ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari announced huge cash awards for the victorious Pakistan cricket team and its officials immediately after Pakistan lifted the ICC World Twenty20 Cup-2009 at Lord’s on Sunday.
“The president has announced Rs one million each for captain Younis Khan and allrounder Shahid Khan Afridi,” said Salman Faruqi, secretary-general to the president. “All the remaining members of the Pakistan cricket team and others will get Rs 0.5 million each. And each member of the team will be decorated in a unique way worthy of the occasion,” he said.
The president, who is also patron of the PCB, talked to captain Younis Khan and extended his heartiest congratulations to the Pakistan team for this grand win and said the entire nation was proud of its national heroes who achieved historic victory for Pakistan.
Faruqi said that the president would give a sumptuous reception in honour of the victorious national cricket team on its return from London. The team performed exceptionally well and brought tremendous jubilation all across Pakistan.
All the members of the national cricket team, its officials, Chairman PCB Ijaz Butt, all the members of the PCB Board of Governors and those linked with this mammoth victory will be invited to attend the presidential reception to be held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
“The ICC World T-20 triumph is gift to the nation and it’s a big day for Pakistan and it took place on the birthday of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto,” said Faruqi. Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ijaz Butt profusely showered praise on the national cricket team, captain Younis Khan and all the members of the team. “The boys have worked hard and they gave this big gift to the nation,” said Butt, who was talking to our sources from London midnight Saturday.
Ijaz Butt said all credit went to the players and team management and he would announce cash prizes for the team and its officials. This scribe extended heartiest congratulations to Captain Younis Khan and all the members of the national cricket team.
APP adds: President Asif Ali Zardari has felicitated Pakistan cricket team over its win in the final of the Twenty 20 World Cup cricket tournament in London.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, PML-N Mian Nawaz Sharif and other political leaders also felicitated the Pakistan cricket team on winning the T-20 World Cup.
The prime minister called the captain of the cricket team Younis Khan and greeted him and all the team members on their splendid performance which brought the T-20 World Cup to Pakistan. He praised the excellent performance of Shahid Afridi throughout the tournament and Umar Gul, who set a world record by taking five wickets for six runs in the match against New Zealand.
He said the country was proud of their superb performance, which lifted aloft Pakistan’s flag in the field of cricket. He wished them success in all their future competitions. The prime minister invited the Pakistan cricket team to a reception at the Prime Minister House on its return.
In a message of felicitation, Nawaz Sharif said that Pakistani players have won laurels for their country by their outstanding performance by winning Twenty-20 Cricket World Cup. Nawaz Sharif, a cricket fan and admirer, also congratulated the people on the victory of Pakistan. He expressed the hope that Pakistani cricket team will continue to put up the same performance in future as well.
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