Pakistan: Visually impaired cricketers return to warm welcome (1 December 1998)
LAHORE, Nov 30: Eulogising Pakistan blind team's runner-up position in the first World Cup Cricket Tournament at New Delhi, manager Syed Iftikhar Ahmad urged for more facilities for the visually-impaired cricketers so that they could bring more
01-Dec-1998
1 December 1998
Pakistan: Visually impaired cricketers return to warm welcome
By Our Sports Correspondent
LAHORE, Nov 30: Eulogising Pakistan blind team's runner-up position in
the first World Cup Cricket Tournament at New Delhi, manager Syed
Iftikhar Ahmad urged for more facilities for the visually-impaired
cricketers so that they could bring more laurels for the country.
Talking to 'Dawn' on arrival of the Pakistan blind team at the Lahore
Airport late on Monday evening, the manager said:
"Majority of members of my team belong to poor families. They do not
enjoy the facilities being provided to players of the other six
nations which took part in the inaugural tournament. If infrastructure
for them is improved and they get proper encouragement through
cash-awards and job opportunities, the game can get a fillip among the
visually impaired cricketers. To win the runner-up trophy in their
first outing is no mean achievement and they deserve encouragement
from the nation!"
The Pakistan blind team lost to South Africa in the final of the
inaugural competition.
A rousing welcome was accorded to the 20-member squad, which includes
17 players and three officials. Masood Jan, who registered world
record by scoring 262 against South Africa in league match said that
he did not expect the rare feat when he left for India. It was all
blessing of God who gave him an opportunity to register his name in
the world record book, the 21 year old bearded Masood Jan said. It may
be mentioned here that no player in world sighting cricket could touch
200 figure.
Masood Jan has 10 centuries in domestic cricket.
Pakistan Blind cricket squad was:
Captain Sultan Shah, vice-captain Abdur Razzaque, Aamir Ashraf, Masood
Jan, Zareen Khan, Noor Qureshi, Aamir Qayyum, Aamir Ashfaque, Saqib
Habib, Ashraf Bhatti, Mujeeb-ud-Din, Rab Nawaz, Saqib Soomro, Tauheed
Anwar, Arshad Mahmood, Javed Khan, Muhammad Ali.
Manager: Syed Iftikhar Ahmad
Coach: Ayaz Kashir.
Doctor: Qamar Zaman.
Coach: Ayaz Kashir.
Doctor: Qamar Zaman.
Source :: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)