ISLAMABAD: A training camp has been organised at the Shalimar Cricket Ground for parliamentarians who will participate in the Inter-Parliamentary Cricket Tournament, scheduled to be held this July in the United Kingdom.

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser inaugurated the week-long training camp on Tuesday by batting a ball delivered by Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri.

The camp is being supervised by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Mr Qaiser said that the participation of parliamentarians in the training camp without security concerns shows that Pakistan is a peaceful country.

He said parliamentarians will play friendly matches with teams from the provincial assemblies and the Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan legislatures for the selection of a balanced team to participate in the international event. He said during their stay in the UK, the parliamentarians will promote sport diplomacy.

He added that the parliamentarians will bear the expenses of the tour and no government funding is involved in the event. Parliamentarians of eight countries participating in the ICC World Cup will play the Inter-Parliamentary Cricket Tournament, to be held alongside the World Cup.

He said the government has taken initiatives to promote sports within the country, as sports are imperative to promote a healthy society.

The convener of Pakistan’s team, MNA Makhdoom Zain Hussain Qureshi, shared details about the event with the press. He also said parliamentarians would bear the expenditure and no government funding is involved.

Mr Qureshi holds sizeable cricket experience at the university and district levels.

Former test cricketer Mudassar Hazar, the academy director at the PCB, is the focal point of the preparations. A total of 47 MNAs are supposed to attend the initial assessment and training camp, and more than 20 lawmakers attended the training session on the opening day.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2019