Pakistan month completed a hat-trick of Veterans Cricket World Cup wins when they defeated the hosts Sri Lanka in the final by six wickets last month in at Colombo.
Pakistan thus completed a hat-trick of victories in the World Cups for veterans. Less than two years back Misbah-ul-haq had lifted the Over 40s Global Cup at the National Stadium Karachi. In 2022 Pakistan had won the Over 60s World Cup in Brisbane Australia under the captaincy of Fawad Ijaz Khan who happens to be the Chairman of the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).
As Pakistan were denied visas for the next over 60s World Cup in Chennai India to defend that title. As such they technically remained unbeaten since that victory over New Zealand in the final in 2022.
And now at Colombo last month, with the famous Arjuna Ranatunga (captain of the Sri Lanka team that won the 1996 World Cup at Lahore) in attendance, Pakistan had returned triumphant in the Over 50s World Cup, beating the hosts Sri Lanka by 6 wickets on their home turf.
Sadly, like their previous World Cup triumphs (all within the last four years) this win too has gone unrecognised and celebrated by the nation.
Perhaps the ICC Champions Trophy that started just as this IMC World Cup (called the International Masters Cup) took the attention away. Ironic, therefore, that on the same day that the Pakistan National team was struggling against India in the first innings at Dubai in that ICC Championship encounter the Pakistan Over 50s side were marching toward the championship winning runs confidently against the strong host side in Colombo.
And that the Pakistan side fought against all odds to defeat India in their must win game to reach the semi-final, in the process also knocking out India from the tournament.
The Pakistan government at least should acknowledge what the PVCA has achieved not just with this triumph but over the past five years where it has won three titles. In fact in the inaugural Over 50s World Cup in Australia in 2018 Pakistan were runners-up, having lost by just 2 runs in the final to Australia.
The Sindh Government had, however, hosted a big event to celebrate and honour the PVCA after they returned with the Over 60s World Cup Trophy. Will the PM Shahbaz Sharif do the same considering PVCA and its teams have achieved a hat trick of World Cup for the Veterans?
Coming to this event Pakistan sent a strong 17-member side to Sri Lanka, all self financed or with private sponsors. The side included 3 management officials including a team physio.
It was going to be tough due to the strength of the teams that had come from the other 13 countries.
Pakistan’s group included Wales, Australia, West Indies, Canada, South Africa and India.
Pakistan played a thriller in the very first game overcoming Wales by 3 runs as they posted 261 in their allotted 45 overs. Their captain and opener Mohsin Aftab Qarshi and Muhammad Shahid scored brisk half centuries. Wales got themselves into a strong position at one time with 127-2 but Muhammad Jawed (4-30 in 6 overs) clawed them back as winners in the last over.
They had a setback against the Australians to lose by 8 wickets despite a strong partnership between Mohsin Aftab Qarshi (53) and debutant Irfan Ali Khan who hit a blistering 63 off only 51 balls. However, from then on Pakistan went on a winning streak all the way to the final defeating West Indies by a huge margin of 147 runs, Canada by 130 runs, South Africa by 5 wickets and finally a thrilling victory over arch rival India.
That match against India espoused everything about this Pakistan Over 50s side. Their fighting spirit, their resilience and their game awareness and temperament were all on display in that game which was a virtual Quarter Final.
Winning the toss India put in Pakistan. It was tough conditions and Pakistan at one stage were 124-6 in the 29th over. From there Muhammad Hafeez 29 off 27 balls and the 64-run partnership between Sheikh Iqbal Ahmed (44) and wicketkeeper Azher Khan (40) took them to respectability with Muhammad Jaffer Qureshi ending the innings in a blitz with 30 off 17 balls including two towering sixes. Still Pakistan finished on 226.
At 80-1 in the 17th over India had become the favourites to win. But then Muhammad Jawed took three wickets to put the pressure back on India. Still, with only 27 needed and 11 overs and five wickets left Pakistan needed something special.
And it came from the entire team as they bowled and fielded brilliantly to keep taking wickets and bowl out India against all odds to win by 2 runs qualifying for the semi-final and eliminating India in the process.
The momentum was with Pakistan now and though their semi-final was now against the toppers of the other group England, who were in fact defending champions, the mood in the Pakistan camp was upbeat.
Put into bat they faced the full fury of the England bowlers. At one stage they were 70-5 in the 20th over. But then the fightbacks that had so epitomized this Pakistan team once again came, this time in the shape of the reliable duo of Sheikh Iqbal Ahmed (77 off 91 ball) and Muhammad Hafeez (32 off 46 balls) who stabilized the innings with an 80-run partnership.
Once Muhammad Hafeez left Sheikh Iqbal Ahmed found an able partner in Muhammad Jawed to add a further 58 runs. Eventually Pakistan finished on 231-9.
Pakistan made early inroads and at one stage England were 22-2 in the 10th over mainly due to new ball bowler Rehan Rauf. Some notable innings from two England batsmen nevertheless kept the Pakistanis under pressure but Pakistan eventually managed to secure a 9-run win with Rauf returning with his third 4-wicket haul of the tournament.
And so Pakistan marched to the final, their fourth final match appearance out of Five Veterans World Cup tournaments they had participated in over the last seven years.
At the toss Sri Lankan captain opted to bat first and in home conditions profited to notch up 88 for the opening partnership. But then the Pakistani bowlers managed to pierce the top order and at 133-5 in the 30th over had regained the initiative. However, a sixth wicket partnership took the score to 196 but the Sri Lankans were held back to a final total of 233-7 in their 45 overs.
Pakistan were put on the back foot immediately by the Lankan bowlers as they lost 2-14. But then Asif Humayun and Muhammad Shahid reconstructed the chase. They drove, pulled, cut with skill and abandon to wrest back the initiative in a partnership of 109 in 21 overs. Even when Shahid left Asif found an able partner in Sheikh Iqbal though sadly missed out on a Cup Final hundred as he left for 89.
By then Pakistan were within 52 runs of the target with 7 overs left. They still needed over 7 an over. The Sri Lankans were confident they would contain the Pakistan middle and lower order.
But both Sheikh Iqbal and Muhammad Hafeez made sure that Pakistan were not denied the victory. As the last over began the scores were tied. And off the first ball of the last over the two scampered the single that gave Pakistan the trophy. Rehan Rauf and Asif Humayun were selected in the Over 50s World XI announced at the Closing Ceremony of World Cup.
In the company of their Chairman Fawad Ijaz Khan who had especially flown over just before the Indian game to boost their morale they celebrated on the field and in the ceremony afterwards. Former Pakistan Captain Moin Khan and Owner of Quetta Gladiators Nadeem Omar were also in Colombo to cheer the Pakistan Team.
Pakistan Veterans teams of Over 40s, 50s, and 60s had won three of the four finals they have played. It is no mean achievement and ranks no less than the 1992 and 2009 World Cup triumphs as well as the 2017 Champions Trophy.
Notably the three triumphs of the Pakistan Veterans teams have come since the Pakistan national team have been unable to reach the knockout stage of any of the ICC tournaments.
In effect the veterans have achieved what their national team hasn’t been able to do. They have done Pakistan proud and it is time they should be recognised and appreciated by the nation and especially the Pakistan government.
From 1st to 13th December this year the PVCA is organising the Over 40s IMC T20 World Cup. Fourteen teams are expected. Two years back in the Over 40s Global Cup played in Karachi the teams that had come from all over the world had gone home singing praises of the organization and hospitality of PVCA. At that time the PVCA had done it all on their own with private sponsorship. Will the Pakistan and Sindh government step up and support the PVCA that continues to bring laurels to the country?
It may be added here the Medicam Group were the sponsors of Over 50s Pakistan World Cup.
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