem to be so near
Don’t go, please don’t let go
I beg of you to stay
And I swear, I promise
This time we will do it your way

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Pakistan

Pakistan (by Ahmad Babar):
As I woke up today I looked around
I thought of the land that I stand on
I look at the Heavens and thank God
For this land, the land where I belong
It’s a country called Pakistan
A land which is my life
A land which is more than a dream
A land for which I shall always strive
Expressing your love for your country isn't easy
We all feel it at some level whether we like it or not
All it takes is a little heart
To thank all those who have ever fought
It’s a dream of mine to serve this country
To follow in the foot steps of the Quaid
To do something a little extraordinary
To die knowing that I at least tried
I am sitting and scratching my head
Wondering what I should write
This is a humble attempt
I wish I can make all the wrongs right
I know my country has been through a lot
And so have been I
It has managed to survive so far
And so will I
Today I make a promise to this land
That forever it I shall serve
If need be for it I will die
After all it’s the land I love

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Shoaib Akhtar: the Soaring Eagle

From being the man who silenced the Eden Gardens when he bowled Tendulkar out on the first ball he ever bowled to him to being the person who had every soul in Eden Gardens screaming his name as he tore up the opposition in his first match for Kolkata Kinghtriders, Shoaib Akhtar was the man we all loved to hate.

We loved him when he roared in and blew the oppositions away, one after the other; we adored him when he beat Bret Lee to become the first and the only person in history to breach the 100 mph barrier; we were awestruck when he got Dravid and Tendulkar in consecutive balls; we ran around our living rooms imitating the soaring eagle every time he got a wicket; we defended him in front of his critics; our hearts sank whenever he would fall injured; we doubted him when he didn’t meet our expectations; we hardly ever gave him a chance to explain; yet we all loved him! Irrespective of whether we had opposed or supported his selection, we couldn’t help but pump our fists every time he got a wicket, every time he hit a batsman on their head and every time he glared into their eyes after making them fall on the ground. We all loved Shoaib Akhtar.

Shoaib Akhtar was a success story. A flat foot boy who unlike 99% of the country only started to play cricket in his teens, who fought his way through allegations of chucking and drugs; he showed us what patriotism and passion for the green jersey means. Shoaib Akhtar had a story to tell every time he steamed in to bowl. The script was written by his fingers controlling the direction of the ball, the direction came from his buzzing cricketing mind, the drama came with his slower balls, the action with his jaw breaking bouncers, and the romance? the romance came with middle stumps flying all over town.

The number 14 shall forever be etched in our memories, not because cricketing legends like Ponting wore it on their shirts, but because of the soaring eagle that Shoaib Akhtar was. The sight of the number 14 blazing towards the bowling crease with the crowd cheering it on was and always will be one of the most beautiful sights in world cricket. It may not be as elegant as Imran Khan’s run in or as clever as Wasim Akram’s but it was menacing, it struck fear in the heart of the oppositions’ batsmen, those who had the misfortune of facing him and those who were waiting in the dressing room, praying they don’t get to face him.

A lot has been said about how Shoaib fought through his injuries over time and how passionate he was about the game and all of it is true. Even in his last tournament he had a vital role to play in getting Pakistan through to the knock out stages. It is extremely unfortunate that his last over ever in International cricket will be the one he bowled to Ross Taylor; but it can’t take away from us any of the memories he has left us with. From his unstoppable performances during the 1999 world cup to bowling Mahela out with a beauty of a delivery in the 2011 world cup; from the 100mph+ (161.3kmph) ball as a 28 year old during the 2003 world cup to scintillating pace, including a delivery bowled at over 159kmph during the 2011 world cup; from his toe crushing Yorkers to his intelligently bowled slower deliveries; Shoaib Akhtar created magic and we couldn’t help but be in his awe.

Not just as a Pakistani cricket fan, but as a cricket fan in general, it is my wish to see Shoaib in action in his own country one last time. I appeal to the PCB to give him a farewell match. Make it Akhtar XI VS Afridi XI, invite players from Pakistan and players from abroad. Shoaib has made some great friends in other teams, both current and retired players, and I’m sure they will love to come play in his farewell match. Invite Brian Lara, Shoaib has always regretted that he only got to bowl 3 deliveries to him; give Shoaib the best farewell gift he can get, let him bowl to Lara one final time.

Not only will this match serve as a farewell match for Shoaib, but it will also pave way for the return of International Cricket to Pakistan. And above all, we will all get to see the soaring eagle again.

Let’s hope we get to cheer his name as he soars in one last time.


Ahmad Babar
A Pakistani Cricket Fan
http://twitter.com/ahmadbabar