While the entire Pakistani nation mourned the failure of the Pakistan National Cricket Team to reach the semi-finals of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, the National Disabled Cricketers were also depressed. Participating in the series with the spirit of playing a great game, Sarfraz Ahmed, who led Pakistan in the same World Cup before leaving for England, also visited the camp of the national disabled cricket team and asked them to raise their spirits. Not only talk but also give useful tips regarding cricket in England. At Karachi Airport, the Pakistan Disabled Cricket Team was once again get farewell in the shadow of good wishes and lots of prayers from the fans and cricket circles of Karachi.
Before leaving for England, the faces of Pakistani players were once again moaning with inner joy that they were going to play cricket again in England, the birthplace of cricket, and that this time it was a five-team event which included India. We have a good chance that we can prove ourselves as the best disabled cricket team in the world with our excellent performance in this Physically Disabled World Cricket Series. A large number of players’ families were also present at the Karachi airport to bid farewell to their heroes. Emotional scenes were also witnessed on the occasion. The families of each player urged their “domestic heroes” to do the same. That he has to come to England again.
Once again, the Pakistan Disabled Cricket Team was in Worcestershire, England, where it conducted several net sessions, working hard to adapt to English conditions. It also coped with the growing cold there. In the first match of the Physically Disabled World Cricket Series hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board, England defeated Pakistan by three wickets after an interesting contest. Saifullah’s 23, Mohammad Shahbaz and Hamza Hameed’s 22-22 runs were also included. In reply, England Disabled achieved the required target of seven wickets in the last over. Flynn scored 69 and Goodon 47 runs. Waqif Shah took two wickets for Pakistan.
The defeat at the hands of England in the first match did disappoint the Pakistan Disabled Cricket Team but as the national team lost the match, the team management met with the players in a pleasant atmosphere to keep their spirits high. And learn from mistakes and focus on the next matches. Pakistan’s next match was against Afghanistan. The result of this match was no different from the first match and Pakistan lost by 26 runs. Playing first, Afghanistan scored 142 runs in 16 overs with Emad Zai scoring 60 and Mandozai 47 runs. In reply, Pakistan Disabled Cricket Team could score only 116 runs for 9 wickets in 16 overs. Hasnain Alam remained the leading scorer with 35 runs. Lingari from Afghanistan played a key role in Pakistan’s defeat by dismissing four players.
The two-match defeat woke up the Pakistan Disabled Cricket Team from a nightmare. Perform percent games. The effect of this advice was seen in the next match against Bangladesh where Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by 12 runs after a thrilling contest. Playing first, Pakistan scored 130 runs in 20 overs, including 41 off 23 balls by Abdullah Ijaz at number nine and 39 by Muhammad Shahbaz. In reply, Bangladesh managed to score 118 runs in 20 overs, with Vivan leading the way with 51 runs. For Pakistan, Abdullah Ijaz took four wickets for 21 runs and was declared man of the match. This victory gave Pakistan a lot of encouragement and now its next match was against traditional rival India. (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.