UAE beat Saudi Arabia to claim Superfix International Tape Ball trophy

• UAE’ FMTK beat Saudi Arabia’s Buraq XI in the final by 24 runs.
• Gujranwala-born Muzamil Kamoki-led UAE FMTK remained unbeaten.
• FMTK’s captain Kamoki credits his teammates for the success.

SHARJAH: United Arab Emirates (UAE) FMTK thrashed Saudi Arabia’s Buraq XI in the final by 24 runs to win the Superfix International Tape Ball tournament.

The international tape ball tournament was played at the iconic Sharjah Stadium on November 19-20. Gujranwala-born Muzamil Kamoki-led UAE FMTK remained unbeaten in the tournament.

Kamoki and his team were on song throughout the tournament despite locking horns with some top-notch tape ball cricketers from other five participating teams, including Pakistan (MWI), India (Friends XI), Saudi Arabia (Buraq XI), and Oman (Bhuta XI).

Set to chase 79 runs to win the title, Buraq XI’s batter fell prey to Qadir Kashmiri’s fierce pace bowling. The Kashmir-born lanky bowler picked up two early wickets to raise the hopes of his management in the dugout and fans in the stands.

The solid foundation laid down by Kashmiri worked well for UAE FMTK as they wrapped up an unforgettable victory in the first-of-its-kind mega international tape ball event.

Buraq XI, who beat Pakistan side in the semi-final, could only score 53 for the loss of six wickets. Hafiz Usman was the highest scorer with 14 runs for the runners-up.

Earlier, Zain’s quick 27 runs led UAE FMTK to 78 runs in the allotted six overs.

Speaking to geosuper.tv after holding the trophy, UAE FMTK’s captain Kamoki credited his teammates for the brilliant performance.

“First of all, I would like to thank almighty Allah for making us win this final,” said Kamoki, whose final performance wasn’t up to the mark.

“Our boys played really well. They gelled in and played like a unit. We are blessed to become the champions of the first-ever World Cup-like event in tape ball cricket,” the opening batter said.

On the other hand, tournament chairman Naveed Malik vowed to continue supporting tape ball cricket after the massive success.

“Alhamdulillah, we delivered one of the biggest tape ball cricket events in the world,” a UAE-based sports enthusiast said.

“We will go one step further next year to bring more talent into the circuit. We saw great players in this tournament who I think will play in leagues very soon,” he concluded.