Pakistan not only surprised everyone by easily defeating hosts England by 78 runs in the first match of the Tri-Country Disabled Cricket Series to be held in England in 2018, but also started the tournament victoriously and maintained its tempo till the end. In this match, Pakistan not only showed the best batting but also awakened its magic in bowling. Let me tell you that the England team was a hot favorite for this tournament as they had won the five-nation cricket tournament held in Bangladesh in 2015 and that they had defeated Pakistan in the final of the said event. In this memorable match at Worcestershire University Ground, Muhammad Shahbaz scored a brilliant, lively and match-winning century for Pakistan. He scored 121 runs and helped Pakistan reach a total of 224. In reply, the English team piled up 146 runs. Done. For Pakistan, captain Nihar Alam limited the hosts to a low score by taking four wickets for just 11 runs.
The impressive victory in this match further boosted the morale of the disabled cricketer, who was most happy to say that he had achieved a great victory in his first match on the soil of England, the birthplace of cricket. Intoxicated with the victory, the Pakistan Disabled Cricket Team returned to the hotel and celebrated the victory with the team officials and PDCA. He also paid obeisance to God and achieved this victory while remaining disciplined, especially the century maker Muhammad Shahbaz, who was also the man of the match, while Nahar Alam also bowled magically. After that the flowers were not sleeping. The PDCA also lauded the success of the national team.
After easily defeating England, Pakistan Disabled Cricket Team defeated Bengal Tiger Bangladesh by 45 runs in the next match with the same ease. Pakistan scored 180 runs for the loss of five wickets while Wajid Alam scored 74 runs. In reply, Bangladesh were bowled out for 135 and Pakistan won for the second time in a row. After winning two matches, the team management allowed the players a walk on a leisurely day. The players visited Worcestershire County and saw many historical sites and buildings that they had previously only seen in movies.
Under the double league format, Pakistan’s next match was against England in which Pakistan lost by 6 wickets because the team management gave the opportunity to play in this second match to the players who had not played both the matches before. There were coins. The Pakistan team scored 160 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in the first innings. The required Qureshi scored 35 runs while the hosts got the target for 4 wickets in reply. Many disabled cricketers were heartbroken by this defeat, so the PDCA encouraged these players and encouraged them to show their talents in the next matches with new determination.
After this defeat, Pakistan had to beat Bangladesh to reach the final. After a thrilling contest, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by just 5 runs to make it to the title match. Thanks to 139 runs and in reply Bangladesh were bowled out for 134 runs. Nihar Alam bowled devastatingly and broke Bangladesh’s back by dismissing three Bengali batsmen for 9 runs. This victory took Pakistan to the final. (to be continued)
The Pakistan Disabled Cricket Association (PDCA) is responsible for the promotion and expansion of the game through its associate and affiliate members throughout the country for all the Physically Disabled Cricketers of the country and PDCA is also recognized by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) who is the governing body of cricket in Pakistan.