India to take part in Physical Disability World Cricket Series

An Indian team will represent the country in the first 2019 Physical Disability World Cricket Series which will be held in England.

The tournament, organised by the England and the Wales Cricket Board, will be held at Worcestershire from August 3 to 13.

The announcement was made by the All India Cricket Association For The Physically Challenged (AICAPC) in presence of BCCI General Manager (Cricket Operations) Saba Karim and legendary batsman Dilip Vengsarkar, on the birth anniversary of former India skipper Ajit Wadekar, who died last year.

Karim clarified that the Board of Control in Cricket in India (BCCI) has only given recognition to the AICAPC.

"We are not funding it right now. We (BCCI) have only given recognition to the All India Physically Challenged Organisation (Association) so that they can represent (the country) in the World Series Championship ," Karim told reporters.

It was announced that a training camp for this team will be held in July and then practice matches will be held against the Afghanistan team before the team heads to the UK.

AICAPC president Ashok Wadekar said efforts are on to set up an academy for physically challenged youngsters here.

During the program, a message by legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar was played while the message of Ian Martin, Head of Disability Cricket, ECB was read out and also a documentary on Wadekar was launched.

Former BCCI and MCA office bearer Ravi Sawant, late Ajit Wadekar's wife Rekha also spoke at the event, which was attended by former India players Chandrakant Patankar, Umesh Kulkarni among others.