Playing for IDPs: Exhibition match nets Rs20m for CM’s relief fund

Match played between Multan Tigers and Pakistan XI.

MULTAN:

An exhibition T-20 cricket match helped raise over Rs 20 million in donations for the internally displaced people (IDPs) of North Waziristan.

The match was played between Multan Tigers and Pakistan XI at the Multan cricket stadium on Monday night.

Led by former Pakistani captain Inzamamul Haq, Multan Tigers included Sohaib Maqsood, Muhammad Shabbir, Zeshan Ashraf, Gulraiz Sadaf, Amir Yamin, Muhammad Rameez, Kumail Abbas, Babar Ali, Zeshan Ali, Maqbool Ahmed, Ahmed Rasheed and Hafiz Habibullah.

Test cricketer Faisal Iqbal was the captain of Pakistan XI, which included Karamat Ali, Sharjeel Khan, Sami Aslam, Adnan Akmal, Bilawal Bhatti, Hamad Azam, Anwar Ali, Imamul Haq, Babar Azam, Ziaul Haq and Attaullah.

The Pakistan XI won the toss and elected to bat first. They scored 195 runs for the loss of five wickets. Faisal Iqbal and Sami Aslam were the top scorers. They contributed 47 runs each to the total.

Muhammad Rameez of Multan Tigers picked two wickets, while Amir Yamin, Kumail Abbas and Hafiz Habibullah took one wicket each.

Chasing the target of 196, Multan Tigers could only score 180 runs for the loss six wickets. Haq was given LBW on the first ball he faced.

Babar Ali remained the top scorer with 35 runs. Zeshan Ashraf scored 27, Gulraiz 27 and Zeshan Ali 22.

Karamat Ali of Pakistan XI took four wickets and Attaullah two.

Faisal Movers announced a Rs2 million donation, Haq Rs200,000 and a special persons organisation 100,000 for the Chief Minister Relief Fund for IDPs.

Provincial Law Minister Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan distributed mementos among the two teams.

Provincial Minister for Prisons Chaudhry Abdul Waheed Arrain, MNA Abdul Ghaffar Dogar, former MNAs Sheikh Tariq Rasheed and Rana Mehmoodul Hassan, MPA Ahsanuddin Qureshi, DCO Zahid Saleem Gondal and CPO Sultan Ahmed Chaudhry were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2014.