RAWALPINDI: Pakistan ‘A’ team beat Hamza Shahbaz XI by 60 runs in a fundraising cricket match for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) of North Waziristan Agency (NWA) at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Electing to bat first, Pakistan ‘A’ scored 205 for the loss of five wickets. Test opener Sharjeel Khan scored a fluent 101 while young Sami Aslam scored 58. For Hamza Shahbaz XI, Karamat Ali bagged two wickets while Kamran, Hammad Azam and Umar Akmal grabbed one wicket each.

In reply, Hamza Shahbaz XI was all out for 145. Atif Ashraf (36) and Hammad Azam (32) were the main scorers. For Pakistan A, Harris Sohail took three wickets while Anwar Al and Babar Azam captured two each and Shahid Afridi bagged one. More than Rs 20 million were generated from the fundraising contest.

Earlier, talking to the media, former pacer Shoaib Akthar and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal said every Pakistani should help the IDPs as at this time they are in dire need of help. “This fundraising cricket match is a very good initiative taken by the Punjab Government,” said Shoaib.

Afridi was also presented a crown by Hanif Abbasi after the match.

Published in Dawn, July 20th , 2014