Pakistan’s Over-50 squad returns from South Africa

KARACHI: The 15-member Pakistan squad has returned from Cape Town, South Africa, following the abrupt abandonment of the Over-50 World Cup Cricket Tournament 2020 due to Coronavirus pandemic.

Fawad Ijaz Khan Chairman Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), disclosed here on Friday that the entire contingent has landed home safely, having flown in from Cape Town via Dubai.

The Over-50 Pakistan squad comprised of Ghaffar Kazmi (captain), Sajid Ali (vice captain), Mahmood Hamid, Jaffer Qureshi, Dastagir Butt, Muhammad Javed, Babar Butt, Raja Arshad Hayat, Azhar Khan, Aziz-ur-Rahman, Zafar Ali, Fawad Bari, Imtiaz Tarar, Asif Hayat and Ahmed Hayat while Behzad Anwar and Aamir Sarfaraz accompanied as manager and assistant manager respectively.

Pakistan, having finished runners-up in the final of the inaugural Over-50 World Cup Cricket Tournament at Sydney in 2018 and starting as one of the pre-tournament favourites this time, appeared on course of making another entry in the final when the organising committee took the decision of abandonment at the halfway stage of the third round of matches.

Registering victories over Namibia and India in their first couple of matches, Pakistan compiled a staggering score of 321 for two in the allotted 45 overs against Wales at which point the it was decided to stop the game, following the decision taken by the organising committee, and the tournament was declared cancelled with immediate effect because of the Covid-19 virus.

The Pakistan squad, having Quetta Gladiators as the main sponsors, with Amar Cables, Turk Plast, Haseen Habib and Bank Al Falah being co-sponsors, was scheduled to take on South Africa and England in their remaining games before the knockout rounds which never materialized. The Over-50 World Cup Cricket Tournament 2020, being contested by 12 countries on round robin league basis, was due to conclude on March 24.