Labour Of love

One Nation

With every cricket fan in Pakistan praying for the country’s victory in the ICC World Cup, all things revolve around cricket. While many plan on taking days off for the last three matches, other have preempted triumph and are busy scheduling celebrations, but two youngsters in Lahore have left everyone behind.

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Qamar Siddique and Muhammad Azeem, two young jeweller designers by profession, have manufactured the world’s largest cricket ball, which they plan to gift to the Pakistani cricket team on winning the World Cup.The ball weighs 42 kilogrammes, is 32 inches tall and 95 inches in diameter. There is no such entry in the Guinness Book of the World Records.Both the young men are confident that the ball will be included as the world’s largest cricket ball in the book.

“We researched thoroughly before we started the process of manufacturing this cricket ball. There isn’t any such category in the Guinness Book. We will also give a new category to the book when it is acknowledged as the world’s biggest cricket ball. We have already applied via the internet and now the Guinness Book official will contact us to measure the ball,” Siddique and Azeem told The Express Tribune.

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Both the youngsters work for Amin and Company and were part of the team that manufactured the world’s largest silver ring and the global peace ring. The silver ring has been included in the Guinness Book as the world’s largest silver ring. Named ‘Fragrance of Love’ it is made of 97.83 per cent pure silver. It weights 71.68 kg and its diameter is 85 centimetres.

When asked why they decided to make the world’s largest cricket ball Siddique and Azeem said, “We had worked with Amin Bhai on the world’s largest silver ring project. When the World Cup started we thought we should try do something to bring a good name to our country and cricket. We then decided to make the world’s biggest cricket ball. It took us 15 days to make this ball. The ball has been made entirely by hand and all the materials used are the same as that which are used to make regular cricket balls. We have used material equal to 300 normal sized cricket balls”.

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When asked about the process of manufacturing they said, “It was difficult to maintain the accurate round shape. It was a vigorous process but having consulted with different people to make it proper. White leather is used in it which is also used in the actual normal size cricket balls”. Some Rs60,000 have been spent on the preparation of the ball, they added.

Labour Of Love

The ball has the Pakistan cricket board (PCB) logo on one side and the ICC World Cup logo on the other. These logos are not carved onto the ball, instead they are stickers that are pasted. Even though it seems like the wording has been inscribed on the ball.

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“Our best wishes are for our team. We pray we win and gift this ball to our heroes,” they said. Jeweller Amin Saleem, who made the world’s largest silver ring and gave guidance to  the two youngsters, said: “I am happy that these two boys have done something positive to support our team. It will be good for Pakistan when this is included as world’s largest cricket ball in Guinness Records.”In hope that these youngsters make a record and get to present their gift when the boys bring home the cup!