LAHORE: Pakistan women’s blind cricket team captain Nimra Rafique on Wednesday said her players were well prepared for the inaugural Blind World Cup.

The event, being held in Sri Lanka and India, started on Tuesday.

The Pakistan squad attended a grand reception organised by the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council president Sultan Shah at a local hotel in Lahore on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Nimra said the team was upbeat to produce a trophy-winning show at the global event.

“Our team is well balanced and we are not nervous, considering it is the first World Cup for blind women cricketers,” the skipper said adding that participation in the inaugural World Cup was an honour for every member of the team.

“A two-week training camp for the World Cup was held in Kashmir where the coaches prepared every player mentally and physically on how to meet challenges of the mega event,” she added.

“The match against India [on Nov 16] will be the high point [for Pakistan] of this event.”

Former Test pacer Aaqib Javed, who was present on the occasion, said that it was a great honour for all the players who were part of the first-ever Blind World Cup for women.

Pakistan play their first match at the World Cup against Sri Lanka on Nov 15 before taking on India the next day. In their third match, Pakistan face Nepal on Nov 18, followed by games against Australia (Nov 19) and the US (Nov 20).

The squad later on Wednesday left for Colombo.

Squad: Bisma Hussain, Rimsha Shabbir, Shumaila Kiran, Qandeel Fatima, Esha Faisal, Sumaira Malik (B1 category); Nimra Rafique (captain), Nusrat Batool, Hooria Malik, Rabbia Javed, Maryam Jahangir (B2 category); Nisha, Mehreen Ali, Armeen Tariq, Noor Fatima, Bushra Ashraf (B3)

Officials: Tahir Mehmood Butt (head coach), Syed Ibrar Hussain Shah (coach); Rubab Zahra (trainer), Shinza Sultan (physio), Wasim Ahmad (media manager).

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2025