World Cup #18 - Stupid idea of the year award

The Pakistan team has been asked to speak to the media only in Urdu. Why? To promote tourism.

The players will speak only in Urdu, said former player Pervez Mir, the team's press liaison officer.

The decision was also taken "because 2007 is our national tourist year and we are promoting Pakistan as well," said Mir in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

"This is the perfect platform to promote and expose our language."

I'm laughing so hard, I'm having trouble typing this.

Imagine - thousands of people, after listening to Inzamam-ul-Haq or Mohammed Yousuf or Shoaib Malik address the press, rushing off to call their travel agents to arrange immediate vacations in Lahore. So that they may listen to more people address them in a language they don't understand.