Blind cricketers want teams to tour Pakistan

Officials approach South Africa, India to visit the country.

KARACHI:

The Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) is in talks with their South African and Indian counterparts in order to convince them to tour the county later this year.

The PBCC Chairman Syed Sultan Shah has confirmed that if the South African team gets clearance from their government, the two countries will play five One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 matches in Lahore, Islamabad and Faisalabad in November.

“We’ve been doing well in international matches and the PBCC want to play at home,” Shah told The Express Tribune. “We’ve been in talks with South Africa and the Indians are also showing interest.

“There’s an AGM of the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC) next month where eight other countries will be represented and we need to convince them that Pakistan can host international matches.”

The Pakistan Blind Cricket Team scored a world record 517 runs against South Africa in Cape Town last December in a 3-0 series-win over the hosts.

Meanwhile, the blind cricketers will be taking part in the National PBCC Twenty20 Championship that will see 12 teams taking part from across the country. The series starts on April 23  in Lahore.

“We’ll have a good time to practice for the upcoming World Cup in June,” said team captain Abdul Razzaq. “The national championship will help us find better talent and by then we’ll also get confirmation from WBCC about whether or not South Africa and India are coming.

“Our domestic structure is very  strong and we make sure that the best cricketers are included in the team, so we hope that the WBCC will support us in showcasing our talent.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th,  2011.