LAHORE: The Pakistan Federation Baseball (PFB) has signed an agreement with Baseball United (BU), which will host the first league in Dubai in November this year.

According to the agreement, BU will include Pakistan players in the four franchise teams featuring in the said league.

PFB president Fakhar Ali Shah said the BU would also train Pakistan players and sponsor PFB-organised events.

Recently, he added, the BU had sponsored the West Asia Cup organised by the PFB in Islamabad.

“BU organised a Pakistan-India friendly baseball match in Islamabad at the end of the West Asia Cup,” Fakhar recalled.

The PFB president said BU would open a window for Pakistan players to make a future in baseball.

Meanwhile, BU president Kash Shaikh said the agreement with PFB would benefit Pakistan.

“We are honoured to partner with the PFB and Syed Fakhar Ali Shah to help grow baseball in Pakistan, and to help create more opportunities for young people across the country,” Kash, who is also CEO and co-owner of BU, said in a press statement.

“Pakistan has created one of the most competitive and successful [baseball] programmes within Asia, and we are looking forward to helping them continue their growth at both grassroots and national team levels,” Kash added.

“We built a strong foundation for partnership earlier this year with our tournament in Islamabad, and now we believe we can make an even greater impact in Pakistan and beyond.”

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2023