Pakistan clinch T20 Blind World Cup

MULTAN: Pakistan players celebrate after beating Bangladesh in the Blind T20 Cricket World Cup final at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.—APP

MULTAN: Pakistan won their maiden T20 Blind World Cup title on Tuesday as they outclassed Bangl­adesh by 10 wickets in a one-sided final here at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

The victory also marked Pakistan’s unbeaten run in the tournament.

After electing to bat first, Bangladesh managed to post 139-7 in the allotted 20 overs. Arif Hussain (54 off 52 balls) stood out for Bangladesh, while Moham­mad Salman contributed 31 off 35. For Pakistan, Babar Ali took two wickets for 24 runs in four overs.

The Pakistan openers prod­uced a masterclass in their chase. Skipper Nisar Ali led from the front, smashing an unbeaten 72 while Mohammad Safdar supported him with an und­e­­f­e­ated 47. They reached the target in just 10.2 overs.

During the prize distribution ceremony, World Blind Cricket Council president Syed Sultan Shah, alongside WBCC Global Development Director Raymond Moxley, handed the championship winners trophy and a cash prize of Rs1 million to Nisar Ali.

Bangladesh captain Arif Ullah received the runners-up trophy along with a cash prize of Rs500,000.

Nisar Ali was named pla­y­er-of-the-match. Bangl­adesh’s Arif Hussain was declared as the emerging player of the tournament.

The best players in B1, B2, and B3 categories were also awarded with Bangl­adesh’s Azmat Hussain, Pakistans Naimatullah, and Dimuth Sandaruwan of Sri Lanka earning the honours, respectively.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2024

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