Cricket trials: Players march in protest after being denied participation

Names of 16 selected players announced.

PESHAWAR: The trials to select the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa disable cricket team here at Cantt Academy,  Qayyum Sports Complex turned into a marching protest after 50 players were prohibited from participating in the event.

Qayyum Sports Complex Coordinator Sajid Khan, who conducted the trials on behalf of the Pakistan Disable Cricket Association, said that the event was not an open trial and only selected players were invited. He said that the players were barred from participating in the trial as it was directed by the Pakistan Disable Cricket Association Secretary General Aminuddin Ansari.

Four of these players, the former captain of K-P disable cricket team Zia Noor, Adil Khan, Gohar and Tahir, were barred from participating in the trials because they had already participated in a wheelchair cricket event held in Islamabad.

When enquired, the former disabled cricket team captain, Noor, along with other protesting players said that the wheel chair cricket event was a promotional event and it is unjustified on the part of PDCA to restrict them from participating in the trials. Later, they marched toward the main gate of the Qayyum Sports Complex holding placards and banners demanding their “due right” to participate in the games.

Qayyum Sports Complex Coordinator, Sajid, announced names of the 16 players selected for the K-P disable cricket team, which included Nihar Alam, spinner Fayyaz Ahmad and Olympian Nasrullah Khattak.

Alam and Ahmad represented Pakistan in games held in Singapore and Malaysia, while Nasrullah Khattak was a member of the Pakistan contingent in the Paralympics held in Athens in 2004.

Other members of the team comprising fast bowler Abid Khan from Charsadda, Ahmad Jibran from Peshawar, spinners Fayyaz Ahmad from Mardan, Irfanullah from Charsadda, Raj Wali from Mardan and Wajid Alam from Peshawar. Selected batsman included Abidullah Afridi, Inaullah, Mansoor Khan, Najeebullah and Gulab Afridi from Peshawar, Muhammad Rafil from Kohat, Nasrullah from Lakki Marwat, Khalid Khan from Mansehra and Farmanullah from Charsadda.

Qayyum Sports Complex coordinator will serve as the team manager while Jaffar Khan has been nominated as the team coach. The tournament will be commencing at Lahore from September 8.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th,  2011.