ISLAMABAD: The six-day camp for the blind women cricketers concluded here on Tuesday with nearly thirty players participating in it.

The camp saw female blind players from Peshawar, Abbottabad, Attock, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan attending the camp where they were coached by qualified Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) coaches on batting, bowling, fielding and basic techniques of the game.

A practice match was also played among the players on Tuesday.

The Australian High Commission in Pakistan provided the funding for the camp. It must be mentioned here that Pakistan’s first blind women cricket team was established in 2018 with the collaboration of the PBCC and the Australian High Commission. The team played its first T20 International match last year which was a great beginning for them.

On Tuesday, chief guest Dr Geoffrey Shaw, the Australian High Commissioner in Pakistan, distributed the prizes and said that the main purpose of supporting the women’s blind cricket team is to bring them into main stream and make them feel as much a normal citizen of Pakistan as any other.

“I am delighted on this fine joint initiative by Australian High Commission and the PBCC which is a step in the right direction,” said Dr Shaw. “As it is, Australia and Pakistan go a long way in cricket and we hope to provide all cooperation in making the special people feel part of the society and give them confidence about contributing positively for the development of the game.”

The PBCC coaches — Abrar Shah and Mohammad Jameel — were all praise for the women blind cricketers’ progress at the camp.

PBCC chairman Syed Sultan Shah thanked the Australian High Commission for its tremendous support throughout and also encouraged the women players and said that cricket is a game that provides a big boost for blind players in raising their confidence.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2020