T20 cricket for physically challenged from March 30

Mumbai: The LIC Trophy 7th National Inter Zonal T20 cricket tournament for the Physically Challenged is to be held here from March 30 to April 1 with five regions taking part in it.

The tournament is to be organised under the auspices of the All India Cricket Association for Physically Challenged, headed by former India Test skipper Ajit Wadekar.

North Zone, East, South, Central and hosts and defending champions West are the teams set to take part in the three-day event, it was announced at a media conference today.

The selection of the five zonal teams has been done on the basis of performance of players during zonal and local tournaments that were conducted over the last few months in Delhi, Mujafarpur, Gwalior, Anantpur and Surat.

Wadekar, who is the founder president of the association since its inception in 1988, said efforts have been made in the past to bring this form of cricket under the umbrella of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, but in vain.

"Promises had been made but they have remained just promises," said Wadekar when asked whether he had approached the BCCI to bring physically challenged cricket under the apex cricket body's umbrella.

"With the Lodha panel reforms mandated by the Supreme Court, we are hoping for better things," said AICAPC secretary, Mirajkar, adding "we conduct nine tournaments per year."

The tournament would be held under the International Crciket Council's T20 cricket tournament format, with a few relaxations to accommodate cricket for the physically challenged whose eligibility is calculated based on definitions provided by the World Health Organisation, it was announced.