LAHORE: Pakistan players Mohammad Shah and Wahid Lal have been selected to represent one of the teams at the inaugural edition of the Baseball United League being held in Dubai next year, the top official of the Pakistan Federation Baseball (PFB) said on Tuesday.

Pakistan Federation Baseball president Syed Fakhar Ali Shah said that both the players were selected through a trial match held at Dubai’s cricket stadium on Nov 24, adding “it is a great honour for Pakistan to have two baseball players competing in a professional league”.

Shah is from Lahore while Wahid belongs to Khyber Agency.

He said the Pakistan Federation Baseball had picked Wahid from Khyber Agency through trials in 2015, and now he has achieved a milestone.

“Hopefully, more baseball players will emerge from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in future.”

According to Fakhar, Pakistan’s fast bowling great Shoaib Akhtar is the ambassador of the league.

“Shoaib has become the ambassador of the league which is a good sign for its promotion in Asia,” the Pakistan Federation Baseball chief stated.

Fakhar said the Pakistan Federation Baseball for its progress needs the support of the government, insisting as Pakistan possesses heaps of baseball talent.

“Pakistan have dropped one place, to sixth, in Asian rankings just because of missing the last Asian Games, as the government had not included the [baseball] squad in its contingent,” he regretted.

Pakistan men’s baseball squad will go to Chinese Taipei on December 1 to participate in the Asian Championship where the national team will play their first match against top-ranked Japan, the PFB president disclosed.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2023