KARACHI: The plight of former international and first-class cricketers in dire need of financial help will be addressed after the Cricketers’ Benefit & Welfare Association (CBWA) was launched here on Thursday.

The CBWA with ex-Test players Anwer Khan and Nadeem Khan in the key roles of president and secretary, respectively, aims to provide support to needy former cricketers along with sportspersons of other disciplines who are increasingly finding it extremely tough to support themselves and their families in the prevailing circumstances.

Among the aims of the CBWA are to support those who are affiliated with other sports and those who are attached in different capacities such as umpires, scorers and referees. For this purpose, the CBWA aims to start a comprehensive fundraising drive to generate money to help out the struggling sportspeople.

Anwer, addressing a media conference at the Karachi Gymkhana premises, highlighted salient features of the newly-established association — registered with the provincial assistant registrar Joint Stock Company Sindh — it was the need of the hour to create a platform.

“A few of us had been planning for quite some time to have a welfare body from where we could support our colleagues who are now really in dire need of financial support. It was after some difficulty that we got the CBWA registered with the stock company,” Anwer added. “I’m sure with the passage of time we should be able to serve the purpose and which is ‘to help those who need assistance’.

“The task [of raising funds] is huge but our conscience is clear. We are extremely fortunate to have some wonderful people like Nadeem Omar and Haji Ashraf who have been behind the formation of the CBWA. Without their support we won’t have been able to set the foundation.

“We are also planning to hold a few benefit matches, which will be televised, to generate funds,” Anwer added.

But the former Test paceman lamented that despite extending invitations to some of the big names of Pakistan cricket they failed to show up for the noble cause.

Nadeem, the former slow left-armer, said the association was open for everyone connected with sports.

“This is not confined to a particular group of individuals. Anyone who needs a helping hand is welcome to contact us. To eliminate the possibilities of ‘foul play’ we will be operating in a transparent manner,” Nadeem explained.

“There is a process of scrutinising the applicants and once it is ensued that the needs are genuine then the CBWA would offer financial support.”

Nadeem Omar, the presidential candidate for the forthcoming KCCA elections, reminded the gathering he used to hear a lot about the Cricketers’ Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) which was continuously organised in Sharjah from 1981 to 2001 to honour cricketers of the past and present generation from India and Pakistan with benefit purses.

“I appreciate the creation of CBWA and sincerely hope that it does extend out to provide help for all those who are not fortunate now. This is a noble cause that needs to be supported,” he remarked. “The example of Hanif Mohammad is there for all to see. Even such a legendary cricketer was forced to run from pillar to post to meet his medical expenses.”

Former KCCA president Prof Sirajul Islam Bukhari and Haji Ashraf also spoke on the occasion.