LAHORE: Pakistan have been granted the rights to host the upcoming Blind T20 cricket World Cup. The competition is scheduled to unfold from November 20 to December 3 this year.
The decision to entrust Pakistan with the hosting rights was reached during the annual meeting of the World Blind Cricket Council held in Dubai. Chaired by Syed Sultan Shah, the meeting deliberated on various aspects of the tournament, ensuring a fair and competitive environment for all participating teams.
Eight cricketing nations - New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh - have already confirmed their participation in the prestigious event. However, the Australian Blind Cricket team are yet to confirm their participation.
In a parallel development, India have been granted the privilege of hosting the inaugural Women's Blind T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in December 2025.
Moreover, the annual meeting witnessed unanimous approval for amendments to the rules governing blind cricket, aimed at refining the game and ensuring a level playing field for all participants
Remember, Pakistan and India were recently involved in a T20 series in Dubai. Ajay Reddy’s sparkling knock helped India record an eight-wicket victory against Pakistan to clinch the Pak-India Bilateral Blind T20 Cricket Series by 2-1 at ICC Cricket Academy Dubai, UAE on Sunday.
Pakistan, batting first, changed their opening pair, bringing in Badar Munir to maximise the powerplay overs. However, Badar’s early dismissal after scoring two boundaries set the stage for M Salman’s splendid innings of 74 runs off 39 balls, with M Rashid contributing 32 off 22 balls. Pakistan posted 193-9 in 20 overs, with Durga Rao claiming three wickets, while Venkatesh took two.
In response, India chased down the target in the penultimate over, scoring 196 runs in 18.4 overs, losing two wickets in the process.
Sohail Imran Sohail Imran is a senior reporter for Geo News.