Ahsan Butt

OUTSIDE EDGE: PAK CRICKET’S WHATSAPP UNCLES

The mismanagement at the Pakistan Cricket Board is nowhere more shambolic than in how it handles our star players Updated 14 Jan, 2024 11:39am

OUTSIDE EDGE: CUTTING THE NOSE…?

Sri Lanka was comfortably Pakistan’s most successful Test tour this millennium. And our coaching and management played a huge role Published 06 Aug, 2023 08:20am

OUTSIDE EDGE: WHITE BALL PRINCES, RED BALL DUNCES

Rare is the country that is a dominant powerhouse in one type of cricket and a total unmitigated joke in another Published 26 Mar, 2023 07:18am

OUTSIDE EDGE: WEAKNESS INTO STRENGTH

Sending Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz up the order may have not only covered Pakistan’s middle-order weakness but could have some Published 23 Oct, 2022 07:17am

OUTSIDE EDGE: THE RED BALL SPINNING VOID

Yasir Shah may have been a godsend for Pakistan Test cricket in the 2010s. But he’s past his prime and there aren’t very good new Published 07 Aug, 2022 11:01am

OUTSIDE EDGE: CRICKET’S CULTURAL CHANGE

In recent years, the centre of gravity of Pakistan cricket has inexorably shifted from the Punjab to the Pakhtun belt. It signals Updated 01 May, 2022 02:05pm

OUTSIDE EDGE: GETTING EVEN WITH THE ENGLISH

Could the racism crisis in English cricket be a godsend for Pakistan to get even, not just with the Pig 3, but with the English... Published 09 Jan, 2022 07:17am

OUTSIDE EDGE: BABAR THE CAPTAIN

Given this was his first experience in a World Cup T20 tournament, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam did more than fine. But if we... Updated 21 Nov, 2021 01:22pm

OUTSIDE EDGE: PRIMED TO DO MORE DAMAGE?

Though brief, Ramiz Raja’s first time in charge of Pakistan cricket still had severe long-term reverberations. Now, within two Published 17 Oct, 2021 06:39am

OUTSIDE EDGE: WET BEHIND THE TEARS

For all its inventiveness, cricket continues to be deeply vexed by rain. Can anything be done about it? Here are some suggestions… Published 12 Sep, 2021 07:15am

OUTSIDE EDGE: THE ANDRE RUSSELL-SIZED HOLE

What the recently concluded HBL PSL6 has demonstrated is that Pakistan’s most pressing weakness is the lack of a power... Published 04 Jul, 2021 06:29am

Lionel Messi, the maestro from Rosario

Amazing as Messi's 500th milestone is, his goals obscure as much about his brilliance as they reveal. Updated 07 May, 2017 07:43pm

FOOTBALL: THE MAESTRO FROM ROSARIO

Lionel Messi recently scored his 500th goal for his club Barcelona. Amazing as that achievement is, his goals obscure Updated 08 May, 2017 03:20pm

Afridi and Waqar, take a bow

There’s been something strange and oddly compelling watching Shahid Afridi and Waqar Younis mold this Pakistan team.... Published 01 Apr, 2011 07:37am

Barcelona reign supreme in El Clasico

Almost five years ago, football fans in England got their first real look at a wispy haired Argentine teenager from... Published 30 Nov, 2010 04:32pm

PCB fumbles. Again.

The last week has shown the best and worst of Pakistan cricket…and by “best,” I really mean “worst.” By now, we’ve... Published 03 Sep, 2010 02:48pm

Justice as public good

IT may not seem so at first glance, but the national response to the floods is connected, albeit loosely, to the... Published 31 Aug, 2010 12:00am

How to avoid embarrassment

We’re going to get slaughtered in England. I think you should know this. It doesn’t matter what pitches we play on,... Published 11 Jun, 2010 12:22pm

Dream team

Cricinfo, the one-stop site for all cricket fans, has been running through various nations’ all-time XIs. They’ve... Published 15 Apr, 2010 01:17pm

Playing under pressure

The Test series between Australia and Pakistan is over, and it was won by Younis Khan. Don’t believe me? Well, think... Published 08 Jan, 2010 11:35am