CRICKET WORLD CUP QUALIFIER SA EAC

PAMILYAR ka ba sa larong cricket? Nakapanood ka na ba ng cricket match, o nakapaglaro ka na ng sport na ito?

Kung hindi pa, heto ang tamang pagkakataon na ma­tung­hayan ang aksiyon sa sports na itinuturing na No.2 sa buong mundo kung pag­babatayan ang bilang nang TV viewers at sumusuporta sa sports.

“Next to football, crickets is the most viewed sports in the world. We have more than 3 billion followers around the globe,” pahayag ni Faisal Khan, local tour­nament director and general manager ng Philippine Cricket Association (PCA) sa ginanap na TOPS (Tab­loids Organization in Philip­pine Sports) ‘Usapang Sports’ kahapon sa National Press Club (NPC) bldg. sa Intra­muros, Manila.

Iginiit ni Faisal na ang players ng PCA hindi man homegrown talent ay may mga dugong Pinoy, Isip Pinoy at damdaming Pinoy. “In choosing players, we look for the players who has a Pinoy heart, Pinoy in blood and Pinoy in character. I’d love to see Filipinos embrace their national team and come to the ground to support them,” pahayag ni Faisal.

Aniya, ang gaganaping World Cup Cricket qualifier – ang International Cricket Council (ICC) World T20 East Asia Pacific (EAP) Qualifier Group B – sa Dis­yembre 1-7 sa Emilio Agui­naldo College sa Dasma­riñas, Cavite – ang mag­bubukas sa kamalayan ng Pinoy sa sports.

“With the help of our volunteer friends and the media, I firmly believe that cricket will one day become a household name in Phi­lippine sports. We have a solid organization and a good program, let us support our team,” pahayag ni Faisal.

Mapapalaban ang Pinoy sa Indonesia, Japan at South Korea sa week-long event kung saan nakataya ang slots para sa next phase ng World Cup qualifier sa Papua New Guinea.

Binubuo ang Philippine national team ng mga players na kabilang sa Philippine Cricket Association leagues at de­velopment programs, ga­yundin ang overseas-born Filipinos na nakapaglaro sa domestic leagues sa Australia at England.