PCB donates Rs7.5 million to the Army Public School
PESHAWAR: Pakistan cricketers went over from Lahore to meet up with the survivors of last month's horrific school massacre by terrorists on Dec. 16 Saturday afternoon at Peshawar, skipper Misbah-ul Haq later commenting that the brave young ones had inspired his visiting clutch of players and officials to win the ICC World Cup 2015.
To show solidarity with the Army Public Schoold students and their parents, the PCB had called off the World Cup training camp a day early and made logistic arrangements for the Team Pakistan members and officials to visit the convalescing victims of the army-run school in Peshawar’s Central Military Hospital.
At a reception organized by the ISPR at the army mess, they also met with families of the slain students.
Along with skipper Misbah, Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad, Ehsan Adil, Yasir Shah and Mohammad Irfan, and three team officials manager Naveed Akram Cheema, security officer Col. (Retd) Muhammad Azam and assistant manager Shahid Aslam made the Peshawar trip.
Younis Khan had visited the school earlier, and presented the school presents from the Black Caps cricketers.
Pakistan Team Manager Naveed Akram Cheema presents a cheque of Rs 7.5 million
on behalf of PCB to APS Peshawar
"Those were touching scenes," said Cheema. "The faces of kids were glowing at the sight of the players, and parents of those who died want us to win the World Cup for their dear ones. Players have promised that they will do their best for the Peshawar victims." Cheema also handed over a cheque of Rs7.5 million ($75,000), a donation from the Pakistan Cricket Board.
The PCB Chief Operating Officer, Mr Subhan Ahmad, said, the Board had announced there and then that the gate money from the fourth one-day international between Pakistan and New Zealand in Abu Dhabi in the third week of December would be donated for the families of the martyred children and towards rebuilding the school. “Fulfilling our pledge, we have handed the cheque to the school administration today”, said Subhan Ahmad.
Despite extremely tight schedule prior to the ICC World Cup 2015, Chairman PCB Shaharyar M. Khan had decided that a bunch of Team Pakistan members must visit the victim students and their families.
Misbah said meeting up with students who had survived the dastardly terrorist attack – with 150 deaths, the deadliest in Pakistan's history – had given the cricketers enormous courage ahead of next month's ICC World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
"It was a great feeling… The kids imbued us with tremendous courage and wished us the best for the forthcoming World Cup.
"The best part is that these kids have rejoined the school and their spirit is encouraging and inspiring. To us they quite unmistakably seemed to be saying, ‘Never give up, howsoever bad the situation’. We had gone over to condole with them, and to help raise their spirits, instead their courage and forbearance has rubbed off on us. Drawing motivation from these survivors, we will go to the World Cup with great fighting spirit," said Misbah.
Misbah said, the children had promised to watch the World Cup, which starts on Feb. 14, and to pray for Team Pakistan’s victory.
Afridi said the students had taught the players that "the one who saves is greater than the one who tries to kill".
"We are hugely motivated by these kids," said Afridi. "When I asked one kid, how he survived after being shot in the chest, he said, his chest was not so weak.
"We want to show the same courage in the World Cup and win the event for our people, especially these young students."
Ahmed Shehzad too was moved by the spirit of the young students: "They are so brave, we should salute them… We learnt from them that we should be scared of none, and show courage in adversity."
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