A six-day T20 Blind Cricket Super League, organized by the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) for the selection of Pakistan’s squad for the second Blind Cricket Asia Cup started in Abbottabad on Monday with teams from all four provinces participating in the tournament.
Deputy Commissioner Abbottabad Sarmad Saleem Akram inaugurated the event at Abbottabad Public School Ground as the chief guest. The opening ceremony was attended by PBCC Chairman Syed Sultan Shah, Director Finance Prof. Dr. Anwar Ali Sial, Principal Abbottabad Public School Prof. Akhtar Qureshi, President Abbottabad Blind Cricket Club Tajammal Hussain Danish, Finance Secretary Muhammad Bilal, District Sports Officer, and players representing Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan.
Addressing the ceremony, Deputy Commissioner Sarmad Saleem Akram said Abbottabad was honoured to host talented and determined athletes who had demonstrated outstanding performances at both national and international levels. He said the Super League would not only facilitate the selection of players for the second Asia Cup but would also serve as an important milestone in promoting blind cricket in the country. He noted that the participation of teams from all four provinces was a matter of pride for Abbottabad and assured the organizers that the district administration would provide all possible support and facilities to ensure the comfort of visiting players and officials.
The Deputy Commissioner urged the players to give their best performances during the tournament so that the strongest possible national squad could be selected for the upcoming continental event. PBCC Chairman Syed Sultan Shah said that 56 of the country’s top blind cricketers had been selected for the Super League. He added that the tournament was part of preparations for the second Blind Cricket Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from November 14 to 20.
He recalled that Pakistan had reached the final of the previous Asia Cup but narrowly missed out on the title, expressing confidence that the national team would emerge victorious this time and bring laurels to the country.
Principal Abbottabad Public School Prof. Akhtar Qureshi also assured full institutional support for the successful conduct of the tournament. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the organizers presented commemorative shields to the Deputy Commissioner and the Principal in recognition of their support.
On the opening day, matches were played between Sindh and Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The final of the tournament will be held on June 21.