By Jamil Bhatti

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's national blind cricket team's training cup for the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup will be held in October in the country's eastern city of Lahore, official told Xinhua on Thursday.

Media director of Pakistan's Blind Cricket Council Tariq Awan said that they had planned to start the training camp for the selected players during the first week of the next month.

"It would be an ideal weather for our squad to get prepared, keep them fit and improve their stamina and technique for the mega event," said Awan.

The inaugural T20 Cricket World Cup for blind teams would be held from Dec. 1 to Dec. 13 in Bangalore, India.

Originally, 10 teams were to feature in the tournament and matches were to be played under pool system but after New Zealand withdrew its team the event will be held under Robin League.

Robin League system will offer eight matches to every one of the nine appearing teams -- Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Nepal -- and the top four will qualify for the semifinals.

Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan announced its 23-member probable squad for the World T20, with Zeeshan Abbasi as captain and M. Jamil as vice captain.

The selection camp of the blind team was held in July this year in the northwestern hill station of Abbottabad.

As many as 48 players participated in the six-day trials in Abbottabad and a four-member committee selected the 23-member national outfit.

Awan revealed that they would announce the final 17-member team after receiving the players' medical clearance certificate from England and watching their performance and fitness in the training camp next month.

Pakistan's blind cricket team has been rated as the favorite team of the upcoming event as it had already played the finals of all three Blind World Cup tournaments, winning two of them in 2002 and 2006. Enditem

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