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.

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.

The 21st National Games a Success in Pakistan

The 31st National Games of Pakistan wrapped up this past Friday at Qayyum Stadium in Peshawar. Though many people were nervous about the Games due to the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan, the Games were a success and went off without incident.

Since the 2009 attack, much of the international sporting community has refused to travel to Pakistan for matches of any kind, forcing Pakistani teams to play their “home” games in the neutral United Arab Emirates. Pakistan was also stripped of its co-hosting title for the 2011 Cricket World Cup, which will now be co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

Because of the success of the National Games, chief organizer of the Games and provincial Sports Minster Aqil Shah has spoken out, urging other countries to rethink their decision to not travel to Pakistan. The Games were held in Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province of Pakistan. Aqil Shah pointed out that if a large national sporting event can be held in KPK than he is certain that they could successfully hold an international event in more peaceful areas of the country. The Pakistan Olympic Association is also thrilled about the success of the Games, as a representative stated that they have already been in talks with other countries about the success of the Games and the possibility of the international sports community’s return to Pakistan.

The Pakistan Army was the big winner at the Games, securing 219 medals to defend their title from the 30th National Games. The hosting team, KPK, received 26 medals and came in a respectable seventh place in the team rankings. Overall, the event was a huge success for the country, being the largest contest in terms of participants in the Games history, and being held peacefully in a country that has seen its fair share of violence as of late. We wish the best to Pakistan in their fight for peace and hope that the international sporting community can soon find a safe home in Pakistan.

Hard Times Continue for Pakistani Children in Wake of Massive Summer Flood

Though the floods in Pakistan began all the way back in July, the affects are still being felt by many today.  The flood cost the country an estimated $43 billion (USD) in damages, including wheat and crop damages of around $500 million.  Daniel Toole, UNICEF’s Regional Director for South Asia, spoke today, urging people to continue to raise awareness and funds for the severely damaged country, as the rebuilding process is nowhere near over. 

Tooled stated, “This crisis is far from over. It has just evolved in very different ways from one part of Pakistan to the next and the humanitarian effort has had to adapt swiftly to reach children and women most in need as their needs change.  Although most people have returned to their home areas, many have returned to near total destruction -- with no homes, no crops, no food and no cash. In the north, snow has fallen and we are delivering winter clothes and supplies to help families prepare for a harsh winter, while in the south very slow receding waters have meant over a million lives are still on hold. The coming cold months will sharply increase the numbers of respiratory infections and malnutrition, two of the biggest killers of Pakistani children." Source.

While there are many efforts to revive the country, not nearly enough is being done, and UNICEF needs $82 million just to successfully continue its recovery programs.  With winter quickly approaching and many children still homeless or suffering from acute respiratory infections, UNICEF is becoming desperate.  Polio cases are also on the rise in Pakistani children, from 89 in 2009 to 126 and counting this year.  In preparation for winter, UNICEF has begun giving out children’s’ clothes and blankets, but many families still need food, water, and medical supplies to survive the cold winter coming up.

If you would like to help the cause with a donation of any size, please go to UNICEF’s donation center HERE.  Any Pakistani expats who have family and/or friends back in their home country, please know that we at Stanacard are running a great special with rates to Pakistan at an all-time low of 4.99 cents a minute. 

By @StanaMark

President Obama Discusses Pakistan

As President Obama makes his rounds in Asia, he hopes to bring peace and prosperity between India and Pakistan.  In a town-hall style speech he said, “The country that has the biggest stake in Pakistan’s success is India.  I think that if Pakistan is stable and prosperous, that is good.”  His speech was well received. 

"My hope is that over time trust develops, and dialogue begins," Obama also said. "The U.S. stands to be a partner in that process, but can't impose that."  Communication is always key, on every level imaginable.

Shortly after hearing word of the speech in India, Pakistani Ambassador Husain Haqqani wrote on Twitter, 

“Pakistan looks forward to President Obama's visit in 2011 and hopes that his trip to India will create opportunity for lasting peace in the region.”  Hopefully that was also well received.

Like Obama, we believe that communication is necessary and so is the creation of dialogue.  Through StanaCard’s services, this is even easier and cheaper than ever, because we have lowered the rates to Pakistan: 5.35¢ per minute!  Click here to check it out!

Rate Decrease for Pakistan!

Lower Rates to Pakistan!
Calls to Pakistan are now as low as 5.35 cents per minute.

We understand that this is a difficult time for you and your family, and connecting to people back home is important. Stanacard is happy that we can make calling home cheap and easy.  Just a reminder: we have extended our recharge bonus until the end of September. So log on now and recharge!

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The StanaCard team