Karachi: A-16 man disabled Pakistan Cricket Team left on Friday for matches in Malaysia and Singapore, becoming the country’s first physically challenged cricketers to embark on a foreign tour. “We are on a history making tour,” skipper Saleem Karim, who is also the founder of the Pakistan Disabled Cricket Association (PDCA), said. The team, cleared by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to tour, will take up invitations to play two matches in Malaysia and three in Singapore. Saleem Karim, whose right leg withered from polio while his left was damaged in an accident, assembled a team of disabled cricketers in 2006 and has since organized two National Championships, sparking country wide interest. “Since the formation of the disabled cricket team we have progressed beyond imagination but these two foreign tour are a huge step forward for us and now we can show two world that being disabled is no obstacle”, said Saleem Karim. He said they have also received good response from the PCB and the International Cricket Council (ICC). The PCB has given us tremendous support and ICC has also shown great interest in our cricket, which is very thrilling, said Saleem Karim, a successful 44 year-old Businessman who funds all the team’s expenses from his own pocket. This team has palyers from all over Pakistan and before playing cricket abroad these players will first realize their dreams of boarding a plane for the first time I their lives, said Saleem, Farhan Saeed, an amputee who bowls with the aid of a stick and jumps on his crutches to deliver, agreed. I have only seen a plane in the air and today, I will be on the plane to Kuala Lumpur, it’s beyond my dreams, said Farhan. Fellow player Mohammad Matloob Qureshi said the team was on cloud nine. Playing cricket like normal people was the first dream realized, and now we are going to Malaysia and Singapore which we will only believe once we land there It’s incredible, said Matloob Qureshi who hails from Multan. Matloob Qureshi, who bats left handed has a polio affected right hand. Another members of the team is Arif Richard, who is fondly called Arif Richards after West Indian maestro and has polio affected legs.