Adil Najam

Muzaffar Warsi, a distinguished and distinctive voice in devotional poetry died in Lahore after a protracted illness on Friday, January 29, 2011. Warsi shaib was clearly an giant amongst naat-go and hamd-go Urdu poets. Although many would remember him for the rendition styles, he was first and foremost a poet who had dedicated his poetry to devotional subjects. One is saddened to hear the news of his death.

I grew up hearing and watching him read out his naat and hamd on PTV in his very soothing, distinct, and soulful voice and style. But it was not just his recitation style, it was the simplicity and elegance of his poetic constructs that tugged at your heart strings. As I listen to his voice again today that emotional combination still has the same effect. Probably nowhere more than one of his most famous hamd, Wohi Khuda Hai; this, of course, was made even more famous when Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan rendered it, but I still find it even more powerful in the poet’s own rendition:

Tamashbeen

After Shahid Afridi’s amazing whirlwind beauty of an innings against New Zealand today, I am feeling more upbeat on Shahid Afridi than ever. Rumour has it that others are too and he may be finally named as Pakistan’s team captain for the 2011 ICC World Cup Cricket.

With 22 days left to the tournament, every other team except Pakistan has announced their captain. Not a distinction that one would want. So, the sooner we name a captain, the better. More than anyone else, the team needs to know so that they can wrap their mind around the idea of whoever it is.

Counter Punch

After a break of more than a decade the Pakistan Women’s Tennis team is now ready to participate in international team tennis. This news makes what has been a good couple of years for Pakistan tennis and in fact for women sports in Pakistan, even better.

The Fed cup is the premier team competition is womens’ tennis and it is the womens’ equivalent of the Davis Cup. It is refreshing news that Pakistan, a predominantly a cricket obsessed country will be sending its top tennis players to Fed Cup this year. The Pakistan tennis team comprises of Sara Mahboob, Saba Aziz, Ushna Suhail and Sara Mansoor. Mahboob and Mansoor hail from Islamabad whereas Saba Aziz and Ushna Suhail are both from Lahore. The four players have been dominating the national tennis scene for a number of years and each has won national titles.