LAHORE - Pakistan Deaf Cricket Association (PDCA) manager Zaheeruddin Babar Monday said that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would sponsor the National Deaf Cricket Championship to be played from December 1 here at the various grounds of the city.
“PCB has lent financial support to us for holding the event in a befitting manner and we are thankful to its interim chairman Najam Sethi for his efforts for the cause of deaf cricket in the country,” said Zaheer.
He said the PCB also extended its financial assistance to them in the past and it was due to the efforts of the cricket board that they held the Deaf Asia Cup in the city earlier this year. “It's for the first time in the history of deaf cricket in Pakistan that as many as 32 teams drawn from across the country will be featuring in the event.”
He said Islamabad was the defending champion of the event and was likely to face strong challenge from other participating teams which were well prepared for the competition. “A heavy programme will go through each day as 16 matches will be played daily at various grounds of the city,” he added.
The participating teams have been drawn into eight groups and each team will play three matches in its respective group on league basis. The formation of the groups is: Group A: Lahore, Multan, Khairpur, Hafizabad; Group B: Muzaffargarh, Gujranwala, Rahim Yar Khan Jehlum; Group C: Sialkot, Okara, Narowal, Sargodha; Group D: Bahawalpur, Jacobabad, Dadu, Sukkur; Group E: Rawalpindi, Quetta, Shikarpur, Faisalabad; Group F: Gujrat, Peshawar, Larkana, Sahiwal; Group C: Islamabad, Haripur, Hyderabad, Khanewal; Group H: Karachi, Sheikhupura, Dera Ismail Khan and Kohat.