Karachi: The blind cricket teams of Pakistan and India will play five matches against each other for the first time as part of the build-up to next month’s scheduled full international series, officials said Wednesday.

Agha Shaukat Ali, chairman of the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council, said the tour would go ahead after receiving clearance from the governments of both countries.

Pakistan are the reigning world champions in blind cricket, a title they won in India in December 2002. “When we toured India we were treated like heroes and we want to reciprocate the feelings,” said Ali.

Blind cricket is played using a ball filled with beads, which is bowled underarm and played by the batsman on its sound, and of the starting 11 players, four must be totally blind, three must have 20 to 25 percent vision and four must have 45 to 60 percent vision.

The Indian team is scheduled to cross through the Wagah border on February 18 and will open the series with a one-day game in Lahore two days later. (AFP)