MY KARACHI

Amazing Fact About Quaid e Azam

In Quaid e Azam's life, 3 dates are most important.





1- Date of Birth i.e 25th December.



2- Date of Death i.e 11th September.



3- Independence day i.e 14th August.



Sab Say Pehlay 14th August Ata Hay......14th August ko jo Din Hoga, Baqi 2 Dates Ko Bhe Wohi Din Hoga aur Har Saal Aisay He Hoga.



Lets Check it out.......



In 2009 14th August was on Friday. 11th September was also on Friday AND AMAZINGLY 25th of DECEMBER was on FRIDAY too.



IF WE CHECK THESE DATES MATHEMATICALY



25-11 = 14



25-14 = 11



&



14 + 11 = 25





Isn't that AMAZING

Avatar....Movie Review

Avatar, a 3-D science fiction movie from Titanic director James Cameron, has been shrouded in secrecy since he began work on it more than 14 years ago.


The movie, starring Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver and Zoe Saldaña, is not set for release until December.

But after a two-minute teaser trailer online yesterday, an extended 15-minute version was being shown at Imax cinemas.

Twentieth Century Fox gave tickets to Avatar Day screenings to fans who applied online. London's Imax cinema in Waterloo is among the venues.

The movie is said to contain pioneering special effects that could change film-making forever.


James Cameron's Avatar looks stunning. A sneak preview of the 3-D sci-fi fantasy was shown at the BFI Imax in Waterloo this morning, ahead of screenings later today in the US and the rest of Europe.

The director of Terminator and Titanic has pulled off yet another all-action visual extravaganza with a touch of saccharine sentiment, and he uses the cutting-edge film technology - which he himself pioneered - to maximum effect.

In the 22nd century, a group of marines arrive on the planet Pandora, a hostile jungle-world populated by saurian lizards and the blue-skinned, faun-like warrior race, the Na'vi.


Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic war veteran, has his mind transplanted into the body of one of these supple giants by Sigourney Weaver's sarcastic doctor.

Falling for the lithe, light-blue Neytiri (Star Trek's Zoe Saldana), he goes native and finds himself in a bitter conflict between humans and Na'vi. The parallels with the Pocahontas story are hard to miss, especially as the Na'vi use bows and arrows.

But it won't be for its symbolic dimension that most people see Avatar. The depth of vision and definition of the 3-D images are astonishing.

Actors mesh seamlessly with the amazingly detailed, computer-augmented landscapes and creatures. Raptors snap and leap out of the screen. Insects seem to hover before our eyes, shell casings to eject into our laps.

The Na'vi themselves are memorable creations - an idealised version of the noble savage. But broad dramatic and emotional brush-strokes do not necessarily harm box office, as the almost $2billion profits of Titanic proved.

In 2003 I interviewed Cameron about Ghosts of the Abyss, the 3-D documentary he had shot in the wreck of the Titanic. He said then the technology would never take off again as it had in the 1950s: "It's just the coolest toy."

Cameron clearly had not reckoned with the success of The Polar Express, Coraline, and Disney's Bolt. Or maybe he was just keeping his powder dry.

Avatar could become the first grown-up 3-D blockbuster.

Top 10 Horror Movies of the past 10 years

10 Saw (2004)
This is a movie that succeeds on many different levels. First of all, it was a huge financial success that let Lionsgate make some different and great movies soon after. Also, it was genuinely suspenseful with a great twist and some very good scares. We, the viewer, were much like the characters, in that we were thrust into a situation that we didn’t understand and figured out things as they unfolded. It is a shame that they abandoned the template of the first film and instead decided to make haunted house ride kinda movies where it became just one room of gore to the next. If you haven’t had the chance, make sure you check out the one that started it all.
9 Slither (2006)
Slither was one of two movies on this list that successfully blended horror and comedy. It was a great sort of alien movie that didn’t take itself too seriously, but instead had fun with the things that were going on. Some good action and suspense coupled with some laughs make this a film that any horror fan should check out.
8 The Sixth Sense (1999)
I was tentative in putting this movie on the list because of the fact that it is more suspense than anything else (plus it was PG-13, which in my mind is a big no-no). None of this can take away from the fact that it is a fantastic movie with a great twist and some nice scares. I personally believe this movie is somewhat of a blessing and a curse considering the hordes of PG-13 horror movies it spawned after its success. This is still a movie that no one will really forget (unless you got the ending spoiled like most people did).
7 Zodiac (2007)Zodiac was another that was tough to categorize but given the suspense, the true life aspect and the fact that this is one of the best mystery movies I have ever seen, I consider it in some ways horror. It completely covers all of the investigations of the Zodiac murders along with showing them. Twists and turns throughout, along with some really original action sequences make this a movie everyone should see if they have three hours to kill. Read our review.
6 28 Weeks Later (2007)
This was a film that I really wanted to hate. I thought of it as a bad idea because Danny Boyle would not be directing again, and that there was no need for a sequel to the almost perfect 28 Days Later. I was quite surprised that this was almost as good while being completely different than the first. It goes for big action sequences and a large cast of characters rather than the very small feel the first film had. Nonetheless, it is a creepy film that should be commended. Read our review.
5 Dawn of the Dead (2004)Some may disagree with this being on the list given that it is a remake of one of the most revered horror movies of all time. It does stay faithful to the original – only giving zombies some well-needed updates on their abilities. Zach Snyder shows a lot of talent with this movie, which is a lot of fun along with being scary and suspenseful. He needs to be applauded for reinvigorating the genre.
4 Shaun of the Dead (2004)
This is the 2nd movie that successfully blends comedy and horror, and is the favorite movie of all time for many. It is somewhat of a spoof movie on the zombie genre, but not in the horrific ways that those rogue scary movie writers have been passing off. It has a great amount of affection for what it is spoofing along with some good action and gore thrown in.
3 Grindhouse (2007)
While in theaters, this one was sadly a large disappointment financially which made them cut the fantastic 3 hour experience into 2 separate DVDs (Death Proof and Planet Terror), but I still consider it to be a singular experience. It is two great films rolled into one by two of the better action directors of this generation (Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino). If you haven’t seen this one check it out for sure – I don’t think you’ll be dissapointed.
2 The Descent (2005)
This is one of the scariest movies that I have ever seen. It combines darkness and claustrophobia with carnivorous cave dwelling creatures. It scares the hell out of me time after time and really shows what darkness mixed with a desperate situation can do to a person’s decisions. Plenty of gore and scares put this one firmly near the top of the list.
1 28 Days Later… (2002)
This is number 1 on this list for several reasons. First, great character development. With so few characters throughout most of the film, it makes the people involved seem very real and interesting. Secondly, it has plenty of action and gore, but also intelligently examines what the apocalypse may indeed be like. Third, great direction and chilling shots of an empty London coupled with superb acting and story compel this one high above all the others

BUTT & MALIK should be dropped out from Playing 11

BUTT & MALIK should be dropped out from Playing 11 of 2nd test match at Colombo.Pakistan has a very talented young, all rounder, Fawad Alam, who will easily fill the position of Shoaib Malik. Younis himself or Kamran Akmal should replace Salman Butt in opening slot.

A collapse of Pakistani proportions led to a complete U-turn in the fate of the incredible Galle Test, the match eventually decisively going Sri Lanka's way. Pakistan started the day needing 97 with eight wickets in hand, and Salman Butt and first-innings centurion Mohammad Yousuf resuming after comfortably negotiating the last half hour yesterday. But Thilan Thushara and Rangana Herath bowled exceptional spells of varied left-arm bowling to help Sri Lanka take the last eight wickets for just 46.

Pakistan's trouble against left-arm spinners are well documented - Herath's previous best bowling in Tests had also come against Pakistan - and he started the slide with his first ball of the day. Yousuf pretended to play a shot but the ball went straight on to get the lbw. A brain freeze followed from Butt, who holed out to long leg. No run added, two wickets taken, game on.

Though he got just two wickets today, Thushara's was the main job. Not a single loose delivery was offered in an eight-over spell during which he beat the batsmen so often that a ball hitting the middle of the bat could make it to a highlights package. He got the ball to move both ways, seaming it away and swinging it in. Kumar Sangakkara read the situation perfectly, employing in-and-out fields, not giving easy release through boundaries or singles without an element of maneuvering. With Thushara bowling as he was, maneuvering was not going to come easy.

Thushara got Shoaib Malik with one that moved away, bringing in the last capable batsman, Kamran Akmal. Akmal is quite capable of running away with small chases with fluent doubt-free batting, but nothing loose was on offer. Even when Akmal managed a square-cut the result was just a single because of the field. Nervously Misbah-ul-Haq and Akmal survived 21 deliveries, adding just eight, that too thanks to a misfield that went for four.

Thushara struck again at that time, getting the ball to tail in and trap Akmal lbw. Misbah didn't feel too comfortable either and fell trying to steal a leg-bye off a big lbw appeal. It was the fifth ball of the Thushara over, and he could have been trying to retain the strike, but there was never a run in it.

By the time Thushara and Herath were done with their first spells, Pakistan had lost five wickets for 20 runs in 15 overs. There was no conceivable way then for the tail to get the remaining 77. Especially with Ajantha Mendis yet to bowl, who ended with his first ball a 10-run stand between Abdur Rauf and Umar Gul. The accurate carrom ball was just too good for Gul.

Mohammad Aamer hung around for a bit but Herath came back to finish the match minutes before lunch, ensuring Galle's reputation of being a tough venue to bat last at remained intact

New York

Myth: NEW YORK is about 9/11.
Fact: It's not. But it reflects the mood that's prevalent across the globe, post 9/11. The world is divided today. No two opinions on that!

Myth: NEW YORK bears a striking similarity to KHUDA KAY LIYE.
Fact: Nope. KHUDA KAY LIYE and NEW YORK may belong to the same family, of an innocent person being picked up for questioning after the WTC catastrophe, but the similarities end there. In fact, KHUDA KAY LIYE and NEW YORK are as diverse as chalk and cheese.

NEW YORK, helmed by Kabir Khan, attempts to be as real as possible. A tale of friendship, with terrorism as the wallpaper, NEW YORK hits you like a ton of bricks at several points in the narrative. In fact, there was a possibility that NEW YORK may turn out to be a dry experience, a documentary perhaps, but the drama is so well structured and so gripping that you get sucked into the world of Sam, Omar and Maya from its inception.


NEW YORK is a triumph for Kabir Khan, who deserves distinction marks for handling the subject with remarkable maturity. Also, this film should be a turning point for John, Katrina and Neil. More on that later...

The verdict? NEW YORK is, without doubt, one of the finest films produced by this premier production house, Yash Raj. Grab a ticket today!

Omar [Neil Nitin Mukesh] has gone abroad for the first time in his life and soon enough, he begins to see and love America through the eyes of his American friends, Sam [John Abraham] and Maya [Katrina Kaif]. But an incident changes the world round them.

At this point enters Agent Roshan [Irrfan], an FBI agent, who sets the ball rolling for a series of tumultuous events that turn the lives of these friends upside down.

NEW YORK affects you like no other Hindi film has done so far [on 9/11]. In fact, there are portions that give you goose bumps, especially towards the second half of the film, when John recounts his past.

One of the reasons why NEW YORK works is because not once does Kabir Khan borrow from the past or tilt towards predictable stuff. You just can't guess what and where the story is headed and what the culmination would be. The director and his team of writers establish the plot and characters beautifully, but the real action is reserved for the second half. The nightmarish experience that John undergoes is disturbing, but lifts the film several notches up.

But NEW YORK has its share of loose ends. The film dips in the second hour. It tends to gets lengthy before it reaches a powerful, brilliantly executed climax. Also, a few sequences only add to the length of the film, which could've been curtailed in the writing stage itself.

Director Kabir Khan picks up a real incident -- innocent civilians being suspected as terrorists, soon after 9/11 -- and weaves a brilliant tale around it. The screenplay is its biggest star, without a doubt. Given the fact that NEW YORK isn't one of those routine masala fares, Kabir has injected songs only when required. Cinematography is striking.

Now here's another surprise. John, Katrina and Neil, all actors, deliver their career-best performance. If the first half belongs to Neil, John takes over the second hour completely. John is superb when he recalls the past. You can feel his pain, that effective is his performance. Also, note his expressions towards the end. This is a different John, for sure. Just one word for his performance -- fabulous!

Neil was remarkable in JOHNNY GADDAAR, but disappointed in AA DEKHEN ZARA. Fortunately, he's in top form this time around. Katrina gives you the biggest surprise. Known for her glamour roles, Katrina proves that she can deliver if the director and writer offer her a role of substance. She's outstanding. In fact, people will see a new, different Katrina this time. Irrfan is, as always, first-rate.

On the whole, NEW YORK is amongst the finest films produced by Yash Raj. At the box office, there's no stopping this one. Go for it now!

Serial Killers...The Dark Side of Humanity

My interest in the psychology of serial killers and mass murderers started with the case of Javed Iqbal Mughal. While watching the Canadian news on television on March 17th, 2000, I was quite surprised to find Pakistan the subject of a major news story. The reporter stated that Javed Iqbal Mughal, a resident of Lahore, had been convicted of abusing and killing one hundred children. Judge Allah Bakhsh Ranjha had pronounced the verdict that not only should he be publicly hanged, but also that his body be cut into a hundred pieces and dissolved in a drum of acid, the same drum in which Javed Iqbal had supposedly dissolved the bodies of the children.

The newscast was accompanied by pictures of Javed Iqbal and the judge. There was something very unusual about the images of the criminal and the judge. The more I thought about them, the more I realized that Javed Iqbal looked very calm, peaceful and relaxed while the judge seemed very angry, resentful and revengeful. The criminal did not seem as disturbed, nor the judge as well composed and sober, as I would have expected. There was something about Javed Iqbal’s features, his looks, and his posture that touched me deeply. He had not uttered a word on the screen but his silence spoke volumes. I had an intuition that there was a story behind the story on the news.

To find out the truth, I closed my clinic in Canada and flew to Lahore, Pakistan. During my visit I interviewed Javed Iqbal at length in his death cell in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, the same jail where Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was kept prior to his assassination. I then went to see Javed Iqbal’s family and interviewed his brothers, nephews and neighbors. I also interviewed a well- respected Supreme Court judge, Abid Hasan Minto. The more I explored the case, the more bizarre and surrealistic the story became.

Javed Iqbal had written a series of diaries in which he had confessed to killing one hundred children. But when I read the diaries I felt that they were more fiction than fact. During my stay a local magazine announced that four of the children who had been missing had safely returned home. There was also no evidence of the hundred dead bodies. I was shocked to learn that 6000 children were missing in the province of Punjab alone, in no way related to the Javed Iqbal case. Back in Canada, I shared the details of my findings in my book The Myth of the Chosen One.

While I was doing research for that book, I was fascinated with the details of the personalities and lifestyles of serial killers and mass murderers. I discovered the sad reality that the incidence of serial killers and mass murderers has been gradually increasing worldwide in the last few decades. I was further intrigued to find that America has the highest rate of serial killings per capita.

Steve Egger in his collection of essays, Serial Killer, states that “America produces proportionately more of these killers than any other nation on earth.” Elliott Leyton in his book Hunting Humans writes, “…their numbers do continue to grow at a disturbing rate; until the 1960s they were anomalies who appeared perhaps once a decade, but by the 1980s, one was spawned virtually each month. Today, according to unofficial U.S. Justice Department estimates, there may be as many as one hundred multiple murderers killing in America, stealing the lives of thousands.”

For many mental health professionals it is fascinating to observe the evolution of American society over the last century. One can see the best and the worst of the whole world in the United States of America. People from everywhere have being trying to emigrate to America, as though it were the modern “promised land”. In this land of eminent scientists, avant-garde artists and Oscar award winning actors and directors, we also see the worst serial killers and mass murderers. It seems that America is gradually becoming the world of extremes.

The psychology of serial killers and mass murderers is quite different from that of one-time murderers who kill their enemy in the heat of passion and know their enemy intimately. These serial killers are also not part of any religion institution or political organization. The hallmark of modern serial killers and mass murderers is that they kill innocent strangers. The psychiatrist Lunde has made it clear that “the most important single contrast between mass murderers and murderers of a single person is their relationship to the victims, the former killing strangers, the later killing intimates.”

While studying the biographies of serial killers and mass murderers, when I focused on their families, I discovered that they belong to two distinct groups.

The first group consists of individuals who grew up in institutions or were brought up by abusive parents. They never received loving and nurturing care from their parents in a consistent manner. They were exposed to severe neglect and various forms of abuse and had poor role models. They grew up as angry and bitter individuals.

Henry Lee Lucas from Texas, who confessed to killing more than 300 people, described the family environment of his childhood. “That’s the way I grew up when I was a child…watching my mom have sexual acts. She wouldn’t go into different rooms, she’d make sure I was in the room before she started anything, and she would do it deliberately to make me watch her, you know, I got to hate it.”

While Lucas was wrongly treated by his mother, Michael Wayne McGray, the Canadian serial killer, and Albert De Salvo, the Boston Strangler, were abused by their fathers. De Salvo’s father used to beat his wife and son regularly. Albert witnessed his father breaking bones of his mother’s fingers one by one. McGray’s father, who was a violent alcoholic, used to beat animals regularly and encouraged his son to do the same. Peter Kurten, a German serial killer also had a troubled childhood. His father when drunk used to force his wife to have sex in front of their children. Their fathers were angry and cruel men and had serious problems dealing with their sexual and aggressive instincts.

The second group consisted of serial killers and mass murderers who grew up in loving and caring families and were usually spoiled or over-indulged. They were generally successful in school and grew up with high ideals and dreams. But if as young adults their dreams were shattered because of socio-economic injustices or prejudices, they transformed into angry, resentful and revengeful people.

Mark Essex, an American, was raised in a middle class family and loved by his parents. He wanted to become a minister. During his stay in the navy, he faced a lot of prejudice and discrimination and was called a “nigger”. When he finally turned against white people, he killed nine and injured ten more by setting a hotel on fire.

Lay people might consider most modern serial killers and mass murderers “mad”, but in the view of mental health professionals only a small number show signs of schizophrenia; most of them in fact suffer from psychopathic personality disorder. They have no sense of remorse or guilt and are very self-centered and egotistical. Many of them are pathological liars. They are men with no conscience.

Although each serial killer and mass murderer has a unique set of motives, the most common motive is revenge. But their revenge is generalized. Rather than hurting or killing the person who hurt them, they generalize it to an entire group, whether women or whites or blacks or some other group. Edmund Kemper III wanted to hurt rich people, members of the upper class, as he believed he had suffered being poor. Mark Essex’s goal was to kill white people, as be believed he suffered racial discrimination. James Huberty targeted Hispanic people, shooting people indiscriminately in a McDonald’s restaurant in California, blaming them for his unemployment. Hatred towards women seems a common theme with many serial killers. Killers like Albert Desalvo and Theodor Bundy sexually abused women, used them as objects of lust and then destroyed them. It appears that their anger and hatred towards women was very deep rooted.

From a psychological perspective, for serial killers and mass murders, a human being becomes an abstraction, a symbol, a metaphor. They kill for the sake of killing. They turn killing into a destructive art and their hearts turn into stones.

Once that you’ve decided on a killing
First you make a stone of your heart.
And if you find that your hands are still willing
You can turn murder into art
(Synchronicity by The Police, 1983)

Javed Iqbal had written in his diary, “…our hearts have turned into stones”.
Javed Iqbal shared that he had orchestrated that scandal as he knew many secrets of the Pakistani police whom he considered corrupt. He was hoping that his story would receive international attention so that the Pakistani police would be investigated. I was also surprised to discover that many serial killers tell lies to achieve media attention and confess to murders that they have not committed, in order to become notorious.

On October 10th 2001, newspapers worldwide reported that Javed Iqbal had been found dead in his death cell. Some wondered whether he had committed suicide but after autopsy it was found that he had been strangled. It was widely felt that Javed Iqbal knew many secrets and his murder in prison was a safe way for the authorities involved to eliminate the evidence.

Javed Iqbal, like many other serial killers and mass murderers, had created such a web of lies and deceits that it was difficult to separate facts from fiction, fantasy from reality. He gradually transformed into a myth. The stories of Javed Iqbal Mughal and other serial killers and mass murderers offer us glimpses into the dark side of humanity and into the community to which they belong.

Shahrukh Khan gets a 'fatwa' on comments against Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H)

The Bandra police has filed a case against Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan for allegedly making comments about Prophet Mohammad but the actor said it is a writing error and not a thought or view that he believes in.

"We have registered an FIR against Shah Rukh Khan after we received an application from an advocate who alleged that the actor made some statements hurting the sentiments of Muslims," said senior police inspector of Bandra police station, Prakash George.

The complaint was registered against Shah Rukh and the publisher of the magazine in which the purported remarks were published.

Complainant Khalid Babu Querishi alleged that in the July issue of the ‘Time and Style’ magazine, Shah Rukh had used objectionable
language against the Prophet which is unacceptable," George said.

The case was registered under section 295-a (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious sentiments) and 34 (acts done by several persons with common interest) of IPC.
In a message, the actor who is currently abroad shooting for Karan Johar's "My Name is Khan", said that there is no more important figure in history than Prophet Mohammad. "Being a Muslim and standing up for the tenets of Islam is my most important agenda," he said.

The actor's response came a day after a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him.

Referring to protests on the issue, Shah Rukh said, "If they have seen my interviews about Islam and the Prophet, they should know that it is a writing error and not a thought or view I believe in."

He said, "for all practical purposes... Prophet Mohammad is the most important positive figure in Islam". Khan's statement will be recorded on his return from the US.

SRK effigy beaten with shoes


A large number of protesters put a garland of shoes round an effigy of film star, Shah Rukh Khan here to protest against his alleged "derogatory" remarks against Prophet Mohammed.

The protestors, gathered at Jehangirabad square after Friday prayers, beat up Shah Rukh's effigy with footwear to vent their anger with film star.

Later, they dispersed peacefully at the end of the protest which lasted about 30 minutes.

Shah Rukh in an interview to a magazine compared Prophet Mohammed with Adolf Hitler and Winston Churchill.

The controversy surrounding Shahrukh Khan's controversial comments on Prophet Mohammad refuses to die down. Now an Islamic seminary has issued a fatwa (legal ruling) against Bollywood star. The fatwa issued by Mufti Mohammed Shoeb Raza Qadri and Mufti Muti-ur-Rehman of the Darul-uloom-Mazhar-e- Islam who stated that the entire Muslim community was hurt by Shahrukh's comments.


Buzz up!Mufti Mohammed called Shahrukh a Kafir (non-believer) and said such person should be thrown out of Islam. He also said that in an Islamic state such remarks would have called for a death penalty against the accused. He also added that Shahrukh's marriage with Gauri was nullified and Shahrukh must not be allowed to be buried in any Muslim graveyard.


Bareilly-based Markazi Darul Ifta which is a authority for issuing fatwas however dismissed the fatwas issued by clerics. They stated that since Shahrukh has issued clarification that he was misrepresented in his alleged statements he should not be held guilty. Shahrukh has made the alleged comments in an interview given to the Time n Style Magazine.

Last week an NGO by the name of Mumbai Aman Committee had filed complain against Shahrukh for his comments. They had asked the police file a case under section 504 of the IPC (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace). Shahrukh Khan is currently in US shooting for Karan Johar's My Name Is Khan

BERMUDA TRIANGLE-DEVIL'S SEA

The Bermuda Triangle, sometimes known as the Devil's Triangle, is a 1.5-million-square-mile (4,000,000 kms) area of ocean roughly defined by Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and the southern tip of Florida. Some believe paranormal events occur in this region, in which the laws of physics no longer apply. Though these occurrences remain an enigma, something kind of electromagnetic anomaly does occur in this region which has affected ships and airplanes for centuries. One can only speculate based on reported events.


Located on the 80th degree longitude, the Bermuda Triangle is one of the two areas on Earth where a compass will point at true north rather than magnetic north. This compass variation can be as much as 20 degrees, enough to throw one catastrophically off course. The other is the Devil's Sea.

Devil's Sea - Devil's Triangle - Dragon's Triangle

The Devil's Sea is classified by many as having the same paranormal effects is Bermuda Triangle. It is located in a region of the Pacific around Miyake Island, about 100 km south of Tokyo. Although the name is used by Japanese fishermen, it does not appear on nautical maps. In popular culture, especially in the United States, the Devil's Sea is widely believed to be, together with Bermuda Triangle, an area where ships and planes particularly often disappear mysteriously. The Japanese, on the other hand, do not consider the Devil's Sea to be any more mysterious or dangerous than other coastal waters of Japan.

Contrary to several claims, neither the Devil's Sea nor the Bermuda Triangle is located on the agonic line, where the magnetic north equals the geographic north. The magnetic declination in this area is about 6°. As is the case with all things mysterious, there are many theories regarding the Devil's Sea. One of the most prominent is that there is a large amount of volcanic activity around the area, and an underwater volcano could obliterate a ship without a trace.


Electronic Fog

Many people have reported seeing portals opening in cloudy skies - strange swirling lights sometimes accompanied by sounds - temporal distortions - electromagnetic distortions called 'electronic fog' that can cause a time storm, and the disappearance of planes and ships. There is something about this fog that is important and gives one the sense of all things paranormal. Something unexplained is definitely happening in that region of the Atlantic. This goes back to ancient explorers such as Christopher Columbus and his crew who experienced the phenomenon.



Columbus and the Sargasso Sea

The Sargasso Sea is located in the east side of the triangle in the middle of the Atlantic. It houses a few small islands and masses of clumped floating seaweed. A warm water current within it swirls clockwise, affecting the weather of the area, keeping it calm and steamy. Having little wind, this area greatly affects unpowered ships.

Christopher Columbus wrote in his diary about this sea. In fact, it so fooled his crew that it almost led them to mutiny. There exists the possibility exists of never leaving this legendary sea, he wrote. Another fascinating feature he noted is its ability to draw things in from all over the Atlantic. Some even claim it to be the "catch-basin" of the Atlantic.

Columbus' crew was greatly disappointed when seaweed and land birds were sighted, but after a few days no land was to be seen. Soon after, Columbus wrote, My compass acts strangely. I will not report this to my crew because of their deep superstitions about the area. Days later, Columbus saw a large meteor fall from the sky. He wrote, A large ball of light has fallen from the sky. It is unsure whether he mentions this occurrence in awe, because of its great size, or in fright. Later on their journey, in that area, Columbus and several of his crew members sighted unexplained dancing lights on the horizon. They wandered around for over a week before finally sighting land.


Glowing Water

Aerial photos taken in 2005 show the phenomenon of glowing water. Whatever causes this phosphorescence to vent up from the Bahama Bank bottoms - if that is its cause - remains a mystery.

The Triangle's location in the Caribbean makes it subject to unpredictable weather patterns. This takes us to Earth changes and the excalation of intense hurricanes in 2005 with more to come in the years ahead.

These weather extremes prey on inexperienced navigators and smaller boats and planes. Water spouts, sudden electrical and thunder storms, and the like, can cause havoc in the area. The Gulf Stream can also be brutal in that region and perhaps has swept away evidence of natural disasters.


Naming the Devil's Sea and the Bermuda Triangle
The first mention of any disappearances in the area was made in 1950 by E.V.W. Jones as a sidebar on the Associated Press wire service regarding recent ship losses in the area. Jones' article notes the mysterious disappearances of ships, planes and small boats in the region, and ascribes it the name "The Devil's Sea."

It was mentioned again in 1952 in a Fate magazine article by George X. Sand, who outlined several strange marine disappearances.

The term "Bermuda Triangle" was popularized by Vincent Gaddis in a 1964 Argosy feature.

The area achieved its fame largely through the efforts of Charles Berlitz in his 1974 book The Bermuda Triangle. The book consists of a series of recountings of mysterious disappearances of ships and aircraft, in particular, the December 1945 loss of five U.S. Navy Avenger torpedo bombers, known as Flight 19.




The saga of Flight 19 started on December 5th, 1945. Five Avenger torpedo bombers lifted into the air from the Navel Air Station at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at 2:10 in the afternoon. It was a routine practice mission and the flight was composed of all students except for the Commander, a Lt. Charles Taylor.
The mission called for Taylor and his group of 13 men to fly due east 56 miles to Hens and Chicken Shoals to conduct practice bombing runs. When they had completed that objective, the flight plan called for them to fly an additional 67 miles east, then turn north for 73 miles and finally straight back to base, a distance of 120 miles. This course would take them on a triangular path over the sea.

About an hour and a half after the flight had left, a Lt. Robert Cox picked up a radio transmission from Taylor. Taylor indicated that his compasses were not working, but he believed himself to be somewhere over the Florida Keys (the Keys are a long chain of islands south of the Florida mainland). Cox urged him to fly north, toward Miami, if Taylor was sure the flight was over the Keys.

Planes today have a number of ways that they can check their current position including listening to a set of GPS (Global Positioning Satellites) in orbit around the Earth. It is almost impossible for a pilot to get lost if he has the right equipment and uses it properly.

In 1945, though, planes flying over water had to depend on knowing their starting point, how long and fast they had flown, and in what direction. If a pilot made a mistake with any of these figures, he was lost. Over the ocean there were no landmarks to set him right.

Apparently Taylor had become confused at some point in the flight. He was an experienced pilot, but hadn't spent a lot of time flying east toward the Bahamas which was where he was going on that day. For some reason Taylor apparently thought the flight had started out in the wrong direction and had headed south toward the Florida Keys, instead of east. This thought was to color his decisions throughout the rest of the flight with deadly results.

The more Taylor took his flight north to try to get out of the Keys, the further out to sea the Avengers actually traveled. As time went on, snatches of transmissions were picked up on the mainland indicating the other Flight 19 pilots were trying to get Taylor to change course. "If we would just fly west," one student told another, "we would get home." He was right.

By 4:45 P.M. it was obvious to the people on the ground that Taylor was hopelessly lost. He was urged to turn control of the flight over to one of his students, but apparently he didn't. As it grew dark, communications deteriorated. From the few words that did get through it was apparent Taylor was still flying north and east, the wrong directions.

At 5:50 P.M. the ComGulf Sea Frontier Evaluation Center managed get a fix on Flight 19's weakening signals. It was apparently east of New Smyrna Beach, Florida. By then communications were so poor that this information could not be passed to the lost planes.

At 6:20 a Dumbo Flying Boat was dispatched to try and find Flight 19 and guide it back. Within the hour two more planes, Martin Mariners, joined the search. Hope was rapidly fading for Flight 19 by then. The weather was getting rough and the Avengers were very low on fuel.

The two Martin Mariners were supposed to rendezvous at the search zone. The second one, designated Training 49, never showed up.

The last transmission from Flight 19 was heard at 7:04 P.M. Planes searched the area through the night and the next day. There was no sign of the Avengers.



Nor did the authorities really expect to find much. The Avengers, crashing when their fuel was exhausted, would have been sent to the bottom in seconds by the 50 foot waves of the storm. As one of Taylor's colleagues noted, they didn't call those planes 'Iron Birds' for nothing. They weighed 14,000 pounds empty. So when they ditched, they went down pretty fast.

What happened to the missing Martin Mariner? The crew of the SS Gaines Mill observed an explosion over the water shortly after the Mariner had taken off. They headed toward the site and there they saw what looked like oil and airplane debris floating on the surface. None of it was recovered because of the bad weather, but there seems little doubt this was the remains of the Mariner. The plane had a reputation as being a 'flying bomb' which would burst into flame from even a single, small spark. Speculation is that one of 22 men on board, unaware that the unpressurized cabin contained gas fumes, lit a cigarette, causing the explosion.

So how did this tragedy turn into a Bermuda Triangle mystery? The Navy's original investigation concluded the accident had been caused by Taylor's confusion. Taylor's mother refused to accept that and finally got the Navy to change the report to read that the disaster was for "causes or reasons unknown." This may have spared the woman's feelings, but blurred the actual facts.

The saga of Flight 19 is probably the most repeated story about the Bermuda Triangle. The planes, and their pilots, even found their way into the science fiction film classic, 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind.'

Where is Flight 19 now?

In 1991 five Avengers were found in 600 feet of water off the coast of Florida by the salvage ship Deep Sea. Examination of the planes showed that they were not Flight 19, however, so the final resting place of the planes, and their crews is still the Bermuda Triangle's secret.

Kusche's Research

Intrigued by the number of students coming to him looking for information about the Bermuda Triangle, Lawrence Kusche, a reference librarian with Arizona State University at the time of the "Flight 19" incident, began an exhaustive follow-up investigation of the original reports. His findings were eventually published in 1975 as The Bermuda Triangle Mystery: Solved.

Kusche's research revealed a number of inconsistencies between Berlitz's accounts and statements from eyewitnesses, participants, and others involved in the initial incidents. He noted cases where pertinent but late-arriving information went unreported. The Berlitz book included the disappearance of round-the-world yachtsman Donald Crowhurst as a mystery, despite clear evidence that Crowhurst had fabricated the accounts of his voyage, and that his diary strongly suggested he had committed suicide. An ore carrier Berlitz recounts as lost without trace three days out of an Atlantic port was actually lost three days out of a port of the same name in the Pacific Ocean. Kusche argues that a large percentage of the incidents attributed to the Bermuda triangle's mysterious influence actually occurred well outside it.

Kusche came to several conclusions:

With this area being one of the heaviest ship- and airplane-traveled areas in the world, the proportion of losses was no greater than anywhere else.


In an area with frequent tropical storms, the total disappearance of some ships was not unlikely or mysterious, and the number of such disappearances was exaggerated by sloppy research, when a missing boat would be reported in the press, but not its eventual return to port.
In actual disappearances, the circumstances were frequently misreported in the Bermuda Triangle books: the number of ships disappearing in supposedly still, calm weather did not jibe with press weather reports published at the time.

Methane hydrates


An explanation for some of the disappearances focuses on the presence of vast fields of methane hydrates on the continental shelves. A paper was published by the United States Geological Survey about the appearance of hydrates in the Blake Ridge area, offshore southeastern United States, in 1981. Periodic methane eruptions are capable of producing ship-sized bubbles, or regions of water with so much dissolved gas, that the fluid density is no longer capable of providing adequate buoyancy for ships to float. If this were the case, such an area forming around a ship could cause it to sink almost directly and without warning. Experiments have proven that a methane bubble can indeed sink a ship by decreasing the density of the water.

Methane gas can also crash planes. The less dense air causes planes to lose lift. Also, the altimeter of planes (the instrument that measures the altitude) functions on the density of air. Because methane is less dense, the altimeter assumes the plane is climbing. Planes at night or in the clouds, where they can't see the ground, assume that they are climbing and dive, causing them to crash. Also, methane in the engine throws off the mix of fuel and air. Aircraft engines burn hydrocarbons (gasoline or jet fuel) with oxygen provided by the air. When the ambient oxygen levels drop, combustion can stop, and the engine stalls. All of these effects of methane gas have been shown experimentally.

Freak Wave Theory

Research has shown that freak waves up to 30 m (100 feet) tall, capable of sinking the largest ships within moments, can and do happen. Although these are very rare, in some areas ocean currents mean they happen more often than the norm. Such waves have now been hypothesized as a cause for many unexplained shipping losses over the years.

The book was a best seller, and many interested readers offered theories to explain the nature of the disappearances. The list includes natural storms, transportation by extraterrestrial technology, high-traffic volumes (and correspondingly high accident rates), a "temporal hole," the lost Atlantis empire from the bottom of the ocean, and other natural and supernatural causes.
Paranormal Theories

Atlantis - Edgar Cayce
In 2005, as part of a Sci Fi Channel documentary on the Bermuda Triangle, researcher David Childress explored underwater artifacts called the Scott Stones which he and others believe is linked to Atlantis - one of its locations being the heart of the Bermuda Triangle. No one is certain what the 'stone looking' formations are. Chisel marks would have to be found for them to be determined as manmade, not to mention dating their age.

Edgar Cayce said that the Bahama Banks were the last part of Atlantis to sink, and the last place where these glorious advanced electromagnetic machines went below the ocean. He prophezied that elements of Atlantis would rise in 1968 and 1969. The Bimini Wall or Road was discovered off the coast of Bimini in 1968.

The electromagnetic anomalies in the area, Childress states, are linked to advanced technologies under the water in the Bermuda Triangle that are still active.

This goes to ancient mysteries, and perhaps ancient astronauts, about powerful Atlantean crystal technology developed being buried beneath the ocean floor when Atlantis sank into the sea due to cataclysmic events over 10,000 years ago.


Dr. Raymond's Brown's alleged experience
In 1970, Dr. Ray Brown, a naturopathic practitioner from Mesa, Arizona, went scuba diving with some friends near the Bari Islands in the Bahamas, close to a popular area known as the Tongue of the Ocean.

During one of his dives, Brown became separated from his friends and while searching for them he was startled when he came across a strange pyramid shape silhouetted against the aquamarine light.

Upon investigating further, Brown was surprised by how smooth and mirror-like was the stone surface of the whole structure, with the joints between the individual blocks almost indiscernible.

Swimming around the capstone, which Brown thought might have beenmade of lapis lazuli, he discovered an entrance and decided to explore inside. Passing along a narrow hallway, Brown finally came to a small rectangular room with a pyramid-shaped ceiling. He was totally amazed that this room contained no algae or coral growing on the inner walls. In addition, though Brown had brought no torch with him, the area was well lit by an unknown source.

Brown's attention was drawn to a brassy metallic rod three inches in diameter hanging down from the apex of the center of the room and at its end was attached a many-faceted red gem, which tapered to a point. Directly below this rod and gem, sitting in the middle of the room, was a stand of carved stone topped by a stone plate with scrolled ends. On the plate there was a pair of carved metal bronze-colored hands, life-sized, which appeared blackened and burnt, as if having been subjected to tremendous heat.

Nestled in the hands, and situated four feet directly below the ceiling rod gem point, was a crystal sphere four inches in diameter. Brown tried to loosen the ceiling rod and red gemstone but neither would budge. Returning to the crystal sphere, he found, to his amazement, that it separated easily from the bronze hand holders. With the crystal sphere in his right hand he then made his way out of the pyramid. As he departed, Brown felt an unseen presence and heard a voice telling him never to return.

Fearing, rightly, that his unusual prize might be confiscated as salvage-treasure by the American Government, Dr. Brown did not reveal the existence of his strange crystal sphere, nor did he relate his experiences until 1975, when he exhibited his crystal for the first time at a psychic seminar in Phoenix.

Since that time, the crystal sphere has made only a very few public appearances but on each occasion people who have seen it have experienced strange phenomena directly associated with it.

Deep inside the crystal form, one gazes upon three pyramidical images, one in front of the other, in decreasing sizes. Some people who enter a deep meditative state of consciousness are able to discern a fourth pyramid, in the foreground of the other three.

Reality is metaphoric. 3 or pyramid = third dimension. 4 = time. The colors red and brown symbolize the physical plane. Electrical - reality is created by electromagnetic grids.

Perhaps the positions of the three pyramidical images in the crystal sphere hold the long-sought key to finding a fourth, as yet unfound. Looking at the crystal sphere from the side, the internal images dissolve into thousands of tiny fracture lines. Brown felt that these may prove to be electrical in nature, like some form of microscopic circuitry. From yet another angle, and under special conditions, many people have been able to see a large single human eye staring out serenely at them. Photographs of this eye have allegedly also been taken.

Elizabeth Bacon, a New York psychic, claimed, while in trance, that the crystal sphere had once belonged to Thoth, the Egyptian God who was responsible for burying a secret vault of knowledge in Giza, near the three great Pyramids.

This theory at best is metaphoric in content, but the archetypes of pyramids, crystals, the ocean, Thoth [the scribe of our reality] and the Emerald Tablets, alchemy and other related files on Crystalinks, can help explain the metapohoric content of Brown's experience and perhaps some of your drams and visions.

Metaphors :: Rays = sun, sun gods, the eye - and on and on we go until one understands the nature of our reality as a virtual experience created through the mathematical blueprint called Sacred Geometry that repeats in cycles - spiral loops of consciousness called 'time' that is about to shift in frequency.

This links with current Earth changes across the planet.

Is there a core crystal - generating power to manifest our grid program in physical reality? Does it link to secrets hidden beneath the Great Pyramd and Sphinx - [chambers and caves are archetypes for the mind that experiences virtually] - crystals in time - the alleged hidden akashic records of our experience in third dimension - the core crystal about to burn out at which time our grid program evolves to higher frequency - and related theories that help humanity awaken to the nature of its creation?

One can only imagine discovering Atlantean technology, such as those found in the TV series 'Stargate Atlantis' - and learning the secrets of the Atlanteans - which - if they did exist in our physical reality - or perhaps a parallel grid that merges into ours - would bring answers sought after by alchemists through time. How ironic would it be to discover the fall of Atlantis as our reality sinks into the 'sea' of consciousness.




Comet Theory
The Comet Theory proposes that a comet, of unknown composition, crashed to Earth 11,000 + years ago and embedded itself in the area of the Bermuda Triangle, beneath the ocean floor. If such an object exists there, it could still possess electromagntic properties that we don't entirely understand causing the anomalies in the Bermuda Triangle. 11 goes to metaphors about 11:11 and 12 Around 1.




Conspiracy Theory and Government Cover-ups - AUTEC
The Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center is allegedly located in the Bermuda Triangle and is sometimes called Underwater Area 51. This US Navy Research Center is a top-secret facility whose exact mission statement is not known to the general public. No one is allowed to visit there or film in or near the facility. Conspiracy theorists suspect they make have created or reproduced these electromagnetic anomalies.

This theory takes the viewer to the events of the Philadelphia Experiment in 1943 - rips in space-time in the Atlantic region - government secret projects and more.


Skeptical Responses
Critics have charged that Berlitz, and others have exaggerated the "mysterious" aspects of some cases (Berlitz himself did not advocate any supernatural explanation), and argue that the Bermuda Triangle sees no more "disappearances" than any comparable area of the oceans. Of note, Lloyd's of London has determined the "triangle" to be no more dangerous than any other piece of the ocean, and does not charge unusual rates of insurance for passage through the area. Coast Guard records confirm this.

It is said that within this area a number of ships and planes have disappeared under highly unusual circumstances. The United States Coast Guard and others disagree with the assessment of paranormal activity, arguing that the number of incidents involving lost ships and planes is no larger than that of any other heavily traveled region of the world.

Skeptics comment that the disappearance of a train between two stops would be more convincing evidence of paranormal activity, and the fact that such things do not occur suggests that paranormal explanations are not needed for the disappearance of ships and airplanes in the far less predictable open ocean.

T20 World Cup ----Final Pictures

Venue of T20 Worldcup Final

Despite a major rebuilding programme in recent years, Lord's remains a cricket ground as opposed to the largely impersonal stadiums many other leading venues which have become. Playing in a Test at Lord's, still widely regarded as the home of cricket, remains to many cricketers the pinnacle of a career.

The third of Thomas Lord's grounds was opened in 1814 and soon became the major venue as cricket became the world's leading sport in the 19th century. While cricket has been overtaken by other international events, and the game itself has become overtly commercial, Lord's has retained its place as the spiritual home.

The ground is privately owned by the Marylebone Cricket Club (membership 18,000), is the home to the ECB and, from 1909 to 2005, the ICC.

The dominant building is the terracotta-coloured pavilion, built in 1890 and still one of world sport's most recognisable structures. Going round the ground in a clockwise direction, next to the pavilion is the Warner Stand, opened in 1958 and named after the eminent player and administrator Sir Pelham "Plum" Warner.

The main grandstand was built in 1997 and replaced the architecturally unique structure designed by Sir Herbert Baker which was opened in time for the 1926 Ashes Test. Baker presented MCC with Father Time, the weathervane which topped his creation until it was moved to the other side of the ground in 1996.

The far end - the Nursery - is enclosed by the Compton and Edrich Stands, a pair of low-level two-tier stands built in 1990 which are remarkably similar to those they replaced (which were known as the Free Seats on account of them being available to those who had paid the basic ground admission - entry to other areas required extra payment). Legend has it that Gubby Allen, MCC's long-time self-appointed guardian, steadfastly refused to allow any larger structure as it would have blocked the view of the Nursery and the tree-lined park on the other side of the Wellington Road.

The Nursery itself is named after Henderson's agricultural nursery which was acquired in 1887 (not, as widely believed, because it is home to the MCC Young Cricketers, hence the nursery for the game's next generation). It houses a second pitch which is used for end-of-season Cross Arrows matches as well as the women's Varsity match. The award-winning Mound Stand, was opened in 1987. Its predecessor , constructed in 1898, was on the site of the old tennis courts and at one time contained a bakery with a small underground railway to take produce to various points of sale.

The Tavern (1967) is the least distinguished of the stands and typifies the bland functionality of the 1960s. Until the late 1980s spectators could stand on the concourse in front of the stand and watch proceedings, but increasing rowdyism ended that. The previous Tavern, an ivy-clad building, was much loved by patrons.

The final stand before returning the the pavilion is the Allen Stand (formerly the Q Stand), a rather diminutive in-fill which serves as a pavilion overflow on big-match days and Middlesex's club room at other times.

Records and statistics

First Test England v Australia - Jul 21-23, 1884
Last Test England v West Indies - May 6-8, 2009

First ODI England v Australia - Aug 26, 1972
Last ODI England v South Africa - Aug 31, 2008

First T20I England v Netherlands - Jun 5, 2009
Last T20I England v India - Jun 14, 2009

UNSOLVED MYSTERY OF JAVED IQBAL

Javed Iqbal ( - 2001 )(Javed Iqbal Mughal) was a serial killer from Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. He claimed he killed 100 boys during an 18 month period.
He had been arrested in June 1998 for procuring the services of two boy prostitutes. He went off on bail, and began murdering boys shortly afterwards.

Iqbal found boys on the street, charmed them into his confidence, and then drugged and raped, and strangled them. He then cut the body into pieces and put them in a vat filled with hydrochloric acid. Once all of the remains were liquified, he dumped them. He first used the sewer, until neighbors complained of an acrid stench. He then decided to use the Ravi River. The partially liquified remains of two boys, one of whom was named Ijaz, were the only ones found of Iqbal's victims. He kept the rest in an acid drum outside his house. He also kept clothing and shoes as trophies of his crimes. When he got to his fiftieth victim, he started taking pictures of them.
In a confession, he said "it cost me 120 rupees (about $2.00 United States dollars) to erase each victim."
He sent information about his crimes to the Islamabad-based Daily Jang, the most circulated Urdu newspaper in Pakistan. He surrendered on December 30, 1999.
No one had noticed the disappearance of the boys that Iqbal killed. Iqbal claimed that he could have killed 500 if he had wanted to. He reportedly said "I am Javed Iqbal, killer of 100 children ... I hate this world, I am not ashamed of my action and I am ready to die. I have no regrets. I killed 100 children."
Iqbal was sentenced to death by hanging, although the judge said he would have liked Iqbal to be strangled 100 times, cut into 100 pieces, and put in acid.
Before this sentence could be carried out, he was found strangled with his bed sheets in his prison cell on October 7, 2001. One of his accomplices, Sajid, was also strangled. Pakistani authorities say that the men committed suicide. Another accomplice had previously fallen to his death from a CIA window.
Most people in Pakistan believe that the men were murdered. Autopsy results show that the two men were bleeding from the nose and mouth when they died. The results show that Sajid was beaten, and that several partially healed wounds inflicted by a blunt object were found on Iqbal's body. Prison guard Iftikar Husain reported that "I was asleep when the incident took place."
According to prison official Abdussattar Ajiz, Iftikar Husain didn't report the incident to his bosses immediately, and instead "untied the knots of the bed sheets, laid the bodies on the floor to create the impression that they were asleep. He did so to save his own skin." Liaquat Ali, Husain's relief, didn't check on the prisoners, who were found dead the next morning.
The case is still under investigation

SWING BOWLING

Swing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as swing bowlers. Swing bowling is generally classed as a subtype of fast bowling.
The essence of swing bowling is to get the cricket ball to deviate sideways as it moves through the air towards or away from the batsman. In order to do this, the bowler makes use of four factors:

The raised seam of the cricket ball
Asymmetry in the ball caused by uneven wear of its surface
The speed of the delivery
The bowler's action
The asymmetry of the ball is encouraged by the constant polishing of one side of the ball by members of the fielding team, while allowing the opposite side to deteriorate through wear and tear. Over time, this produces a marked difference in the aerodynamic properties of the two sides.

At speeds around 80 mph (around 130 km/h), the airflow around the ball is in transition between smooth, or laminar flow, and turbulent flow. At speeds of 90 mph (around 145 km/h) and above, all the flow is turbulent. A medium-pace bowler, working at 75 to 80 mph (around 120 to 130 km/h), takes advantage of this. In this critical region, the raised seam and other minor imperfections in the ball's surface can induce turbulence while air flowing over other parts of the ball remains laminar. Turbulent air separates from the surface of the ball later than laminar flow air, so that the separation point moves to the back of the ball on the turbulent side. On the laminar flow side it remains towards the front. The result is a net force in the direction of the turbulent side.

Thus by keeping the seam and roughness to one side, the bowler induces the ball to swing in that direction. Skilled bowlers can even make a ball swing one way, and then 'break' the other way upon bouncing, with an off cutter or leg cutter hand action.

The swing of a cricket ball is not caused by the Magnus effect, which gives rise to a force perpendicular to the axis of rotation (in this case up or down). The deviation of a swinging cricket ball is parallel to the axis of its rotation

Conventional swing

Typically, a swing bowler aligns the seam and the sides of the ball to reinforce the swing effect. This can be done in two ways:

Outswinger: An outswinger to a right-handed batsman can be bowled by aligning the seam slightly to the left towards the slips and placing the roughened side of the ball on the left. To extract consistent swing, a bowler can also rotate his wrist toward the slips while keeping his arm straight. To a right-handed batsman, this results in the ball moving away to the off side while in flight, usually outwards from his body.
Inswinger: An inswinger to a right-handed batsman can be bowled by aligning the seam slightly to the right and placing the roughened side of the ball on the right and towards leg slip. To extract consistent swing, a bowler can also rotate or "open up" his wrist towards leg slip. To a right-handed batsman, this results in the ball moving in to the leg side while in flight, usually inwards towards his body.
The curvature of swing deliveries can make them difficult for a batsman to hit with his bat. Typically, bowlers more commonly bowl outswingers, as they tend to move away from the batsman, meaning he has to "chase" the ball in order to hit it. Hitting away from the batsman's body is dangerous, as it leaves a gap between the bat and body through which the ball may travel to hit the wicket. Also, if the batsman misjudges the amount of swing, he can hit the ball with an edge of the bat. An inside edge can ricochet on to the wicket, resulting in him being out bowled, while an outside edge can fly to the wicket-keeper or slip fielders for a catch.

An inswinger presents relatively fewer dangers to the batsman, but can result in bowled or leg before wicket dismissals if the batsman misjudges the swing on the ball.

An inswinger combined with a yorker can be especially difficult for the batsman to defend against, especially if used as a surprise delivery after a sequence of outswingers.

It is a common belief amongst both players and fans that balls swing more in humid weather conditions, although no objective research exists to bear this out. There has been a distinct lack of left-arm swing bowlers in the game. Some of the more famous left-arm bowlers were Pakistan's Wasim Akram and Australia's Alan Davidson

Reverse swing

Pioneers and notable practitioners of reverse swing have mostly been Pakistani fast bowlers. Former Pakistan international Sarfraz Nawaz was the founder of reverse swing during the late 1970s, and he passed his knowledge on to former team-mate Imran Khan, who in turn taught the duo of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. The English pair of Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones are also well known for the ability to reverse swing the ball having been taught by Troy Cooley. The Indian pace duo of Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, coached by Venkatesh Prasad, used reverse swing, which enabled India to win the home series against Australia in 2008.

In the early days of reverse swing, Pakistani bowlers were suspected of ball tampering to achieve the conditions of the ball that allow reverse swing, but today they are considered to simply have been ahead of their time.

Normal swing occurs mostly when the ball is fairly new. As it wears more, the aerodynamics of the asymmetry change and it is more difficult to extract a large amount of swing.

When the ball becomes very old—around 40 or more overs old, it can begin to swing towards the polished side rather than the rough side. This is known as reverse swing (Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones have been known to produce reverse swing in balls as young as 15 overs old). Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma of India also managed to get the reverse swing as early as just 8 overs.Umar Gul of Pakistan also managed to get the reverse swing as early as just 12 overs. In essence, both sides have turbulent flow, but here the seam causes the airflow to separate earlier on one side. The result is always a swing to the side with the later separation, so the swing is away from the seam.

Reverse swing is difficult to achieve consistently, as it relies on uneven wear of the ball, tends to occur mostly in hot, dry weather conditions, and requires bowling at high speed. Normal swing can be achieved at relatively moderate bowling speeds, but only the fastest bowlers can regularly produce reverse swing.

Reverse swing tends to be stronger than normal swing, and to occur late in the ball's trajectory. This gives it a very different character from normal swing, and because batsmen experience it less often, they generally find it much more difficult to defend against. It is also possible for a ball to swing normally in its early flight, and then to reverse as it approaches the batsman. This can be done in two ways[citation needed]: one for the ball to reverse in the opposite direction to the original swing, giving it an "S" trajectory; and the other for it to reverse in the same direction making the swing even more pronounced. Either way it can be very devastating for the batsman: in the first instance, he is already committed to playing one way, which is often the wrong way to play swing in the opposite direction; and in the second instance, his stance will have conformed to dealing with the degree of expected swing and could leave him vulnerable to being caught behind, LBW or bowled. Two back to back deliveries from Wasim Akram, one of each type, were considered to be the turning point of the 1992 World Cup Final.

Controversy regarding reverse swing has never left modern cricket, as the Pakistani team was accused of ball tampering by the controversial Australian umpire Darrell Hair during the fourth test against England in 2006 when the ball began to reverse swing after the 50th over.[citation needed] His co-umpire Billy Doctrove fully supported him in this action. A hearing subsequently found that there was insufficient evidence to convict anyone of ball tampering.

Playing swing bowling

Playing swing bowling is considered to be the hallmark of a batsman's skill. While often a batsman will be encouraged to play defensively, in many instances he may be skilled enough to attack.

A batsman often needs to anticipate beforehand what the ball will do and adjust accordingly to play swing bowling. This can be done by observing the bowler's grip and action (which may have a marked difference depending on which type of swinger is to be delivered), by observing the field set, which may depend on the types of deliveries expected (as a rule outswingers will have more slips assigned) or by means of prior knowledge of the bowler; many can bowl or are proficient in only one type of swing.

Since reverse occurs at faster speeds, later in the trajectory of the ball and with no real obvious change in action and grip (Waqar Younis from Pakistan for example had the same action and grip for nearly all his deliveries, batsmen with a quick eye and reflexes will do well. Also, Waqar Younis employed the technique of covering the ball with his hands during his run up to hide the grip. In his autobiography Wasim Akram mentions three batsmen— Brian Lara, Aravinda De Silva, and Martin Crowe —who had such reflexes and who were exceedingly difficult to bowl to.

Pakistan In SEMI FINAL

Pakistan beat Ireland by 39 runs at the Oval to increase their chances of reaching the semi-finals.

Ireland's target of 160 always seemed out-of-reach for the Irish against an ever-improving bowling attack, with Saeed Ajmal (4-19) and Umar Gul (2-19) to the fore on this occasion.

Niall O'Brien (7) top-edged an attempted pull straight back to Mohammad Aamer, who took a steepling catch off his own bowling.

Ireland reached 37-1 at the end of their Powerplay, with just three boundaries, as they struggled to make the most of the period before spin entered the equation.

Predictably, Shahid Afridi then struck with his fifth delivery when Paul Stirling, making his first appearance of the tournament, missed a sweep and was bowled for 17.

At the midway stage, Ireland had reached 66-2, leaving an unlikely 94 to get off the last 10 overs.

Gul, the five-wicket hero against New Zealand, came into the attack in the 12th over with the run-rate continuing to mount up for the Irish.

The pace man's initial spell lasted just one over on this occasion before Saeed Ajmal replaced him at the Pavilion End.

The off-spinner struck an instant blow when Will Porterfield (40) chipped a timid effort to extra cover.

Umar then swapped ends, conceding just one run from his second over, to leave an improbable 71 needed from the last five overs.

Wickets tumbled at regular intervals in the closing overs with Ajmal and Gul inflicting an Irish collapsed from 87-2 to 120-9 at the end of their 20 overs.

Pakistan had earlier reached 159-5 after winning the toss.

The batting side started tentatively but Kamran Akmal roused their supporters with the first two sixes of the innings, over midwicket and straight back past the bowler, during a Trent Johnston over, his second, that leaked 20 runs.

By contrast, Boyd Rankin's first three overs cost just seven runs as he discomforted both Pakistan openers with his steepling bounce.

Alex Cusack replaced Johnston (2-0-29-0 at that stage) and made the breakthrough with his fourth ball when Shahzaib Hasan (23) mistimed a drive to mid-off.

Pakistan opted to promote Afridi up the order, having shown signs of a return to batting form in the last match against New Zealand, and the ploy paid dividends with a quickfire 24 (off 13 balls) from the all-rounder.

Off-spinner Kyle McCallan then claimed the wicket of Afridi in his first over when the batsman holed out to long-on.

Johnston's return to the attack was no more effective than his earlier spell as he conceded 12 from his third over to usher Pakistan close to 100.

Akmal brought up the three figures, in the 13th over, with a delightful extra-cover drive to the boundary off Regan West.

The left-armer then removed the Pakistan captain Younus Khan two balls later when he spun one in between his bat and pad, with the right-hander going for a sweep, and bowled him for 10.

Akmal reached his 50 off 46 balls (4 x 4/1 x 6) at the start of the 16th over as Pakistan looked to push on for an imposing total.

Johnston finally got some revenge for a distressing spell of bowling (4-0-45-1) when he yorked Akmal (57) off his penultimate ball.

Misbah-ul-Haq (20) belted the largest six of the innings, over long-on, but McCallan (2-26) removed the veteran two balls later when he got an inside-edge onto his pad and wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien took a diving catch.

Rankin came back for his last over - the 19th - and carried on where he left off at the top of the innings to finish with the stand-out analysis of 4-0-11-0.

Abdul Razzaq (15 not out 9 balls) brought up the 150 with an unerring straight drive as 13 came off the last over from Cusack.

Pakistan end their Super Eights campaign with two victories from three matches, meaning a win for Sri Lanka in their last game against New Zealand tomorrow would guarantee progress for both sides. A win for New Zealand would leave three teams level on four points and the semi-finalists to come out of Group F being decided on run-rate