Minister lauds veteran cricketers’ performance in Australia

KARACHI: Sindh labour and human resource minister Saeed Ghani has appreciated veteran Pakistani cricketers for winning the first-ever Over-60 Cricket World Cup in Australia recently.

The minister said this at a reception he hosted in honour of the members of the victorious side of the country. He said the veteran cricketers did not just win the world championship but they also proved that their fitness was much better than the national Pakistani cricket team whose players often become unfit.

Ghani said that Pakistanis in general and the residents of Karachi, in particular, were ardent admirers of cricket, hoping that the national cricket team would come up with the expectations of the people in the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Special Assistant to Sindh Chief Minister on Sports Arbab Lutfullah said that floods had caused massive devastation in the province but even then the provincial government had been doing its best to promote sports.

He said that the Sindh government would do its best to promote the budding sporting talent in the province and that Sindh Premier Cricket League would soon be held.

He also announced Rs 1 million for the World Cup- winning squad.

Captain of the team Fawad Ejaz Khan said that his fellow players had shown exemplary performance and fitness enabling them to win the first-ever edition of the World Cup at this level.

He hoped that renowned cricketing stars of Pakistan like Shahid Afridi, Younus Khan, Muhammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik would participate in the Over-40s World Cup.

Fawad said fourteen teams will be participating in the Over 40s World Cup which will be held in Karachi next year from 23rd September to 8th October. “We want the Government of Sindh to be our official partner for that World Cup,’ he said, thanking thanked Arbab Lutufullah for his sponsorship commitment for that tournament.