https://arab.news/2qzg4
- Naimatullah Shahwani, partially blind since age 8, was on Pakistan team that won Blind T20 World Cup on Dec. 3
- 22-year-old grew up playing cricket on streets of Quetta, joined professional academy in provincial capital in 2019
QUETTA: Naimatullah Shahwani walked into the cricket ground at the University of Balochistan earlier this month as the crisp winter sun shone down on him.
The 22-year-old cricketer was there for his daily practice following his return to Quetta, the provincial capital of the remote, impoverished Balochistan province, after being part of the team that won the Blind T20 World Cup on Dec. 3, defeating Bangladesh by 10 wickets.
For Shahwani, the victory was not just a national achievement but a personal milestone in his journey from obscurity and discrimination to mastery of a beloved game — and stardom.
Blind cricket, governed by the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC) since 1996, is a modified version of the sport designed for players with varying degrees of visual impairment. The game is categorized into three groups: B1 (fully blind), B2 (partially blind), and B3 (players with limited vision). Teams are composed of a mix of all categories to ensure inclusivity and a competitive balance.
Shahwani, a B2 all-rounder who lost his sight to cataract at the age of eight, says he grew up playing cricket on the streets of Quetta and eventually joined a professional blind cricket academy in the city in 2019.
“As I grew up and started playing cricket with boys in the streets, I was unable to see properly whenever the ball would go up,” Shahwani told Arab News.
“Because of this, the other boys used to make fun of me, and it didn’t feel nice, I wondered why they were doing this. Then I joined the blind cricket academy and by the grace of god, my performance got better and today I am part of Pakistan’s national team.”
After consistently performing well in domestic and national leagues, Shahwani joined the national blind cricket team in August 2023 and that month, Pakistan won gold at the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) games in Birmingham, England. The player has never looked back.
“PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT“
The Blind T20 World Cup, inaugurated in 2012, has been dominated by neighboring India who won the 2012, 2017 and 2022 editions of the tournament. This year, the defending champions refused to travel to Pakistan due to political tensions between the nuclear-armed archrivals. This series was then played between Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, and South Africa.
“Pakistan hadn’t won this title since the inception of the Blind T20 World Cup, hence we did utmost hard work and the entire team performed well in the final,” Shahwani said.
“I received the ‘Man of the Match’ award in three games against Sri Lanka, South Africa and Nepal, and the ‘Player of the Tournament’ title in the final.”
Shahwani, the eldest of four siblings, credits his blind parents for supporting his dreams and never letting him lose hope in the face of discrimination.
“Despite facing stereotypes in society for being a member of a blind family, I encouraged my son, and people who used to mock his impairment are now coming to congratulate him for his performance in the Blind T20 World Cup,” Shahwani’s father, Nasrullah, told Arab News.
At the same time, he lamented a lack of appreciation by the government: “No one from the government and provincial sports department has come to see my son and to encourage him after the win.”
Nisar Ali, the captain of the national blind cricket team who praised Shahwani as a “bright and talented” player, also highlighted the challenges faced by blind cricketers in Pakistan.
“Blind cricket in Pakistan doesn’t receive much support from the government, because it is not a commercial sport,” Ali told Arab News. “Blind cricket is as neglected a sport in Pakistan as in Balochistan.”
Yasir Bazai, director-general for the Balochistan sports department, said the Pakistan Cricket Board was leading all cricket affairs in Pakistan, including blind cricket.
“The provincial sports department will support Naimatullah under its limited resources,” he added.
While the Pakistan Cricket Board awarded the blind cricket team Rs10 million ($36,029) for their World Cup victory, players like Shahwani hope for more acknowledgement and resources for the sport in the future.
“I thank god that he gave me a platform where I performed well and he gave me so much respect,” the player said as he walked away to start practicing.
“My future plans are to serve Pakistan as much as I can and take forward the name of my Balochistan.”