World Rankings January 2011 - England start atop

England's newly crowned world champion Nick Matthew will start 2011 at the top of the squash world ranking, which was published by the Professional Squash Association on Thursday.

The 30-year-old moves up one place from second, leap-frogging Egyptian 23-year-old Ramy Ashour.

Matthew became the first British world squash champion after triumphing at the world championships in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia earlier this month.

Squash world ranking on January 1, 2011:

1. Nick Matthew (ENG) 1,418 points (+1)
2. Ramy Ashour (EGY) 1,222 (-1)
3. Karim Darwish (EGY) 1,018
4. James Willstrop (ENG) 925 (+1)
5. Amr Shabana (EGY) 758 (+1)
6. Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 747 (-2)
7. Thierry Lincou (FRA) 580
8. Peter Barker (ENG) 530
9. Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) 416 (+1)
10. Daryl Selby (ENG) 407 (+3)
11. Cameron Pilley (AUS) 385 (+4)
12. Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 384 (-3)
13. Wael El Hindi (EGY) 369 (-1)
14. Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) 366 (+2)
15. Omar Mosaad (EGY) 335 (+2)
16. David Palmer (AUS) 314 (-5)
17. Adrian Grant (ENG) 298 (-3)
18. Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) 272 (+11)
19. Stewart Boswell (AUS) 269
20. Alister Walker (ENG) 263

Racket Review-HEAD YouTek Series

Head's new range consists six different rackets based around the popular weights and balance, the rackets have new names and a facelift for the new introduced  ‘d30′ and ‘Teflon’  which have been added along side the corrugated theme. The three factors together should enable the racket to react in the style the player wishes to use. It will enhance the player’s performance whether you are playing smooth and consistent or if you are playing powerful and aggressive as the racket can adapt using its unique characteristics.

HEAD has used the new d30 technology in the racket’s lay up and is positioned in the frame’s shaft. This new d30 is being classed as a ‘smart material’ mainly for its futuristic and abnormal behaviour under stress. It is a ‘dilatant foam’ which can suddenly change under load or impact and offers new opportunities for the player.  
The d30 technology can sense the on impact of the ball whether it is a hard aggressive stroke in which case the racket stiffens to allow explosive power or whether a soft accurate stroke is being played resulting in the frame absorbing the impact. This is achieved by the d30 smart molecules suddenly locking together which dramatically stiffens the racket in nanoseconds.  
This should result in the player getting to use maximum power for attacking and accurate slice and touch for short play at any time.

HEAD have also added Teflon grommit strips to this new range to reduce friction. On other rackets friction can occur between the strings and the grommit strip which gives some resistance and in turn reduces the power and energy of your shot. The Teflon grommit has low friction contact surface which lets the strings slide through with hardly any friction at all allowing full power in your shots. The grommit also maintains excellent tension in the strings due to the low friction which also creates a larger sweet spot. 

The YouTek series still combine the revolutionary corrugated technology from the last range with its excellent benefits. It is incorporated into the shaft giving a 12% increase in stiffness optimizing torsion, power, bending and comfort on every shot.

  HEAD CYANO 115

Specifications  

1. Composite – YouTek
2. Beam – 20 mm
3. Headsize - 500 cm2
4. Weight – 115g
5. Balance – 365 mm
6. String pattern – 12/17

This is the new and updated Cyano 115, it keeps its teardrop design for maximum power and with the added YouTek technology boasts great control too. Built for power and is the lightest racket in the series.

HEAD ANION 135  

  

specifications  

1. Composite – YouTek
2. Beam – 20 mm
3. Headsize - 500 cm2
4. Weight – 135 g
5. Balance – 335 mm
6. String pattern – 12/17

The Anion is the basically the heavier version of the Cyano to provide players with a different choice of weight. Same teardrop head shape but it may be slightly heavier but has great maneuverability because of its clever weight balance.  



Review  
I very much liked these rackets first time around when they were just the ct range so I was happy to hear HEAD had updated them again. I tried out both rackets but I soon felt much more comfortable with the Cyano 115, mainly because the weight suited me a lot better. Once again as expected all the power as promised created by the teardrop head yet it also felt very controlled and I could still play accurate squash. Far from the old HEAD rackets that pinged roughly in the direction you have aimed. Nice balance on the Cyano 155 which does feel very stiff on attacking shots, I also slowed down a little and got some good length with no real effort. Very good on short play as well I still  felt in control when cutting and slicing drop shots and even good touch on the lob. My only comments would be it does feel quite stiff on every shot not just when attacking the ball and still a little on the light side but overall a very playable racket which was very easy to use.  

HEAD YOUTEK NEON 130  

  

Specifications  

1. Composite  – YouTek
2. Beam – 16.5-20 mm
3. Headsize – 500 cm2
4. Weight – 130 g
5. Balance – 370 mm
6. String pattern – 16/17

The YouTek Neon 130 has been built for optimum power and maneuverability. This racket has the bridge in the throat area which allows great control and is everything you can ask from a Quadro – Shaped racket.  
    

HEAD YOUTEK CERIUM 150  

  

Specifications  

1. Composite – YouTek
2. Beam – 16.5-20 mm
3. Headsize – 500 cm2
4. Weight – 150 g
5. Balance – 335 mm
6. String pattern – 16/17

The YouTek Cerium 150 is once again another weight option for the Youtek Neon. Slightly heavier but has also a lower balance point so not too noticable. Both of these rackets have the more dense string pattern for better control and feel.  
Review  
  I tried both of these rackets and I must say that the difference in weight is minimal. I still prefer the slightly heavier racket (the YouTek Cerium) but this is just my personal choice as I would usually use a racket around this weight or maybe lighter but the weight balance felt better. These two rackets played quite different from the first two because of the head design adding the bridge in the throat in my opinion makes all the difference. Although you lose a small amount of power it is more than made up with control and feel. The rackets felt great on impact with the ball and unlike the first two were more forgiving on shots that were off centre. The dense string pattern made my shots feel more solid and comfortable. I still feel the Neon needs better balance but this is my personal opinion and I am sure they would be great for players who normally play with rackets around this weight. Nice control on volleys and absorbed the power of attacking shots which enabled me to push in tight defensive drops or boasts.

HEAD YOUTEK  XENON 135 

Specifications 

1. Composite – YouTek
2. Beam – 16.5-20 mm
3. Headsize 460 cm2
4. Weight – 135 g
5. Balance – 370 mm
6. String pattern – 14/16

 The new YouTek Xenon is much the same as the original to look at but has been updated with the new technology especially designed to deliver a greater blend of power, comfort and control. The choice of racket for Karim Darwish.  

HEAD YOUTEK ARGON 155 

Specifications 

1. Composite -YouTek
2. Beam – 16.5-20 mm
3. Headsize – 460 cm2
4. Weight – 155 g
5. Balance – 335 mm
6. String Pattern – 14/16

The YouTek Argon 155 has been branded the ‘big brother’ of the Xenon 135, once again offering a heavier racket with a lower balance for better movement and control.  

Review 

 I found both these rackets slightly on the heavy side so this time I got on with the Xenon better than the Argon. It took quite a while to get used to the Xenon due to the balance which made it feel somewhat head heavy. However the racket plays really well and felt comfortable, although it took a bit more effort than some rackets i have tested and my shots felt solid and true. Power and control were achievable but I felt I had to prepare my racket earlier (which is not such a bad thing). It felt comfortable on impact with the ball with the smaller head size giving a nice sweet spot which eats up any vibration. The Argon unfortunately for me was just a bit too heavy, even with the lower balance it did not suit my game although the balance definitely made a great difference to the dynamics.

Summary 

The HEAD YouTek series has improved the comfort and feel of this range of rackets which is very important  to a player whose game consists of a lot of touch and accuracy. The Anion and Cyano both with the teardrop head shape deliver the trademark HEAD explosive power but the feel and comfort has improved allowing players a greater range of shot choice rather than to hack the ball into next week. The other four rackets play much the same but offering a different range of weight, balance and head size so its much down to the individual to find the right combination for your style of game. The weights can be deceiving due to the balance and the lighter rackets feel heavier than others I have tested and the heavier rackets seem lighter than others too. All in all the designs of the rackets are very nice and I feel Head are really achieving to offer a good range of rackets with lots of variation to suit players individual needs.  

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I think a good measurement of rackets is the moment of inertial. It is similar to the weight of the racket, but corresponds to roughly how hard it is to swing the racket. The larger the harder to swing. The formula to calculate the moment of inertia I is,
I = m * l * l
where m is the weight of the racket, and l is the balance point. So if we calculate the inertia for each racket, we get:


Cyano: 0.115 * (36.5^2) = 153.20875 (kg cm^2)
Anion: 0.135 * (33.5^2) = 151.50375 (kg cm^2)
Neon: 0.130 * (37^2) = 177.97 (kg cm^2)
Cerium: 0.150 * (33.5^2) = 168.3375 (kg cm^2)
Xenon: 0.135 * (37^2) = 184.81500 (kg cm^2)
Argon: 0.155 * (33.5^2) = 173.94875 (kg cm^2)


So probably Anion will feel the lightest to swing, and Xenon will be the heaviest. Of course, when playing squash you don’t just swing but also do linear motions so the momentum of inertia will only serve as a guideline.

Click-o-Squash

Just sorta stumbled over this game...its not something very professionally made, I know, but the fun sure is worth some squashin clicks.
Their embedding link kinda seemed broken, so here's a screenshot and link to the gamesite...enjoy!!

Click Here To Play The Squash Game

Click Here To Play The Squash Game

Merit High-Go Squashin Pakistan!!

Jansher Khan has issued a strict warning to youngsters by making it clear that he would not compromise on performance and selection would be purely based on merit.

Former world champion Jansher Khan, who was recently appointed as the national coach and advisor of the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF), issued warning bells for the under-performers by saying that there would be a strict check prior to selection for national and international events in his tenure.

“From now on, the federation would only support players who show progress and the ones failing continuously would be ignored,” said Jansher. “I’ve taken on the responsibility with a challenge to revive this game for which I’m offering my services without charges. I just want to give something back to my country which has given me so much fame.”

He reiterated he would focus on young players and the next year’s junior world championship would be his first target while hoping that Pakistan would revive its lost status in squash.

“We have enormous talent and I am optimistic that the country can once again become a squash power in the world.”

Roshan Khan Junior Open Squash next month

The Roshan Khan Junior Open Squash Championship, for boys and girls, will be held at PN Roshan Khan-Jahangir Khan Squash Complex, Karachi, from January 15 to 20. Sindh Squash Association (SSA) secretary general Tahir Khanzada said on Wednesday that this year tournament’s prize money had been enhanced from Rs.300,000 to Rs.400,000. The qualifying rounds of the event will be contested on January 15-17 and the finals rounds will be staged from January 17 to 20. 
Boys will appear in Under-11, 13, 15, 17 and 19 categories and girls will feature in Under-15 and 19 events. It will be draw of 16 in both categories. The organisers will be providing accommodations to players for qualification and main rounds.

Squash: A life saver!

At age 16, three years after being introduced to squash at his school in Ramat Gan, Dovi Haruzi received the news that changed his life. "They discovered I had juvenile diabetes," he recalls.

Haruzi doesn't know what caused the disease, but the diagnosis put a halt to his competitive life.

"Until then I was used to drinking coffee with four teaspoons of sugar, and one clear day I felt as if nothing was left," he says. "It was hard to cope with this change in my life. I started taking pills and later switched to insulin shots."

When he was the under-14 champion, Haruzi treated squash as a hobby. At 22, after adjusting to life with diabetes and feeling that sport was lacking in his life, he returned to the game. He was received with open arms and got plenty of help along the way. "At first I dealt with a lot of problems," he says of his comeback. "Weakness, drops in sugar level and nearly fainting at times. It took a long time until I found a balance, to know what I need to eat before a game and between practices - fruit, energy bars, cookies or raisins - to maintain my sugar levels."

The 38-year-old still competes in a sport that he says lets you go on indefinitely. Indeed, he is at this week's Israel Championship, which he won two years ago against players a decade or more younger than him. At the latest World Championships, he finished eighth in the 35-and-over category.

"I didn't surprise myself, because I've always had that drive," he says of his Israeli title. "No one understands how I play at these levels. Today, even leaving the disease aside, I'm 38 and the players in Israel simply can't beat me."

Well, almost no one. Besides exhausting practices, Haruzi completed a teachers' course and started training the next generation at the Ra'anana squash center. One of his disciples is Ido Avron, who is ranked 149th in the world and is Israel's top player.

"Right now he's the only one in Israel who can beat me," says Haruzi. "We met in the final three years in a row, and it's getting harder and harder. I realize that the years are taking their toll. I taught him the technique, and he understands everything."

Haruzi also spent time developing his own child, Sean, as a squash player. However, he says that when Sean was ranked number one in the world among under-13 year olds in 2007, he realized he was pushing his son too hard. He left the next step up to his boy, and Sean chose soccer for three years, until he saw his Dad in a tournament and got the bug again. "I believe he'll be Israel champion within a few years," Haruzi says of his 12-year-old, who finished third in the under-17 category of the Israel youth championship.

Father and son could meet in this week's tournament, but Dovi Haruzi - who knows winning the final on Friday will be an uphill battle - already has his sights on the world 40-and-over championships. "For me it's first place or no place," he says.

Haruzi says playing squash keeps him on his legs. "Thanks to squash, I manage to keep on living," he says. "The action, the adrenaline, the fast pace, the opportunity to release tension and burn some calories all give me a lot of motivation. I hit toward the wall and clear my mind, and feel while I'm playing that the disease doesn't exist. I never complained that I couldn't compete for lack of sugar. On the contrary, I fight like a lion."

Among Haruzi's students is a young player who also has diabetes. "Kids should understand they should never be lazy," he says. "They've got to believe in themselves and think they are capable of reaching any height, with or without sickness. Most of them can - it's just a matter of will and character."

Hisham Ashour-Creative, Attacking and fun-to-watch squash

I've always thought Hisham would just be a funny caricature of Ramy: even though his shot-making ability is close to his illustrious younger brother's, movement-wise he used to be disaster. Due to his overweight he used to be constantly late on the ball, and as a consequence made silly choices and hit the tin more often than the front-wall. So it's pretty astonishing seeing him within just a couple of month loosing weight and moving so much better. With his current good results (he has beaten world #9 Laurens Jan Anjema twice in two weeks and got also the better off a slightly diminished Thierry Lincou) he will very probably break inside the top20 in the January rankings. Now it will be interesting to see if Hisham gets satisfied with this or if he considers it just as a first step to make it towards the top10. If it's the latter, there are fitness-wise still some brutal solitary training sessions ahead of him. Let's hope he'll make it, as it would be great for the global squash scene to see the percentage of the creative / exhibition-like players grow in the top10. Now that John White and Jonathon Power are not there anymore...

Jansher to coach Pakistan National Squash team!!

Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman (left) and Jansher Khan(right) meeting

Jansher Khan has accepted a Pakistan squash Federation (PSF) offer to become national coach and then declared that he can help Pakistan squash to regain its lost glory.

" We are still better than any country in the world when it comes to squash talent," the former world champion told Arab News. "We just need to put in the hard work systematically to ensure that Pakistan squash regains its status as the best in the world," he stressed.

Pakistan is the most successful squash-playing nation having produced legends like Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan and Hashim Khan. But since Jansher's exit in the late nineties, neither of their players has even managed to reach the top-ten world rankings. It's a major slump for Pakistan, which till the eighties used to have around five of their players in the elite top-ten club.

Fahim Gul became the national coach in 2006. During his tenure, Pakistan had two partial successes in world and Asian junior tounaments and recently, Pakistanis won the Asian Games team event. Fahim Gul had taken over the responsibilities from Rehmat Khan, cousin of former world champion Jahangir Khan. 

Former British amateur champion Aftab Jawaid also held the position for a short period of time. 

Personal and family rivalries and jealousies have always made the job of a national coach controversial. Fathers, uncles and cousins have in the past blamed national coaches who held the post time to time for ignoring or favouring some players. 

However with the appointment of a great former world champion, the petty jealousies would vanish and the young and budding players would get good chance to learn the game from the best available person in the country.

Jansher, a record eight-time World Open champion, met with PSF president Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman at the Air Headquarters in Islamabad. Also present at the meeting was Air Vice Marshal Syed Razi Nawab, PSF's senior vice president.

" It was a very positive meeting," said Jansher. " The Air Chief asked me to work with the PSF as its adviser and head coach. I've accepted the offer as I'm keen to put Pakistan squash back on track." Jansher wants to focus on the grassroots level and is aiming to train players in various age groups starting from the under-11 category.

" We will concentrate on grassroots because nobody has worked at that level in the past," he said.

" Look at Australia, Egypt and England. They are at the top right now because in those countries there is a solid system at the grassroots level." Jansher said that with his help, the PSF will launch a comprehensive training program to groom players bracketed in age groups - under-11, under-13, under-15, under-17 and under-19.

His first task is to help Pakistan regain the world junior individual crown in Belgium next August.

" We have not won that title since 1986," said Jansher, who was the last Pakistani to win the world junior crown almost 24 years ago. " My first big target is to help Pakistan regain the world junior crown both in the team and individual events." Jansher wants to have all the former squash greats on board in a bid to help Pakistan produce world champions like it did in the past.

He has already roped in Mohibullah Khan Jr., a former world No.2, to head the Peshawar leg of the training project. In Lahore, Jansher wants to hire the legendary Gogi Alauddin.

" We want to take all our squash legends on board," he said.

" Pakistan squash has really suffered during the last 10 to 15 years and only a combined effort can help revive it." Jansher said that the PSF chief has promised "huge incentives" for any Pakistani players who managed to break into the top-5 world rankings.

" The incentives are going to be big for any of our players who will do well at the world circuit," he said.

Jansher, however, was quick to add that the federation is also serious in implementing a full-fledged code of conduct to maintain proper discipline.

" There will be no compromise on discipline," he said. "In squash, the only way to excel is by being disciplined and hard working. I would ensure that our players stick to the plan given to them.

" I've seen a lot of our boys wasting their golden years because they didn't work hard enough. Now is the time to ensure that our new lot doesn't suffer from the same fate."

Meanwhile, Pakistan No 2 squash player Farhan Mehboob welcomed the decision of the federation to hire Khan as the head coach.

“Certainly, he is a legendary player and with him leading the camp, the players would be motivated,” Mehboob said. He added that he has seen in the past only one coach, coaching senior, junior and female players alone, which has damaged squash.

“One coach cannot handle all the players. Having coaches and trainers separately for senior, junior and female players is a very prudent decision from federation,” he said.

Jansher Khan-the King Khan

Watch how effortlessly Jansher moves over the court. Just as if he knows where the ball will be played even before the ball has been played. The footwork, the reach, the balance, everything simply perfect! Enjoy!

PSF to hold district-level leagues

Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) is planning to hold a league at district level from January 1 between clubs based in Rawalpindi and Islamabad to revive the game of squash.

This was decided earlier in a meeting held at PSF office to discuss the details of holding the league. It was decided in the meeting that each participating club would launch a team of seven persons (one each from U-11, U-13, U-15, U-17, U-19, seniors and veterans group).

Secretary PSF, Irfan Asghar presided over the meeting with the local club officials comprising Islamabad Club’s Rehan Arshad, Pakistan Army’s Major Nasir, Shailmar Club’s Syed Raza Ali, Benazir Bhutto Complex’s Qazi Nadeem, Safari Club’s Imran Qadir, Roshan Khan Complex’s Ilyas Khan, IT Consultant (Software) Nouman Haider, and PSF coach Fahim Gul.

“This league would help encourage the youth to come up and play squash,” the secretary said. He said that this tournament would bring up many talented players.

“I believe that by organising this tournament, we would get many good squash players who need a chance to prove their talent,” he added.

“We will do our best to encourage the game in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad but the players should also come forward and participate in the event.”

The PSF has asked the clubs to nominate their players for the tournament by December 17.

The league matches will be played on every Saturday at all district level clubs.

Backstage video tour at Sunset Beach Saudi World Open

Lets have a view around the venue of the Saudi World Open in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Just sit back and enjoy some nice backstage impressions added with Steve Cubbin's commentary.

World Squash Open 2010: England get their first champion

Nick Matthew, who thought he might never play again after a shoulder injury three years ago, made history by becoming the first Englishman ever to become World Open champion on Friday.

Upping the tempo: Nick Matthew (left) became first Englishman to win world title

Matthew, who looked like he could tackle the Saudi desert such was his physical dominance, shrugged off an early deficit to grind his long-time rival James Willstrop firmly into the ground in Al-Khobar after 74 minutes of brutal squash. The 30 year-old won 8-11, 11-6, 11-2, 11-3.

Coming into the final - the first all-English encounter in World Open history - Willstrop had played an extra 80 minutes on court and it finally told on the 6' 4'' Yorkshireman, who was looking to add the title to his world junior crown.

Despite looking the stronger of the two in the opening exchanges, which led to Willstrop taking the opener in 21 minutes, Matthew's patient game began to take effect in the second and the world No 2, who will surely now return to the top of January's world rankings, never looked in danger as he dropped only 11 further points until the denouement.

Matthew's stampede left him with several fingers already on the trophy. "At that stage you are playing against yourself instead of your opponent," he admitted. "You are sort of fighting the demons in your head.

"You see the finish line and as it comes closer in terms of score it gets further away because you are drifting in your thoughts. With every single thought I tried to tell myself 'next rally, next rally'."

The England No 1 was due to meet Ramy Ashour in the final until the Egyptian's untimely injury in the second round. Willstrop took over the mantle of chief rival - the pair patched up their differences following a tempestuous British Open final last year - as the rounds progressed and it soon became evident that the tournament would have its first all-English final since 1939. Back then the British Open was regarded as the de facto world championships until the championships were formed in 1976.

Matthew may have been No 1 seed but Willstrop was never going to let his opponent settle. Not with a losing streak stretching back to 2007 at any rate. Willstrop dominated from the start and produced a flurry of delightful winners with deft touch to the front. Matthew, though, kept in the opener with his unerring ability to dominate the centre court and finish points with tight volley kills. Great accuracy from both.

The start of the second proved decisive. With Willstrop 2-1 down the pair produced a 100-shot rally ending with a Matthew winner. Willstrop was left visibly tired at such a crucial juncture and despite clawing his way back to 5-3 it was as close as he got to the Sheffield right-hander for the remainder of the match.

There were moments when Willstrop looked to have found an extra gear but they were only fleeting. Throughout the last two games his fan base back in Pontefract would have been grimacing at the brute force of Matthew's finishing. Willstrop never gave up but he was continually being asked to drive his heavy frame to all four corners. It was a relief when the final act came.

The victory provided a remarkable turnaround for Matthew after returning to the world stage following a career-threatening shoulder injury. A year ago he was left mentally exhausted chasing Ashour for the coveted world No 1 spot. He lost an epic on the same Saudi court to his young Egyptian rival and wondered whether the pinnacle would ever arrive.

Some overdue soul-searching ensued and his belief returned. He went on a 35-match, six-month unbeaten run which culminated in Matthew finally becoming the world's best player in June.

He then struck double gold at the Commonwealth Games in October. World No 1, Commonwealth champion, world champion. Now for that sports personality of the year mention.

Palmer's "High Drops"

This, of course, is a beautiful crazy rally that does not require much comment. However, just look at  David Palmer's drop shot at 0:33 (even if it didn't make him win the rally this time); many players would have gone for the inch-perfect drop just above the tin, but Palmer chooses to play it about 50 cm higher looking rather to make it fade into the side-wall. He does that often, as the drop-shot played as such a high-percentage-shot and not as a clear winner will make the opponent run desperately to retrieve the ball which then generally ends in a stroke or an easy loose ball to put away. I do agree that it's a bit of a conservative thinking with the likes of Ramy and Shabana on the tour, but it's still intelligent and efficient not only in the short term (in order of winning the point) but also in mid-terms (making your opponent spend a lots of energy and showing him that you don't  necessary have to go for winners to beat him), and the longer-terms(increases your unpredictability, the opponent won't know when you will hit a dead drop, or just nudge it a little harder). 

Squash world champ Shabana slams promoters for overkill

World champion Amr Shabana has hit out at promoters on the Pro Squash Tour, claiming they have contributed to the spate of injuries at this week’s World Open.

The Egyptian believes tough playing schedules around the world circuit are partly responsible for the premature exit of his two best known compatriots, world number one Ramy Ashour and former world number one Karim Darwish.

Both failed to finish matches because of hamstring injuries, and similar ailments also caused the retirement of France’s Gregory Gaultier, another former world number one, and Adrian Grant, the world number 14 from England.

“All the promoters should think about the players more and give them more rest,” Shabana claimed after benefitting from the retirement of Gaultier in the quarter-finals.

“Sometimes players have to play five days in a row. What’s happened is a damned shame.

It’s a really tough sport physically and promoters don’t think about this problem enough,” he alleged.

Curiously the four high profile injuries have occurred in a World Open which is unique in having three rest days built into its schedule.

“Ziad (Al-Turki) has it right in giving us these rest days,” said Shabana, speaking of the Saudi businessman who has brought a world championship to his country for the first time.

“But the tournament has come at the end of the season when players are most vulnerable.

“Ziad has done it the right way. And John Nimick has done it the right way,” Shabana continued, referring to the American promoter who stages the Tournament of Champions at Grand Central terminal in New York.

“But other promoters make players compete too many days in a row and their bodies don’t have time to recover properly.”

Part of the problem is that, in a sport which is not awash with sponsorship, profits for promoters can be uncertain. This means the cost of hiring a venue for an extra day and of paying for hotels is a major disincentive.

Nevertheless there was support for Shabana’s view from Amir Wagih, Egypts’
head coach.

“I agree with him, because squash is becoming like tennis,” he reckoned.

“They play at a very high physical level and it is very close between them at the top. They have to perform at hundred percent most of the time.”

“What we have here at the World Open is very good — one day on, one day off — because the physical level has gone up.

“The game has become more and more aggressive and the standard is very high.

“I would like to see more promoters having rest days in tournaments. It’s very important for players’ health.”

Jahangir slams PSF a shame

Pakistan's squash authorities are mulling concrete plans to revive the sport in the country but have so far failed to garner the support of the world's greatest squash legend -- Jahangir Khan.

Jahangir, a record ten-time British Open champion and the most successful squash player in history, has declined an offer made by the Pakistan Squash federation (PSF) to join them, saying that he cannot work in a set-up where irrelevant people hold key posts.

However, another former world champion Jansher Khan, who will not be given any post, announced his support for the PSF.

'I was offered before Jansher but I declined,' Jahangir says.

'I cannot work under a set-up where officials with no background are at the helm of running squash affairs.'

A former president of the World Squash federation (WSF), Jahangir said he tried to work with the federation several times but failed to give his best.

'I have high regard for the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) officials but they are not a suitable choice to run the game,' he said referring to the fact that Pakistan squash is run by PAF.

Jahangir was also highly critical of the way the federation's officials changed every three years after which a new body had to start from scratch.

'Every three years there is a new president and secretary and with no background of the game they find it difficult to manage the affairs,' said Jahangir.

'It would be difficult to regain our lost glory in squash given the current circumstances. The authority to run squash affairs should be given to the ones who have served the game in the past.'

The problem of inconsistency and lack of planning has been creating problems for Pakistan in almost every sport whether it is squash, hockey, or the unofficial National game, cricket. The concerned authorities and policy-makers should, at least now, when we see graphs declining in almost every sport, sit together with their pasts facing the other side and work for the greatest common benefit-the revival of sports in Pakistan. It is a shame that a legendary player who has headed an organisation as large as the WSF itself declines to work with the current setup only because of the lack of a well-planned organisational structure.

Pakistan recently won the team squash event of the Guangzhou Asian Games but Jahangir believes that it is not a big feat.

'It is good to win medals but considering our past achievements, it is not a big feat. The players should not get complacent after the gold.'

Pakistan was once the mostly successful nation in the squash world but after the exit of Jahangir and Jansher, it has been overtaken by countries like England, Egypt and Australia

Choosing a squash racket-A guide for beginners

When a squash player is just starting out, it is often hard to decide which racquet to purchase.  Many players are guided towards one racquet or another depending on who they ask and what brand and model those people play with.  Even squash pros at the various clubs around the world are never completely reliable, often recommending a certain racquet or brand out of habit, or personal experience, rather than fitting a racquet to a person.  This article is intended to help you to make that choice yourself, using your own tendencies, to pick out a racquet that is truly right for you.

The first thing to realize is that often, the brand of a racquet does not matter.  Different brands have different trademarks, but these are merely guidelines to the range of racquets found within each brand.  It is the weight, balance, stiffness and shape that make the difference, no matter the brand.

Dunlop, the most popular racket in most clubs in Pakistan, is well known as an all round solid racquet, and so is Head.  Both are middle of the pack in terms of price, and the result is just as expected for that price range.  These racquets often are not fancy, without the gimmicks that may or may not work but often drive up the prices of a racquet.  Prince racquets tend to be less impressive at the low end of the price range, though for high-end racquets Prince dominates the line-up.  There are more brands of course, and each has it’s own advantages and disadvantages (Black Knight, for example, has racquets with impressively large striking areas on the whole). As a general guideline, Prince and Head tend to be more uniquely engineered products, while Dunlop, Harrow and others tend to rely more on marketing than on engineering.

The important thing for a first time player is to shy away from the extremely cheap, Rs.1000-Rs.2000 racquets that are marketed exclusively for beginners.  It may seem like a good idea to go cheap on a racquet, especially when one is not sure if he/she will like the sport.  However, the quality of a racquet can make a surprising difference in the level of enjoyment a person can get out of playing.  Cheaper racquets tend to be heavier, and since beginning players rarely have comparable arm, wrist and shoulder strength to veterans, it is counterintuitive for those starting off to have the heavier racquets. Developing a correct swing, learning how to hit boasts, drop shots, and power shots all tax a player’s arm, and with a heavy racquet it can be extremely frustrating. To control a heavy racquet, and swing it at the right velocity to strike the ball at the correct moment, is a challenge for a beginner. Moreover, most of the cheaper rackets are made out of low-quality materials such as aluminium which tends to lose shape over time thus deforming the racket head, which means the stroke play suffers.

However, the issue remains that racquets tend to get more expensive the lighter they are.  This is true, but I am not recommending that people go out and buy the most expensive, 120g racquet on the market.  A racquet between 140 and 160 grams is generally light enough for a beginning player, and you can find plenty of those in the Rs.3500-Rs.4500 price range, which is about average for a squash racquet.

As with the heavy racquets, the lightest racquets are also more difficult to control. The player needs to generate more of the power when using a light racquet, so light racquets, while favored by many pros, are also not recommended for beginners.

As for stiffness, balance and shape, these are all matters for personal preference and your personal style. Be aware of the differences, and learn which work best for you.

Now that you’ve heard a couple of tips about squash racquets, it is time to buy one.  So maybe borrow some from those around you, see what type of racquet you like (head heavy or light, 130 or 160g, stiff or supple), and demo as many as you can.  Then, when you’re ready, get your own and start learning this great game of squash. Enjoy squashin...!