By Khalid Hussain
KARACHI: It’s not easy for one to get attention in Pakistan if you are standing next to Shahid Afridi.
But that’s what Aisam-ul-Haq precisely did as he attended a luncheon reception hosted in his honour by the Jang Group under the banner of its Aman ki Asha campaign here at the Marriott on Tuesday.
Afridi turned up for the reception along with a galaxy of former cricket greats like Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad and Moin Khan.
But it was Aisam, who stole the limelight as he continues to bask in the glory of his stunning show at this month’s US Open where he teamed up with India’s Rohan Bopanna to reach the doubles final. The Pakistan-India duo lost to Bryan Brothers, Bob and Mike, in the title clash, but were still hailed as heroes across the sub-continent.
Now the Aisam-Rohan team could get an opportunity to play the Bryans again – for a good cause.
At a meeting with senior Jang Group officials here, Aisam happily agreed to the idea of playing a doubles match together with Bopanna to raise funds for millions of his countrymen affected by the worst floods in Pakistan’s history.
The idea is to have a doubles match between Aisam-Bopanna and the Bryan brothers in Dubai this December. Other top tennis stars like Roger Federer and Sania Mirza would also be invited to be a part of the show.
Aisam is all for it, Bopanna should have no problems while the Bryan brothers are also thought to be keen to do their bit for the flood victims.
“It’s a great cause,” Aisam told ‘The News’. “Millions have been affected by the floods and need our help. I’m ready to do my bit.”
Aisam also welcomed the idea of playing a match against Bopanna at the Wagah Border in a bid to promote peace between Pakistan and India.
“I am an ambassador for peace,” said Aisam. “I believe that our region can only progress if we have lasting peace here and if I can play a role I would happily do it.”
Zaheer Abbas, the former Pakistan captain, was all praise for Aisam. “What Aisam has achieved is a great boost for Pakistan sports,” said the legendary batsman.
Miandad agreed with his former teammate. “It’s really good to see that one of our countrymen is now doing so well in the field of international tennis,” said Miandad.
Aisam’s parents, Ehitsham and Nausheen, expressed their pride over his achievements. “Aisam has always been a hardworking boy, completely focused. He has made our entire country proud,” said Nausheen, a former Pakistan champion.
The lunch was hosted by Jang Group and Geo. In attendance were Shahrukh Hasan, Jang Group’s Managing Director, Imran Aslam, President Geo, Azhar Abbas, Managing Director Geo News, Talat Aslam, Editor The News, Karachi and other senior representatives of the Jang Group. Also present were several leaders of the corporate world including Amin Hashwani of the Hashwani group and Khalid Awan of TCS.
