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(Sports) Pakistan's blind cricket team to participate in Asia Cup

Xinhua, December 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

Pakistan's national cricket team for visually impaired players will participate in the Asia Cup in India next month, officials said on Saturday.

The team will feature in the first-ever Asia Cup to be held from Jan. 17 to 24 in Kochi, India, said Syed Sultan Shah, chairman of the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC).

Earlier in October, Pakistan decided to withdraw from the Asia Cup for blind cricketers following protests faced by visiting officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board in Mumbai.

The PBCC chairman then announced that it would not be sending its team to India due to the anti-Pakistan sentiments and environment in that country.

Now, the Pakistani government allowed the team to visit India after Indian interior minister promised to assure the team's security during the tour.

The participating teams include Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Pakistan's blind cricket team has been rated as the favorite team of the upcoming event as it had already played the finals of all three Blind World Cup tournaments, winning two of them in 2002 and 2006.

In 2006, Pakistan defeated India in the final and became the Blind World Cup Cricket champion for the second time. Enditem