Event Profile

1. Event Profile

2. Background Pakistan is the defending Champion of the World Cup Cricket for the Blind and has been awarded the honor of hosting the 3rd World Cup of Cricket for the Blind, 2006 by the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC). The dates of the event are 3-16 December, 2006. It is only the 3rd World Cup of Cricket for the Blind. The previous two World Cups were hosted by India. The World Cup is held after every 4 years. All major test-playing nations have confirmed their participation including Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka, India, New Zealand, and Pakistan (Defending Champion/Host). Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) are the official organizer of the event.

3. Introduction to the Event This will be the first international disability focused sport event in Pakistan. The vision behind this World Cup is to familiarize the masses with the capabilities and issues of the visually impaired and make them aware of their social responsibilities towards these persons through extensive/effective campaigns at an unprecedented scale. The World Cup Cricket for the Blind is supported by Government of the Punjab, Jang Group and GEO Television Network, Pakistan Air Force and Sightsavers International.

4. Event Calendar Day Date Activity Venue Thursday 19 October Official Media Launch Serena Hotel Wed – Fri 29 Nov – 01 Dec Teams Arrival Islamabad Airport Friday 01 December Welcome Dinner Islamabad Sunday 03 December Opening Ceremony Liaquat Gymnasium Mon - Wed 04 – 06 Dec League Matches Thursday 07 December Rest Day Fri – Mon 8 – 11 December League Matches Sunday 09 December Ind Vs Pak Match F9 Park Sunday 09 December “White Ball” Dinner Tuesday 12 December Rest Day Wednesday 13 December 1st Semi Final F9 Park Thursday 14 December 2nd Semi Final Rawalpindi Stadium Friday 15 December Rest Day Saturday 16 December Final/Closing Rawalpindi Stadium

5. Media Partners Jang Group of Newspapers and Geo TV Network The Jang Group and GEO are the official media partners for the event. Being the largest media group in the region, Jang Group and GEO have helped the PBCC to take this prestigious event to a new level and to create a mega multi-layered/multi-media international event, the theme of which is based around social inclusion and not social isolation for the visually impaired. In an unprecedented gesture, GEO will telecast the exciting event live on TV featuring the Opening Ceremony, Pakistan-India league match on the 9th of December, the 2 semi Finals and the final/closing ceremony. Jang Group’s leading English and Urdu dailies, The News and Jang will also carry a special World Cup column on their sports page and support the event by publishing high-profile supplements and advertising campaign.

6. Media Partners Jang Group of Newspapers and Geo TV Network Geo News will also start airing a daily TV segment in the news titled “Geo Blind Cricket” with history, interviews, profiles, rules and records of all the competing teams and their players featuring comments by the International Cricket Greats of past and present. Mir Khalil ur Rahman Foundation

7. Supporters Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Pakistan Air Force has been supporting Cricket for the Blind in Pakistan since 2001. Air Chief Marshal Tanveer Mehmood Ahmad was the first Patron-in-Chief of the Islamabad Cricket Association of the Blind (ICAB). PAF provides financial as well as human resource support to ICAB. PAF also build a cricket ground to support the blind cricket which will be inaugurated during the World Cup. Sightsavers International Sightsavers International is a UK based development agency working for the prevention of blindness in the developing countries. Sightsavers has been providing financial and technical support to the cricket for the blind from 2002. Sightsavers supported the assessment of the players, national blind cricket tournaments, General Assembly of World Blind Cricket Council, and international cricket series. Government of the Punjab

8. Event Managers Time & Vision Time & Vision are the official event managers. They are committed to design the event in such a way as to provide top-drawer entertainment packaged with top quality mainstream awareness by involving the international cricket heroes, film stars, celebrities and social icons in the build-up to the event.

9. Media Launch The Official Theme Song of the World Cup titled “Hum Bhi Jeetay Hain” and the Trophy were recently unveiled in a high-profile media launch ceremony on the 19th of October, 2006 at the prestigious Serena Hotel in Islamabad in the presence of all the top media representatives of Pakistan. The colorful Official Playing Uniforms of the 8 participating nations were also displayed for the first time. The launch was extensively reported by all major newspapers and TV channels in the country.

10. Opening Ceremony The opening ceremony of the World Cup will be held on December 3, 2006 in Liaquat Gymnasium, Islamabad. The Honorable Prime Minister has confirmed his availability as chief guest for the opening ceremony. The theme of the ceremony is celebrating ability of persons with blindness. The ceremony is designed as a mega event with live coverage, music, choreography with light and sound, top film/TV/music celebrities of Pakistan and introduction of the participating teams.

11. Down-Time Event The top music industry celebrities will entertain the participating teams with music and story-telling in an informal dinner hosted by the Pakistan Air Force on the 2nd of December at a local hotel. The idea is for the talented youngsters participating in the international event feel at home and relax before going into the fiercely competitive competition. The media will be invited to mingle with the participants and have a up-close and personal interaction with them.

12. India-Pakistan World Cup Fixture A 8-10 star delegation led by Mr. Dinesh Lakhanpal, ex-president of India’s film-makers’ association and one of the most influential persons in Bollywood, will be arriving in Pakistan to attend the India-Pakistan world cup fixture on the 9th of December at the F-9 park cricket ground. The White Ball Fund-raising Dinner The stars will also attend a high-profile fund-raising dinner the same night also featuring top Pakistani film/tv/sports/pop celebrities. The match will be aired live on GEO and the dinner will be broadcast later as a prime-time event package.

13. Closing Ceremony The closing ceremony will be held on December 16, 2006 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The chief guest of the event is Honorable President of Pakistan. The prizes will be distributed in a colourful ceremony and the World Cup Trophy will be handed over to the champions and the Event will be officially closed by the Chief Guest.

14. Vision The vision behind this World Cup is to familiarize the masses with the capabilities and problems of the visually impaired and make them aware of their social responsibilities towards these persons through extensive/effective campaigns at an unprecedented scale. The success of this event will help give the visually impaired in the society the respect they deserve. The Federal Government has already assured the organizers of their support through the involvement of schools and colleges participation in this event through the Ministry of Education. The President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan have also extended their passionate support for the event.

15. The Contest The first round of the World Cup will be Round Robin League where each contestant will play all the other teams. The top 4 teams will qualify for the Semi-Finals. There will be a total of 28 League Matches, 2 Semi-Finals and the Final (31 Matches) 4 League Matches will be played each day at 4 different venues. Timings : 1st Session 9:30am-12:30pm 2nd Session 1:15pm-4:15pm

16. The Venues • Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium (Rawalpindi) • Shalimar Cricket Ground (Islamabad) • F9 Park Cricket Ground (Islamabad) • Diamond Cricket Ground G8 • PAF Cricket Ground E9 (Islamabad)

17. Thank You