Bush Tries His Hand at Cricket (oh, jeez)

[Judi Lynn]

Bush Tries His Hand at Cricket
By VOA Sports
04 March 2006



President George W. Bush
bowls during cricket workshop
as players from
College for Boys look on

While in Pakistan, President Bush tried to learn the game of cricket and how it differs from baseball.

Mr. Bush bowled and batted several times on a small cricket pitch set up on the grounds of the U.S. embassy, as students from the Islamabad College for Boys looked on and encouraged him.


He got a quick lesson on how to hold the bat from the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Shaharyar Khan. Khan also explained to the former owner of a Texas baseball team how cricket, the popular sport of the old British empire, differs from baseball.
(snip/...)

http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-03-04-voa21.cfm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bush takes a swing at cricket

Saturday, March 4, 2006; Posted: 9:14 a.m. EST (14:14 GMT)



Bush bowled and batted several times.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) -- U.S. President George W. Bush, an avid baseball fan, on Saturday tried his hand at a sport hugely popular in parts of the old British empire -- cricket -- and was pronounced "not bad" for a first-timer.

Bush bowled and batted several times on a practice cricket pitch set up on the grounds of the U.S. embassy in the capital of cricket-mad Pakistan, as students from the Islamabad College for Boys and the private school Schola Nova, who included girls, looked on and encouraged him.

He got a quick lesson on how to hold the bat from Shaharyar Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

"He's telling me the difference between baseball and cricket," said Bush, a former owner of a Texas baseball team.
(snip/...)

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/03/04/bush.cricket.reut/

[peekaloo]

1. lol at pic #2

Cricket is now an official Special Olympics sport.

[Judi Lynn]

2. God help me, here's another article: 'Not Yet Got The Skills'

'Not Yet Got The Skills'
Updated: 15:19, Saturday March 04, 2006



Mr. Bush ducks a delivery


George Bush has tried his hand at cricket during his visit to Pakistan.

The US President, an avid baseball fan, got a lesson on how to use a different type of bat and ball in Islamabad.

Students from schools in the capital looked on and encouraged him while he tried to play a few strokes.

The bowlers used tennis balls, which are much softer than the traditional cork cricket balls.
(snip)



The President has his eye on
the ball

Pakistan's most famous-ever cricketer, former captain-turned-politician Imran Khan, spent Saturday confined to his home, where authorities kept him to lead a march to protest against Bush's visit.
(snip/...)

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-13512110,00.html?f=rss





Imran Khan

[madrchsod]

4. hmmmm....looks like someone threw at his head.....

i`ve watched enough cricket to know someone threw way to high to chimpy...actually he`s a wuss cause that tennis ball wasn`t going to hit him...
the greatest player in pakistan is confined to his home while chimpy is in town.. well that`s really funny on so many levels.

maybe we could just lock the door and pretend no one is home...

[GregW]

36. Actually ... it's 'bowled' not 'threw' ...

and 'bowling' a 'bouncer' at someone's head is just part of the game.

[truth2power]

26. ROFLMAO!! God that's funny!

"The bowlers used tennis balls, which are much softer than the traditional cork cricket balls." Yeah, wouldn't want to injure the one brain cell he's got left.

:rofl: Look at that guy behind him in the second pic. He's thinking, "What a doofus!"

[Divernan]

3. He's the chimpiest president EVER!

His expressions are so chimpanzee like you'd think they were photo-shopped, but that's really how he looks on those extremely rare occasions when he tries to concentrate!

[rug]

5. I would think cricket is his sport.

[LostinVA]

6. Way too skillful for him -- plus, it's very difficult to cheat

[sofa king]

7. As an irresponsible frat boy, I'm sure he's familiar with the cricket bat.

[Inland]

17. I'm surprised he didn't reflexively pull down Perez's pants. nt

[TroubleMan]

8. Does he intentionally try to make funny faces?

His true calling should have been as a clown.....he's a natural at making silly faces.

[shanti]

19. that's about all he is good at

:eyes:

[tanyev]

9. I'm surprised they let anyone that close to him with bats in their hands.

[IDemo]

10. "I love bowlin'! Where are the pins?"

[wordpix2]

11. * is always on vacation, having fun---while the ME erupts

[leftchick]

12. Judi, here is the doofus on Yahoo....

U.S. President George W. Bush gestures as Pakistani cricket board chairman Shaheryar Khan, right, looks on during a cricket workshop at the U.S. embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, March 4, 2006. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

[Judi Lynn]

14. Oh, God. I'm glad the asshole could enjoy himself.

That is one obnoxious man.

Thanks for the view. It really does reinforce that "Presidential" look Karen Hughes told everyone he had suddenly acquired, during his 2000 campaign. Uh huh!

[JudyM]

20. 'He looks more presidential than Kerry' is why my sis-in-law voted for him

according to my neice, her 13 year old daughter. I almost lost it right then and there when she told me.

What is it with American voters? It's as if it's a game... like they are exercising the prerogative of voting for the one they like the looks of... this is not the Miss America pageant, people!!!!

:puke:

Let's hope our '08 candidate is better looking than whoever the repukes put up.

[NYC]

13. Whose idea was the softer tennis ball?

Just wondering.

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. It's fair enough

If you're playing without protective equipment, using a tennis ball is fairly common. When you're just doing a photo-op, you wouldn't want to go through the hassle of putting on leg pads. You certainly wouldn't want to send a cricket ball at head height (as one of the photos shows) to an inexperienced batsman not wearing a helmet.

[Mika]

16. Who wouldn't?

:eyes:


A bean on the head might have knocked some sense into him. On second thought.. naaah.

[Inland]

18. AND THEN HE HIT A 78-YR OLD PAKISTANI IN THE FACE WITH THE BAT.

EOM

[meganmonkey]

25. And the 78-Yr Old Pakistani

issued an official apology today. So sorry for the president's troubles! :rofl:

[Placebo]

21. It's like watching a trained monkey.

Seriously.

[KamaAina]

22. Bush out LBW

that's "Laughable Buffoon, W" :-)

[Sabriel]

23. At least cricket doesn't involved riding a bike

Then someone might have gotten seriously injured.

[deminks]

24. And the pretzeldente gets beaned!

I learned that a pitcher=bowler in cricket, and I want to shake his hand.

[Up2Late]

27. What is he using? A tennis ball? Cricket balls are Red or White.

He's such a numb-skull, even I know you throw (bowl) the ball on or close to the ground.

[foreigncorrespondent]

28. Hahahahahaha!

Oh THAT is a riot!

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

And that is all this cricket loving Aussie has to say!

[antonialee839]

29. Great new pic additions for Bush or Chimp? website.

[HuffleClaw]

30. so, boys and girls, today we've learned the 'leader of the free world' is

a COWARD, scared of a cricket ball! what a complete and utter sham of a photo op.

[Matilda]

37. To be fair, a hit in the head from a cricket ball can kill.

There's a thought .....

[T_i_B]

38. Well the first time you do try cricket...

...and somebody bowls a short one at you, you will duck too! Even more so if it's a proper cricket ball. If you get hit by one of those, it hurts (especially if it's a fast bowler)! That's why cricketers wear pads and cricket boxes.

[Thor_MN]

31. He throws like a girl...

Apologies to all girls...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

35. That's what the boy in the 2nd pic is thinking...

[atommom]

39. Hey, I'm a girl, and I throw better than that.

:P

[Sacajawea]

32. He looks mushy....all that exercising isn't helping.

[genieroze]

33. OMG, where are the chimp photos to compare?

[maddiejoan]

34. Best I could find

fooey --won't let me link to it. :(

http://imagesource.allposters.com:80/images/CORPOD/U1154653INP_a.jpg

[Amonester]

41. LOL-Nice catch!! :-)

Do you know about the following site?

http://www.photobucket.com/

It's free also.

[Ilsa]

40. The Freeps were all excited that a couple of kids asked for his

autograph, saying that * really is popular, and those pix of hundreds of thousands of people protesting him must be wrong. Yeah, hundreds of thousands vs a handful of kids who were probably bribed into asking for his autograph, or hoping it'll be worth something soon because he is so notorious.