After losing two of the three matches in the Physically Disabled World Cricket Series, it was not easy for Pakistan to compete with India, despite Pakistan Disabled Cricket Association officials and team management telling players to attend the event. Forget the defeats of India and enter the field against India with new determination and courage and achieve success so that the event ends in victory, but nature approved of something else. The match against India was a test of nerves for our cricketers as well as a test of their morale, as a large number of Pakistani and Indian spectators were present on the grounds of Brooms Groves Cricket Club to watch the match. It was a match in which the Pakistan disabled cricket team tried their best to keep up the pressure from the start of the Indian team’s batting, but the Indian batsmen got the required score in the 18th over to avenge the 2015 Bangladesh defeat.
Pakistan scored 150 runs for the loss of seven wickets in the first innings, including 30 by Hamza Hameed, 28 by Majid Hussain, 27 by Muhammad Shahbaz and 21 by Matool Qureshi. Vikrant Kenny took two wickets for India. In response, India initially started the innings a little slower thanks to Pakistan’s excellent bowling and fielding, but they did not lose a wicket after the ninth over, they scored quickly and won the match by eight wickets for 151 runs in 17.1 overs. Khan made 69 off 43 balls with six sixes and four fours while the other opener Finassi remained unbeaten on 55 runs. Both of them scored 125 runs for the first wicket to neutralize Pakistan’s bowling.
With this match against India in the Physically Disabled World Cricket Series, Pakistan’s journey in the tournament also came to an end and the Pakistan Disabled Cricket team could not repeat its performance of the previous year, for a number of reasons. PDCA officials had left no stone unturned in the preparations for the participation of Pakistan Disabled Cricket Team in the Physically Disabled World Cricket Series. However, the players of Pakistan Disabled Cricket Team could not perform well in this event. And three of the four matches were lost.
Despite the setbacks, the Pakistan Disabled Cricket Team played organized cricket in the tournament, on the field and off the field did not give the opportunity to the team management, including the organizers, to lodge any grievances, and this was a feature of the Pakistan Disabled Cricket Team Praise This time too, the host board described the attitude of Pakistani players as ideal. Despite the fact that the performance of Pakistani cricketers was not so good, they won the tour, the team management and PDCA officials did not put any pressure on them, they took every game like a game, to win. He also praised their efforts but when luck is not with you, you play well and lose because it is a part of cricket.
The performance of the players of the Pakistan Disabled Cricket Team was justified in the Physically Disabled World Cricket Series, which can be gauged from the fact that no Pakistani player managed to score a total of 100 runs in four matches. Muhammad Shahbaz scored 90, Hamza Hameed 67, Hasnain Alam 65, Abdullah Ijaz 65, Saifullah 63 and Jahanzeb Towana 61 in four matches. This performance by the main batsmen of the Pakistan Disabled Cricket Team was by no means to their credit. A similar performance was seen in bowling. Abdullah Ijaz stood out with seven wickets in four matches while Waqif Shah took four wickets in four matches, Haris three and Muhammad Shahbaz two. Hosts England reached the final, but India beat England in the final to clinch the Physically Disabled World Cricket Series. (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.