A former first-class cricketer died during a veterans Twenty20 match in Pakistan, leaving organisers contemplating a ban on players with a history of cardiac problems, officials said Wednesday. Javed Sheikh, 53, collapsed during the match at Asgher Ali Shah stadium in Karachi, having complained of chest pain after bowling three overs.
Sheikh, who played for Muslim Commercial Bank during his first-class career in Pakistan, was the second veteran to die this year. Fakhr Khairi, a 60-year-old skin specialist, died while taking a run during a 60-plus age group match in Karachi earlier this year. Pakistan Veterans' Cricket Association president Fawad Aijaz deplored the latest death.
"It's sad that Sheikh died during the match and a positive activity for veteran players (has been) turned into a tragedy," Aijaz told AFP. Aijaz said his association will formulate fitness guidelines for veterans' cricket, including barring players with a history of cardiac disease.
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