Pakistan won their third HomeWorld Thunder Nation Cup with a nail-biting 14-run victory over India at Blacktown International Sports Park.
Bilal Qureshi, Player of the Match, struck an unbeaten 62 in a total of 6-130, before Pakistan’s bowlers restricted the winners of the last three editions, India, to 9-116 in reply.
Player of the Match Bilal Qureshi said:
“We’ve been playing this for a fair while and it’s great to get another win.
“I’ve been here since the inception of the cup and I’m much older than the other guys but it’s great to be here.
“We’ve had a fair few finals in the last 5/6 years which we’ve lost, most to India as well, so it’s great to beat them.
“There’s been lots of different talent coming through so that’s great for all the different communities and it’s amazing that the Sydney Thunder run this tournament for all the teams.
“I’ve made a lot of friends through the tournament and it’s been an amazing journey.”
The annual HomeWorld Thunder Nation Cup uses cricket to celebrate the cultural diversity of the Thunder Nation, creating social cohesion and a connection with the community.
Teams drawn from Sydney Thunder’s territory, known as the Thunder Nation, celebrate their cultural ties to their former homelands by playing Australia’s national sport, cricket.