ISLAMABAD, Dec 1: All is set for the 3rd Cricket World Cup for the Blind to get underway as seven teams arrived in the city on Friday. Pakistan will defend their title in the event, final of which will be held on Dec 16.

Other participating teams are South Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, England and the West Indies.

Captains of the teams will talk to media on Saturday at a local hotel at 4pm.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will inaugurate the tournament at the National Library Auditorium on Sunday while matches will start from Monday.

The Pakistan team comprises 17 players and six officials. Players are divided into following three categories:

Totally blind: Mohammad Waqas, Mohammad Shehbaz, Anwar Ali, Amir Ishfaq, Noor Quresh, Mohammad Waseem Khan.

Partially blind: Abdul Razzaq (captain), Masood Jan, Zeeshan Abbasi, Mohammad Irfan, Muzafar Ali.

Partially sighted: Mohammad Fayaz (vice captain), Syed Adnan Ahmad, Shariq Yaseen, Mohammad Akram, Tahir Ali (wicket-keeper), Tariq Samuel.

Officials: Perveen Khan (manager), Khalid Mehmood Malik (assistant manager), Nafees Ahmed (coach), Mohammad Dawood (assistant coach), Tariq Mehmood (physio) and Mohammad Jamil (trainer).—APP