ISLAMABAD: The national blind cricket team will participate in this year’s International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) World Games, scheduled from August 18 to 27 in Birmingham.

According to the details, the blind cricket team’s participation in the global event will mark an end to a 16-year hiatus.

The Chairman Syed Sultan Shah of the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) confirmed that the cricket governing body will be sending a 20-member side after selecting the deserved players on merit.

“A 20-member Pakistan team will be sent in the extravaganza after full preparation and selection on merit,” said Shah.

“Pakistan team will feature in the mega event after a gap of 16 years. Prior to it, Pakistan chipped in the event two times in 2002 and 2006. Pakistan team could not participate in the World Games after 2006 as some visa issues had popped up time and again.

“But now we are in contact with IBSA and hopefully, our team will go in the World Games this year.”

Meanwhile, Shah further shared that besides Pakistan, India, England and Australia have also confirmed their participation in the mega event.

The PBCC chairman was hopeful that the strong Pakistan team will make the nation proud by winning as they did in the past.

“Pakistan team is very strong and has already won many laurels for the country. I’m hopeful that the Pakistan team will make the country proud in the extravaganza,” he concluded.

It is worth mentioning here that the IBSA World Games is the largest high-level international event for athletes with visual impairments, which features more than 1000 competitors from more than 70 nations.

Staged every four years, the World Games are the pinnacle of the international sporting calendar outside of the Paralympic Games. With three Paralympic and eight non-Paralympic sports, for some athletes, it is the highest level they can compete at.

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