ISLAMABAD: After a two-day delay, the Indian baseball finally stepped into Pakistan.

Waiting to be granted NOCs by their government, the Indian squad was stranded at the Wagah Border since its arrival there on Wednesday.

On Friday, they were allowed to cross the border and travel to Islamabad to participate in the West Asian Baseball Championship, which started here on the same day.

In the tournament’s first match, Pakistan registered a 17-0 victory over Afghanistan as Faqir Hussain scored three runs while Waseem Akram added two, including a home run.

The home side’s Mohammad Hussain, Arslan, Fazal Khan, Shahzad and Mohammad Younis struck two runs each.

In the day’s second fixture, defending champions Sri Lanka outclassed Nepal 26-0.

Nepal, Bangladesh and Palestine are the other teams featuring in the regional tournament.

Pakistan Federation Baseball president Fakhar Ali Shah expressed delight over the Indian players’ arrival and expected the team to compete with full force.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2023