National stars to play Independence Day T20 match

Former, current cricketers to clash at Moin Khan Academy today.

KARACHI: Former and current Pakistan players will go head to head in the Independence Day Twenty20 Festival Cricket match between the Pakistan Stars XI and the Pakistan Customs XI today here at the Moin Khan Academy.

Members of the 1992 World Cup winning team, Moin Khan and Inzamamul Haq, will turn up alongside the likes of star all-rounder Shahid Afridi, former skipper Rashid Latif and Abdul Razzaq.

Former Test player Jalaluddin, one of the organisers for the match, said that they were holding this match to celebrate Independence Day with cricket.

“The main aim of the match is to fulfill our social responsibility by celebrating our Independence Day along with cricket,” he told The Express Tribune. “This is the reason we’ve not put up tickets for the match.

“The second reason is to generate funds from the event for the Customs Cricket Academy (CCA), which will certainly be of immense help.”

It should be mentioned here that the CCA is by far one of the best cricket academies all over Pakistan, second only to the National Cricket Academy (NCA), due to its qualified coaches, availability of the latest technology and one of the best practice nets in the country.

‘Wasim Akram doubtful’

Jalal revealed that the availability of legendary cricketer Wasim Akram, who was originally slated to be a part of the event, was doubtful.

“Wasim was expected to participate in the match but we’ve learnt that he has gone to Lahore to meet his family. He wanted to meet his father, who is ill, which has made his status unconfirmed. There are still slim chances that he could play.”

Wasim had recently returned home with his Australian fiancée Shaniera Thompson.

Razzaq, Nazir to take flight back to Pakistan

The confirmation of Razzaq and Imran Nazir has come as a surprise as they are currently participating in the ongoing Kenyan T20 Premier League, but Jalaluddin believes that both players will be present for the match.

“Both will be here by tomorrow [today] morning, and will return soon after participating,” he said.

Squads

Pakistan Stars XI

Wasim Akram (captain), Moin Khan, Inzamamul Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Imran Nazir, Asad Shafiq, Shahid Afridi, Younus Khan, Faisal Iqbal, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Nadeem Khan, Tanveer Ahmed, Khalid Latif, Khurram Manzoor, Sohail Khan

Customs XI

Rashid Latif (captain), Fawad Alam, Ali Naqvi, Hafiz Asad Baig, Hassan Raza, Rameez Raja Jr, Rana Naveedul Hasan, Ali Hussain Rizvi, Hanif Malik, Aamir Iqbal, Waqar Anwar, Yasir Hussain, Saad Alam, Khurram Shahzad, Faheem Ahmed

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2013.

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