முகவீணை ~ Mukha Veena at Kuram Temple

 

Sound of music –  an odd looking Nadaswaram !!    ~  காற்றில் மிதந்து வரும் இசையில் இங்கே ஒரு காற்று கருவி.

 

At every Temple – the air is vibrant as there is divine music in the ear as one nears Temple !  - this is music in the air  - a wind instrument, one that fascinates in an art form where generally melody instruments dominate !  

A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator (usually a tube) in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into (or over) a mouthpiece set at or near the end of the resonator. The pitch of the vibration is determined by the length of the tube and by manual modifications of the effective length of the vibrating column of air. In the case of some wind instruments, sound is produced by blowing through a reed; others require buzzing into a metal mouthpiece, while yet others require the player to blow into a hole at an edge, which splits the air column and creates the sound.  

Nadaswaram & Thavil is regular combo in Temples; at Thiruvallikkeni –  this has the name of Veena but is more of a mini-Nadaswaram.

அண்மையில் கூரம் திருக்கோவில் - ஸ்ரீ கூரத்தாழ்வான் உத்சவம் சேவிக்க சென்ற போது - இந்த மங்கள இசை கேட்டேன்.  இடம் :  திருக்கச்சி அருகே உள்ள கூரம் கிராமம் - ஸ்ரீ ஆதிகேசவ பெருமாள் கோவில் -  முக வீணை இசை - கலைஞர் :  லிவிங்ஸ் மணிகண்டன்

துளைக்கருவி (Aerophones) என்பன   காற்றைப் பயன்படுத்தி, துளையிடப்பட்ட குழல் வழியே ஒலியை எழுப்பும் தொன்மையான இசைக்கருவிகள் ஆகும். மூங்கில், உலோகம் அல்லது மரத்தினால் செய்யப்பட்டு, புல்லாங்குழல், நாதசுரம், கிளாரினெட் போன்றன  இதற்கு முக்கிய உதாரணங்களாகும். வண்டு துளைத்த மூங்கில் குழல் வழி காற்றுச் செல்லும்போது எழுந்த ஓசையைக் கேட்டு, இதன் அடிப்படை உருவானதாகக் கருதப்படுகிறது.

 

இங்கே காண்பது முகவீணை. பெயரில் வீணையை தாங்கி இருந்தாலும் இது சிறிய நாதஸ்வரம் போன்றதே.  இது கிட்டத்தட்ட வட இந்திய ஷெனாய்  போன்றது.  வட இந்தியாவில் ஷெனாய்  மங்களவாத்தியம் அனால் .  தென்னிந்தியாவிலோ, ஷெனாய் சோகமான இசையையே அதிகமாக காட்டுவதாக உள்ளது.

முகவீணை (Mukha Veena) என்பது நாதசுவரத்தின் ஆதி வடிவமாகக் கருதப்படும், சுமார் 1½ அடி உயரம் கொண்ட ஒரு பண்டைய துளைக் கருவி.  கட்டைக்குழல் என்றும் அழைக்கப்படும் இது, மதுரை, விருதுநகர், தூத்துக்குடி பகுதிகளில் அரிதாகப் பயன்பாட்டில் உள்ளது. பெயர் வீணை என்றாலும், இது காற்றினால் இசைக்கப்படும் ஷெனாய் போன்ற ஒரு தந்தி வாத்தியம் அல்லாத கருவியாகும்.  குட்டையானது மற்றும் சிறியது. துளைகளுடன் கூடிய குழல் அமைப்பு கொண்டது. இது பரவலாகப் பயன்பாட்டில் உள்ள பாரி நாதசுவரத்திற்கு முந்தைய ஆதி வடிவம் என்றும் கூறப்படுகிறது.  இக்கலை மிகவும் அரிதாகி வரும் நிலையில், சில கலைஞர்களால் மட்டுமே தற்போது வாசிக்கப்படுகிறது. நம் திருவல்லிக்கேணி ஸ்ரீபார்த்தசாரதி திருக்கோவிலில் இராப்பத்து முடிந்து எம்பெருமான் பனிப்போர்வையுடன் சந்நிதிக்கு திரும்பும் போது இந்த வாத்யம் இசைக்கப்படுகிறது.

The mukha veena  is a smaller version of the nadaswaram, generally  about a foot and a half in length. Curiously the name “mukhavina” literally translates to “mouth – veena”.  The bell is made of wood, and the reed assembly is a diminutive form of the nadaswaram’s

Here is a video taken at Kooram temple and couple of photos of the thirukkovil Nadaswaram artiste Livings Manikandan.

Regards – S Sampathkumar
4.2.2026

 

 

Cows of Triplicane

 

Cows of Triplicane

 

good photography is about angles and subject lines

some famous theatres - Madurai Thangam, Thanga Regal; Trichy Kalaiarangam

Though I am not greatly enthused by Cinema – I am attracted by the many theatres  that dot(ted) Mount Road – [from : Santhi, Anna,  Devi complex, Alankar, Wellington, Plaza, Alankar, Midlands, Anand, Saffire and more..] In Kakinada, there was the Cinema road, which housed so many cinema theatres.  The older ones of Chennai  would include Crown Talkies ,Murugan Talkies,  Gaiety, Casino, Chtira, Paragon, Wellington, New Elphinstone, Minerva, Star – and I had posted about Padmanabha theatre in Walltax road (V.O. Chidambaram Stret)

Madurai on the banks of River Vaigai is a great place closely associated with Tamil literature – the place of Tamil sangams.  The land of Pandiyas and Thirumalai Nayak which has a bench of Madras High Court is often portrayed in Tamil films for its violence and depicted as though people roam with arivals !

In this part of the World, Cinema is a powerful medium – many of the heroes nurture political ambition as some has encashed their online popularity into votes and political power.  Cinema is capable of bringing together people from different strata of society – not providing entertainment but even nurturing their political ambition.

In a recent visit – saw a building being demolished [very common in any other city] – what was uncommon was that the vast tract of land [which reportedly is in some legal dispute] once housed the famous ‘Thangam Theatre’ credited as the largest cinema hall in Asia during its inception, and hence a popular landmark.  The cinema hall, located on the West Perumal Maistry Street, could seat 2,563 persons officially, spread over more than 52,000 square feet, and which gave the movie-goers a unique visual experience because of its technically superior structure.  The huge hall which once housed thousands of persons cheering their heroes is no more …  Thangam Theatre had drawn crowds from distant places in Madurai and nearby areas.  Film buffs recall that Parasakthi, released in 1952, and Nadodi Mannan in 1958 were mega hits. A critic pointed out that Thangam was goldmine for the distributors who wanted quick collection but not the preferred one for Stars due to its capacity.

And nearer the Railway Station – saw another – touted to be the oldest one – ‘Thanga Regal’ theatre – which in colonial times was a conference hall equipped with library named Victoria hall.  Established in 1902, it perhaps was the first of the closed auditoriums.  It is known for its architecture too. 

Jumping to the nearby Trichy [Trichinolopy Jn] – there obviously are many here too.  Nearer the Trichy bus stand / Railway station, saw this theatre which looked quite neat and attractive.  It is Kalai Arangam theatre.  It is stated that the premises comprises of a vacant land of an extent of 2.5 acres and a constructed building area of 34200 sq.ft. known as the Kalaiarangam in the heart of Trichy belonging to the State.  The said land was under the administrative control of the then Municipality of Trichy (now Corporation of Tiruchirapalli).  According to a report in 1962, the Dist Collector organised a cattle fair and generated a surplus of revenue.  An association was formed and regularly the place was rented out.  Today, it is a movie hall of 1260 capacity sporting a smart look, an airconditioned one at that.

To those who have been born and brought up in Metropolis – it is quite an experience to go for a movie in a village theatre, more so, if it were to be a ‘touring talkies’………. [do they exist now ?]

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

5^th Nov. 2014.

Miss Honduras gets killed without getting to Miss World Pageant

Honduras  is a republic in Central America. It was at times referred to as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize. Honduras was home to several important Mesoamerican cultures, most notably the Maya, prior to being conquered by Spain in the sixteenth century.  Once part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras became an independent nation in 1821. After two and a half decades of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to power in 1982.  The country is in news – for wrong reasons.

The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant, created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. The winner spends a year travelling to represent the Miss World Organisation and its various causes. The current Miss World is Megan Young of the Philippines who was crowned on September 28, 2013 in Bali, Indonesia. Traditionally Miss World lives in London during her reign.

This post is about the girl who would have flown to London to compete in the Miss World pageant the high point of her reign as Miss Honduras. Sadly, it is not to happen - the beauty queen and her sister were found shot dead on a remote river bank, and police said the sister’s boyfriend confessed to killing them in a jealous rage over his girlfriend dancing with another man. Bodies believed to be 19-year-old Maria Jose Alvarado and her 23-year-old sister, Sofia, were discovered buried near the spa where they disappeared a week earlier while celebrating the boyfriend’s birthday. At some point during the night of November 13, 2014, a heated argument broke out and Plutarco Ruiz pulled a gun, firing first at his girlfriend and then at Alvarado as she tried to flee, said National Police director, Gen. Ramon Sabillon. Alvarado was hit twice in the back.  Alvarado was to have boarded a flight to London to compete in the Miss World pageant, the winner of which will be crowned on December 14.

The sisters’ mother, Teresa Munoz, told Televicentro  that  her daughters were trusting and naive. “They were not very astute about assessing the people around them. They were just friendly,” Ms. Munoz said. “They were going out with people they hadn’t known very long.”  In connection to crime, Ruiz’s brother reportedly had  met a violent end, gunned down in a restaurant in San Pedro Sula in February by men carrying AK47s.

The shooting deaths of Alvarado and her sister highlight what experts call an alarming trend of violence against women in Central America, fuelled by poverty, domestic violence, street gangs, drug trafficking and a culture of chauvinism. According to a report by the United Nations, murders of women and girls in Honduras increased by 263 per cent between 2005 and 2013. The country has the highest murder rate in the world for a country not at war, with an estimated 90 to 95 killings per 100,000 people. An official is quoted as saying that a lot of girls die this way, but because they’re not famous, it doesn’t get the attention and the crimes go unpunished. 

Beauty pageants are popular in Latin America, where the winners are viewed as celebrities and often go on to become entertainers. The winner of this year Maria Jose Alvarado has died without ever getting a chance to further her reputation.

Koyal Rana, an Indian model was crowned Femina Miss India 2014 beauty pageant and will represent India in Miss World 2014 which is to be  held in London.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

20^th Nov. 2014.

cholakollai bommai ............ and robo scarecrow !

The modern day couple happily living together have no time to cook and most of the fab food is bought from outside, eaten at big hotels or ready made food in packets. Various brands of varied fried items rule the roost.   Till a few decades ago, people used to do lot of things at home – those found in abundance during a particular period would be processed, dried and kept in some for future use – that way the open storey on top house would be used for drying food items [varral, vadam and more…] women and children would sit with some protection from hot sun to ensure that crows, small birds and squirrel do not eat these food stuffs.  They would keep some make shift structure, at times torn black Umbrellas to scare away the birds !

Heard the song ‘Kurukku Chiruthavale’ in  Shankar’s hit film  Mudhalvan starring Arjun, Manisha Koirala.    The theme was the ‘One day CM’ the offer made by the politician Raguvaran who when cornered by the questions of ambitious TV journalist, Pughazhendi (Arjun).  Being a hero, sure he will have to run around the heroine and one such song is this – this song sung by Hariharan and Mahalakshmi Iyer will have the background of scarecrows !

Scarecrow essentially is a decoy,  traditionally, a human figure dressed in old clothes and placed in fields by farmers to discourage birds such as crows or sparrows from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.  In Tamil it is popularly called ‘Cholakollai bommai’ – the doll in the cornfield – pot would usually be the head,  stuffed with rice-straw and covered with old torn shirts, pants and more. 

Away in UK there is the ‘festival for the scarecrows’  taking place every year at Lancashire.  In the village of Orton, Eden, scarecrows are displayed each year, often using topical themes such as a Dalek exterminating a Wind turbine to represent local opposition to a wind farm.   It takes place in other places like Staffordshire, Scotland, North Ayrshire and more.   In the USA, St. Charles, Illinois hosts an annual "Scarecrow Festival".  In the valley region of Nova Scotia, Canada there reportedly are scarecrows with pumpkin heads doing various things such as playing the fiddle or riding a wooden horse. Cats and pigs made from pumpkins are also present.

This one reported in MailOnline is technology at its best.  It is machines shooting long-range laser beams to scare birds and they  sweep at random across an area from 200 acres to 3,000 acres.   It is a war that has been raging since the beginning of agriculture, but now farmers have a new weapon in the battle to keep birds from eating their crops - laser shooting robots. Farmers in Holland have been trialling a new type of scarecrow that fires green laser beams across fields to keep birds away from crops. The system, called Agrilaser, uses an automated robot that can be programmed to sweep lasers at random across areas ranging from 200 acres to more than 3,000 acres.

Researchers have been developing the robotic scarecrow in an attempt to produce bird repellents that are more socially acceptable than noise based methods that are commonly used. Most farmers combine these loud noises, usually from propane canons or firecrackers, with traditional scarecrows that mimic the shape of humans, to keep birds away from their crops. It appears the Dutch are at the cutting edge of zany uses for laser technology.  They have tested the lasers successfully  at speeds of up to 50mph and hope it could eventually make the old excuse of leaves on the line for delays a thing of the past.  The new device, developed by Dutch bird control researchers at the Centre for Agriculture and Environment, in Culemborg, Holland, chases birds away with no noise.

The trajectory of the lasers can be programmed from a laptop and it then makes random sweeps across fields. Tests at an apple and pear orchard saw losses due to birds almost entirely disappear over a three week period, according to Arnold Bosgoed, the farmer who has been trialing the system. Gijs Kuneman, director of CLM, said: 'The damage caused in the fruit industry by birds is well known and seems to be increasing. 'It can lead to substantial reduction in production. The smallest hole in a pear means it can rot and infect the whole crate. 'We've been looking for different methods of chasing the birds away with as little disturbance as possible. Mr Kuneman added that the system worked by creating the impression of movement on the field, which scares the birds away without harming them. 'We tested it on crows - jackdaws and rooks - and they were all scared away. They tend to be the smartest birds so if it works on them it should work on other birds.

The system is random so there is no pattern the birds can discern. They say that in  a densely populated country like the Netherlands there is already much light pollution so it probably will not lead to many complaints.  Once programmed, the robotic laser, can be left to scare birds away through the day and night while fruit ripens. It is hoped the device will save farmers a great deal of money

Really enticing technology indeed !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

9^th Dec 2o14.

Pelicans in the thames of Chennai !!

Pelicans. சாம்பல் கூழைக்கடா அல்லது மத்தாளிக் கொக்கு  

Pelicans (genus Pelecanus) are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before swallowing. They have predominantly pale plumage, except for the brown and Peruvian pelicans.

With their distinctive stocky build and unique bills, pelicans are birds that have been a symbol of popular culture since medieval times, appearing in art and on coats of arms. The American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) can have a wingspan of up 9.5 feet. That’s about two feet wider than the more commonly seen brown pelican’s wingspan.    

Storm Boy is a 2019 Australian drama family film based on the 1964 novella by Colin Thiele of the same name.    Thiele's novel was previously adapted in 1976. Based on the book, Storm Boy follows a young boy growing up on a largely uninhabited coastline of Southern Australia. He rescues three orphan pelicans and forms a close bond with them.

கூழைக்கடா (Pelican) என்பது (பெலிக்கனிடே) கூழைக்கடாக் குடும்பத்தைச் சேர்ந்த ஒரு பறவை. இப்பறவையை   மத்தாளிக் கொக்கு என்றும் அழைக்கின்றனர்.    கூழைக்கடா (Pelican) என்பது (பெலிக்கனிடே) கூழைக்கடாக் குடும்பத்தைச் சேர்ந்த ஒரு பறவை. இப்பறவையை   மத்தாளிக் கொக்கு என்றும் அழைக்கின்றனர்.   பறவைகள்   திக்கு எட்டும் சுதந்திரமாக பறந்து திரிகின்றன.  கூழைக்கடாக்கள் பறக்கும் பறவைகளில்  பெரிய நீர்ப் பறவை.  இதன் தசை கெட்டியாக இல்லாமல், மென்மையாகக் கூழ் போன்று இருப்பதாலும், கிடா போன்று பெரிதாக இருப்பதாலும் இதைக் கூழைக்கடா என அழைக்கிறார்களளாம்.  இவற்றின் சிறகுகளின் நீளம் 2.7 மீ. வரை இருக்கக்கூடும்.  

மலைகளிலும் அதுசார்ந்த குறிஞ்சிநிலப் பகுதிகளிலும் வாழ்ந்த குடிகளின் பெண்களான குறத்தியர் பாடும் பாடல்களால் ஆனது குறவஞ்சி. திருக்குற்றாலக் குறவஞ்சி தமிழ்ச் சிற்றிலக்கியங்களுள் ஒன்று. தமிழ்நாட்டின் தென்கோடியில் தென்காசிக்கு அருகில் அமைந்திருக்கும் குற்றாலம்  ஊரின் சிறப்பைப் புகழ்ந்து அங்குள்ள ஈசரான குற்றாலநாதரைப் போற்றி, தெய்வக் காதல்  அமைத்துப் பாடப்பெற்ற நூல் ஆகும்.  இங்கே  குறும்பலா மரத்தின் அடியில் ஈசன்  சிவபெருமான் எழுந்து அருளி உள்ளான். இவருக்கு திரிகூடநாதர் என்ற பெயரும் உண்டு. இந்த நூலின் ஆசிரியர் திரிகூடராசப்பக் கவிராயர் ஆவார். இவர் பிறந்த இடம் திருநெல்வேலி மாவட்டத்தைச் சார்ந்த மேலகரம் என்பது ஆகும். இந்த நூலில் 128 பாடல்கள் உள்ளன.

வாட்டமில்லாப் பண்ணைப் பாட்டப் புறவெல்லாம்

குருகும் நாரையும் அன்னமுந் தாராவும்

கூழைக் கடாக்களும் செங்கால் நாரையும் – .. ..  

திரிகூடநாதர் பண்ணை,பாட்டம், புறவு நிலங்கள் எல்லாவற்றிலும் குருகு, நாரை, அன்னம், தாரா, கூழைக்கடா, செங்கால் நாரை போன்ற பறவைகள் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ளன.

Here are 3 Pelicans swimming in the thames of Chennai (Coovum river) – inverted picture, you may have observed.  

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
3/2/2026

 

  

Gopalakrishna Gokhale at Chennai

 

Marina beach has many statues.  .. .. You may not  have observed this statue inside Madras University Complex  in front of the Senate house opposite to present MGR / Jayalalithaa samadhi at Marina beach .. .. .. the man Gopala Krishna Gokhale.

 

  Gokhale    (1866 – 1915)  was a social reformer and a leader of the moderate faction of Indian  Independence Movement. Gokhale was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and the founder of the Servants of India Society.  Gokhale campaigned for Indian self-rule and for social reforms. 

 

Photo of Gokhale taken this evening  … .. a Black Kite (Milvus migrans) [Parunthu] perched on the statue.

 
S Sampathkumar
2.2.2026

rangarattinam ........... giant wheel

 

how brave are you (if this counts as  a measure of braveness) .. .. giant-wheel

(I would fear its maintenance as also fear of heights)

- people enjoying makes everyone happy too ..

budding photographer !!

 

 

 

photographers are of same genre ~ total concentration and firm belief that output is going to be good ... at Thiruvallikkeni : generation gap  

he is not taking a selfie – he is trying to take photo of Azhwar (pic of 2018)

Water lilies ~ வெள்ளத்தனைய மலர்நீட்டம்

 

வெள்ளத் தனைய மலர்நீட்டம் மாந்தர்தம்

உள்ளத் தனையது உயர்வு.

 

திருவள்ளுவரின் திருக்குறள்    595  - பொருட்பால்  ; அதிகாரம்-  ஊக்கமுடைமை   

Picture of water lilies (Nymphaea) and their large, floating green lily pads in a tranquil pond setting. Water lilies are aquatic plants belonging to the genus Nymphaea. They are rooted in the mud at the bottom of the pond, with their leaves and flowers growing through the water and floating on the surface.

 

நீரின் அளவுக்கேற்பத் தாமரைத் தண்டு நீண்டு மலர்வது போல, மக்களின் வாழ்க்கையின் உயர்வு அவர்களின் மன ஊக்கத்தின் அளவைப் பொறுத்தே அமையும். அதாவது, மன உறுதி மற்றும் முயற்சி (ஊக்கம்) அதிகமாக இருந்தால், வாழ்க்கையில் உயர்வான நிலையை அடைய முடியும். 

அல்லி (Water lily).  அல்லி அல்லது ஆம்பல் என்பது நீரில் வளரும் ஒரு கொடியும் அதில் பூக்கும் மலரின் பெயரும் ஆகும்.  இவை குளம், பொய்கை, நீர்ச்சுனைகள் மற்றும் மெதுவாக ஓடும் ஆறுகளில் காணப்படுகின்றன. அல்லி இனத்தில் சுமார் 50 வகையான கொடிகள் உள்ளன. அல்லிப் பூக்கள் பொதுவாக இரவில் மலர்ந்து காலையில் இதழ்களை மூடிக்கொள்ளும் (கூம்பும்). 

 திருவாரூர் தியாகராஜர் கோயிலில் வீற்றிருக்கும் அம்மனின் (பராசக்தி) திருநாமம்  - அல்லியங்கோதை.  இவர் திருவாரூர் தியாகராஜசுவாமி ஆலயத்தில் உள்ள மூலஸ்தானத்து பெருமான் புற்றிடங்கொண்டாருக்கு போகசக்தியாக வழிபடப்படுகிறார்.

 
Interesting !
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
2.2.2026

Paki boycotting WC ... what will happen !!

Pakistan will boycott their game against India at the 2026 T20 World Cup. A post issued by the Government of Pakistan's official X account said the government had granted permission to the Pakistan team to travel to Sri Lanka for the tournament. However, it said that "the Pakistan cricket team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15 February 2026 against India". 

The statement did not specify a reason for that decision.  The India-Pakistan fixture is by far the most lucrative - and usually most-watched - game of any ICC tournament. To capitalise on that, the ICC have ensured the two teams are always in the same group of any ICC event since 2012, even as worsening diplomatic relations between the two nations means they have not played a bilateral fixture in 14 years.   

Pakistan's participation, or the extent of it, at the 2026 T20 World Cup had been thrown into doubt by PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi after Bangladesh were removed from the tournament on January 24 following their refusal to play in India due to security concerns. Pakistan was the only country vocally supportive of Bangladesh's request for alternate venue, and reacted to their removal by accusing the ICC of double standards favouring India. He said the government would ultimately decide whether Pakistan were to take part in the tournament. Two days later, Naqvi, who met Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, said he had been advised to keep all options open to resolve the issue.   

Speculation had been mounting that Pakistan would stop short of a total boycott of the tournament, and hone in specifically on the game against India. 

It appears an ill-calculated, short-sighted move.  Pakistan are in Group A along with India, Namibia, Netherlands and USA, and are playing all their matches in Sri Lanka, which is a co-host of the tournament.  They think that anyway they may lose to India and could still quality beating the minions – Namibia, Netherlands and USA.    

Pakistan will forfeit the two points from their game against India if they boycott the fixture ..  .. and will they continue their foolish stand, if they qualify for the next level when the matches would have to be played in India, respective of the opponent.  

Besides the points lost, ICC's Playing Conditions dictate that Pakistan's net run rate will be hit by the forfeiture, but India's will remain unaffected. Clause 16.10.7 states that in the event of a forfeit, "the net run rate of the defaulting team shall be affected in that the full 20 overs of the defaulting team's innings in such forfeited match shall be taken into account in calculating the average runs per over of the defaulting team over the course of the relevant portion of the competition."

 

For a Country that remains in financials ruins – the decision is bound to affect very badly economically too.  Financial fines are likely on the PCB, plus possible reductions in ICC revenue share. Further sanctions could include PSL commercial restrictions, foreign player limits in the league, Asia Cup exclusion, or bilateral series suspensions. Broadcasters may sue PCB for up to $38 million in losses from the high-profile clash. Broader economic fallout for Pakistan cricket includes diminished global revenue and sponsorship risks.       The ICC may withhold Pakistan's share of annual revenue, estimated at approximately $34.5 million, as a direct penalty for breaching the Member Participation Agreement. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) risks losing performance-linked incentives and participation fees ranging from $500,000 to $1 million.   

Things do look bleak for the Nation in financial ruins.  Pakistan's political stability index worsened to -2.06 in 2024 (on a -2.5 to 2.5 scale), reflecting broad instability. While PM Shehbaz Sharif claimed economic stability in late January 2026, analysts describe the nation as on the brink amid intertwined crises.

 

Meantime, Bulawayo, Pakistan won a crucial toss   as they looked to beat India by a significant margin in order to make the semi-finals of the Under-19 World Cup. Pakistan, with four points in their bag, were two behind the undefeated India.   India set a target of 251 and  Pakistan had  to chase a target of 251 in about 33.2 overs to make the semi-final. 

The match ended India’way as Ind U19 beat Pakis by 58 runs, a handsome margin.   Earlier Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made 30, Ayush Mhatre was dismissed for a duck, Vedant Trivedi made 68 while Kanish Chouhan boosted the final target making 35.   At a time when Pak were in some control, Ayush Mhatre came about and took apart the middle order. Spin took over and India never looked back 

Reminiscing some history  -  in  the 1992 Cricket World Cup, a loss to England in their group stage match would have almost certainly eliminated Pakistan, as it would have left them with only 5 points from 7 matches, placing them behind Australia and making a top-four finish impossible. Pakistan was extremely fortunate, as they were bowled out for only 74 runs (their lowest-ever World Cup total at that time) and England was 24/1 after 8 overs before heavy rain intervened, abandoning the match and allowing Pakistan to share the points.

Pakistan needs to realize that the gimmick of boycott only hurts them not only on the field but could further bomb them financially too.  No regrets from India – we are happy conducting the tournament without you too.

 

Regards – S Sampathkumar
1.2.2026