ISLAMABAD-Pakistan Disabled Cricket Association (PDCA) Secretary Amiruddin Ansari has requested PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani and MD Waseem Khan to help Pakistan disabled cricket team, which is going to participate in the first-ever Disabled World Series in England this year.
Talking to The Nation, Ansari said: “The World Cup fever had griped the entire world, but people don’t know that Disabled World Series T20 will also be played in England and Pakistan is going to participate in the mega event, which will commence in August this year. We are number one in disabled cricket rankings and we have bright chances of winning the mega event.”
Ansari said: “We are founders of disabled cricket in the world as we have spread it in the entire world so being the inventors of disabled cricket, we were supposed to host the first-ever Disable World Series but it is quite disturbing that we couldn’t do so because of so-called security issues and other problems. Now we want to participate in the world series as we have prepared well for the mega event and we are upbeat about winning the trophy,” he added.
The PDCA Secretary said that he has been requesting the PCB chairman to spare sometime and have a meeting with the PDCA. “All the other four participating nations, including hosts England, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, are being fully sponsored by their respective cricket boards, while we have been requesting since long to the PCB to provide 60 percent of the expenditures as we will cover rest of the 40 percent through sponsors.
“I had requested PCB MD Waseem Khan for a meeting, who told me to write down to the cricket board, which I have duly done and waiting for the positive response, which didn’t come yet from the PCB. It will take around Rs 13 million to cover the expenditures of Pakistan team and officials for the tour of UK. We will take 15 players and five officials to UK,” he added.
He said: “PDCA President Rashid Latif is also working day and night for the noble cause. We have a very balanced and competitive side and we are capable of winning the world series, but we need funds on urgent basis, as time is very short and we have to manage rest of the expenditures soon. If the PCB helps the PDCA, it will confirm our chances of taking part in the event.”
“It is a long tour and we have to establish camps for the preparations for which we need funds. We are trying to meet Prime Minister prior to travelling to UK. If the PCB can spend millions on PSL, why not they can spend on disabled cricket? I request the entire nation to encourage disable team and pray for our success in the mega event. I hope the PCB will look into our request and release the funds soon,” Ansari concluded.