Cricket hero’s woes fall on deaf ears

Hearing impaired former national cricketer under financial stress

HARIPUR:

A deaf cricketer who was part of Pakistan’s victorious differently-abled team in Asia Cup, 2007 against India is suffering from financial shortcomings, resulting in difficulties to make ends meet.

Syed Fida Husain, the former captain of Peshawar special cricket team, seeks government support to get a job at a government institution on the people with disabilities (PWD) quota.

Hailing from a village in Haripur’s Sobra sector, the hearing impaired hero received early education from Mishal Special School in Sobra City and finished his studies in physiotherapy. Besides being an excellent player, Hussain can make toys from newspapers and bricks.

The cricketer started off with tennis ball and impressed everyone with his batting and bowling skills. He got selected in the national team through trials and was part of the Pakistan Deaf Cricket Team when it won the Asia Cup, beating India in the final at Mumbai in 2007. The performance of Hussain in the final match was prominent.

Upon the team’s return, he was invited by then prime minister Shaukat Aziz. He travelled to Sri Lanka with the national team as well and eventually became captain of Peshawar’s deaf team.

Hussain told The Express Tribune that he used to bear his own expenses while playing domestic cricket, adding that a local NGO supported and cooperated with him throughout. It made efforts to get Hussain on the payroll of a government institution on the PWD quota.

However, now, the cricketing hero suffers from extreme financial difficulties and he has left playing cricketing after remaining out of the team for so long, with no support from the government.

Hussain has demanded Prime Minister Imran Khan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chief minister to arrange a job for him so that he could restart playing cricket and support his family.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2021.