ISLAMABAD: At least seven members of the National Assembly (MNAs) are almost sure to make it to the parliamentary cricket team on the basis of their professional talent to represent Pakistan in the tournament of such squads of eight countries in Britain in July.The British parliamentary cricket team is hosting the event in the UK on July 8-15 on the sidelines of the Cricket World Cup to be played from May 30 to July 14, 2019. A total of eight teams will take part in the event. At the same time, the national cricket teams of Pakistan and India will play matches in the World Cup.Pulls and pressures aside, the selectors are concerned about choosing a professional lineup based on its performance during the training and practice session in view of its significant match with the Indian parliamentary team.“Win or defeat in this encounter will be as important as it has been between national cricket teams of Pakistan and India,” President of the Islamabad Region Cricket Association (IRCA) Shakil Shaikh says. “In view of our team’s match with India, selection has to be strictly made on professional considerations.”Two brothers from Rahimyar Khan belonging to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)--Syed Mustafa Mahmood and Syed Murtaza Mahmood--have emerged as good cricketers during the training and practice sessions of the MNAs, which are meant to pick up the parliamentary team.Ali Zahid from Sialkot hailing from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) also figures among those who have good prospects of being selected for being a nice cricketer. Besides, Sadaqat Ali Abbasi from Murree, Mujahid Ali from Mardan and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Ali Nawaz Awan from Islamabad belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are likely to be inducted in the team for the same reason.PTI’s Parliamentary Secretary on Finance Zain Mahmood Qureshi, son of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, will captain the team. There are total of 47 MNAs of different parliamentary parties, vying to get a place in the 15-member team.The Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad is ready to provide the facilities for practice and training to the aspirants for at least one month. The camp will continue during the month of Ramazan.A trainer and a physiotherapist have been made available to the hopefuls apart from other facilities to make the practice professionally fruitful and productive. A struggle is on among the MNAs to get in the squad. Two federal ministers, Fawad Chaudhry and Ali Amin Gandapur, are also in the run.The British team approached National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar to send the squad. He asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to make the selection. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named Mudassir Nazar, Director, Academies, to coordinate the effort. The speaker named Zain Qureshi as the coordinator.Mudassir Nazar nominated Shakil Shaikh to do the job. He nominated three head coaches of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Tribal Areas regions for selection of the team.Besides the teams of Pakistan, India and Britain, squads of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will participate in the tournament. It is expected to be a T-15 format while the final will be of 20 overs. The MNAs under 45 years of age qualify to contest for a place in the team. They will also be given training by the National Cricket Academy, Lahore.No member of the Upper House of Parliament has applied as Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani was not asked by the speaker to request the senators to seek selection in the team. Organisers are likely to urge the lineup hailing from opposing political parties to keep their perennial tussle away from the sports during the competition.
from The News International - National http://bit.ly/2GIRUHA
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