Pakistan Blind Cricket players/file photo

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) on Thursday shortlisted 23 players for the 5th edition of World Cup Cricket of the Blind, scheduled to be held in Pakistan and UAE in January next year.

According to Chairman PBCC Syed Sultan Shah, Nisar Ali will led the team in the World Cup while Amir Ishfaq will be the vice captain, said a press release issued here.

The players were shortlisted by the PBCC selection committee headed by Syed Muhammad Salman Tariq Bokhari. Other members included Masood Jan and Ibrar Shah.

The 23 players were shortlisted among 34 players on basis of their performance and physical fitness in the training camp that took place at Okara from September 9 to 15. The next conditioning camp of the players will take place from October 22 to 29 in Faisalabad.

The shortlisted players include; B1: Amir Ishfaq, Zafar Iqbal, Sajid Nawaz, Muhammad Ayyaz, Riasat Khan, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Osama); B2: Haroon Khan, Moeen Ali, Badar Munir, Anees Javed, Nisar Ali, Muhammad Ayub Khan and Zeeshan Abbasi; B3: Muhammad Jamil, Mohsin Khan, Israr Hassan, Muhammad Ejaz, Mateeh Ullah, Muhammad Rashid, Kamran Akhtar, Sana ullah and Rahid Ullah.