Pakistan Has a New PCB Chairman

Pakistan has a new PCB chairman, and the winner is, Chaudhry Zaka Ashraf.  Many fans are nervous about this decision because Ashraf has never before now been associated with the sport.  So the feeling is, what can he bring to the table that the other runner ups could not? 

Others are confident that with a money background he just the person to help the sport out of the funk it’s been in the last few years.

Ashraf wants to bring Pakistan cricket back to the top and bring the name back into households around the world.  He feels it’s important to show the world that the incident in 2009 does not define the country.  Ashraf is confident he will bring cricket back to Pakistan and make the fans proud.

How do you think this decision will affect the sport?  Are you happy with who they picked?  Or would you have wanted someone else?

StanaCard loves to help celebrate new beginnings, so we have decided to lower our rates to Pakistan.  The new rate is 4.70 .  Now with $5 you can call Pakistan for 106 minutes. 

StanaCard has amazing voice quality and a no fees policy.  That means you will never have to pay connection fees or disconnection fees like Skype and other calling cards.  So login or sign up today and get calling.

Aakash! The World's Cheapest Tablet

On Wednesday October 5^th India launched the world’s cheapest tablet, the Aakash.  The government will be giving away 100,000 tablets for free to students and the first 500 given to the launch attendees.  Once it goes on sale students will receive a subsidized price of $35 and the rest of India will pay only $60.

The new device will have 2 USB ports, support video conferencing and have a three-hour battery life.  The first 500 testers had mix responses to the device; with some saying it was slow.  Most people would agree that the speed of the device will not affect their decision to purchase.  Most will be going from no technology to the Aakash so they feel it’s already an improvement.

Suneet Singh, DataWind CEO, has discussed that in future versions of the tablet they would include a mobile phone connection which will make it even more useful in rural areas.  When this is implemented people in rural India will now have access to more of the world than ever before.

StanaCard wants to help celebrate this fantastic jump in technology for India, so we have lowered our rates.  Now you can call India for 1.89 cents per minute.  That means that $5 gives you 265 minutes.  So take advantage of our no fees policy and great voice quality, Sign up today!

Liberia is Running Free!

A few weeks ago Liberia was running, not for their lives, but for the lives lost.  The nation’s first marathon took place with over 1,000 participants. 

Two days before the race the weather was beautiful and perfect for racing.  Then the day of the race came and it started to pour.  Participants, both Liberian and International, didn’t let something like a little rain dampen the mood.  Everyone running that day ran with a purpose and knew that a little rain wasn’t going to stop them from honoring their loved ones, or just the country they love.

Among the joggers was Africa’s elected president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first woman president.   Sirleaf inaugurated the marathon and cheered all the participants on while she walked with the group to the finish.

There were two sets of participants that day, the runners, and everyone else. Among the non-runners were disabled veterans of the war.  Most of them said they were running for friends and family lost, but others were running for themselves. Everyone had a story, someone or something they were running for, and each and every one of those stories just as important and touching as the next.

To honor the participants of the race and the nation of Liberia, StanaCard has lowered their rates to Liberia mobile.  The new rate is 16.96 cents per minute, that’s 20% cheaper than Skype, but unlike Skype and other calling cards StanaCard doesn’t charge connection fees.  What you pay for is what you get.

Thinking about running the next race? Try our International Forwarding service.  Now you can take StanaCard with you and never worry about roaming charges.  Your friends and family can cheer you on for free and you only pay StanaCard’s low rates! 

Pakistan Wins International Series with New Coach in the Horizon

On Wednesday Pakistan played Zimbabwe in a one-day international (ODI) series.  Pakistan came into the series with a relatively fresh team, which is a risky move at this point in the season.  The move seemed to pay off this time, Pakistan winning with 270/5.

Throughout the match Pakistan seemed to be the dominating side, with a five-run win in the opening match and then with the second by 10 wickets. Then with Khan pulling in an amazing last over, bowling five low tosses to win the match for Pakistan.

The PCB has put together a committee to decide who the next coach for Pakistan will be.  So far the committee consists of Zaheer Abbas, Intikhab Alam and Naushad Ali. Waqar, the current coach for Pakistan, will be leaving for medical reasons after Pakistan’s tour of Zimbabwe is complete. People are wondering whether these events are what helped to sway the decision to bring in a fresh team against Zimbabwe.

The committee only has until October to find a replacement, that’s when their next tour in the UAE begins.  Ramiz Raja, Pakistan’s former captain has agreed to help the committee come to a decision.

The committee says they are open to selecting a foreign coach.  Pakistan has not had a foreign coach since Ijaz Butt removed Geoff Lawson, of New South Wales. Geoff was appointed after Bob Woolmer’s death in 2007.

Waqar’s departure means nine coach changes in the last decade for Pakistan.  What do you think?  Does Pakistan need another foreigner or should the committee choose some from within the country?

StanaCard has decreased its rate to Pakistan to 5.49 cents per minute. So with $5 you can argue with your family and friends about the new cricket coach for 91 minutes.

Remember, with StanaCard you never have to worry about connection fees, expired credit, pin codes or long international numbers. The credit you purchase is exactly what you get, and it never expires so use it anytime.

Call Nigeria Mobile for only 7.9c per minute!

FIFA released new rankings yesterday and that brings good news to Nigerians.  For August 2011 Nigeria is ranked number 38 in the men’s division, bringing them up 5 points.  That puts them at number 4 among other African counties, below Ghana and above Burkina Faso.

Nigeria has made 4 FIFA World Cup™ appearances, 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2010.  They are hoping to make this their first consecutive appearance this year.

The Nigerian woman’s division is currently number 1 in their country and ranked number 27 in the world.  They are also fighting to make this year their first consecutive appearance at the FIFA world cup.

Nigeria only houses 52 official clubs, but has over 6 million players.  That puts Nigeria among the top countries in the world for football players.

Congratulations to both teams! StanaCard would love to help celebrate so we have dropped our rates to Nigeria mobile phones to 7.9 cents per minute.  So take advantage and call your friends and family to talk about your favorite Premier League or how well the national team is doing.

Planning on taking a trip to the next FIFA games?  Well take StanaCard with you and never worry about roaming charges, by using our international forwarding services.

Now call Kenya Mobile for 8.9c

The National Kenyan girls volleyball team has once again won the Woman’s African Nations Championship, beating Algeria, the defending champions. That makes this their 7^th cup win.  They have won themselves a spot in the FIVB Volleyball Woman’s World Cup. 

The World Cup will be held this year in Japan, November 4th to 18^th.

The first set Kenya came in strong, and Algeria needed to step up their game in order to keep up. The first set was won with 25-11 score line.

The second time around Algeria was ready and came back fighting, and won the set 25-17.

The third set was evenly played, tying on 5-5, 10-10, 13-13 and 15-15, but then Kenya came back to win the set 25-21

The fourth set was dominated by Kenya.  They were determined to grab that 7^th cup win and ended up winning the set 24-11.

Congratulations Kenya! StanaCard would like to help everyone celebrate by dropping our rates to Kenya Mobile phones.  The new rate is 8.9 cents per minute giving you 55 minutes for a $5 credit.

Traveling to see your girls in person?  Don’t forget to take StanaCard with you.  Take advantage of our international forwarding service and never worry about roaming charges while you are traveling.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father’s Day weekend everyone! This Sunday, the third Sunday in June, is celebrated as Father’s Day in the U.S. and over 60 other countries all around the world, including Nigeria, Pakistan, India, China, United Kingdom, Cuba, and Brazil.

In the USA, the first Father’s Day was technically held on July 5, 1908 in Fairmont, West Virginia. The one day holiday was created to honor the 210 fathers who had died in a mining disaster late in 1907. The day was not registered as a holiday though, and Sonora Dodd was credited for creating the holiday in Spokane, Washington two years later. Though it was regularly celebrated by many around the nation for many years after, it wasn’t proclaimed a national holiday until 1966 when Lydon B. Johnson designated the third Sunday of June as the holiday. It was then signed into law by Richard Nixon six years later in 1972, making it a permanent national holiday.

Though the languages and cultures are different, the holiday is celebrated similarly no matter where you are in the world. It is simply a day to honor the all of the Father’s out there and let them know that they are very much appreciated.

With Stanacard, getting in touch with your Father this weekend is easier than ever, no matter where he is in the world. Simply dial a local number to make an international call and reach your Father. Our rates are over 75% cheaper than Skype and we have absolutely NO hidden fees or charges – with Stanacard you pay for what you get. Sign up now for free and tell your friends – each one who signs up will earn you a $10 referral bonus!