It was a moment of surprise for Mohammad Ayub Qureshi and Muzahir Ali Shan, Pakistan-born restaurant owners in Scotland, when they received a call from the country of their birth.

What ensued left Ayub and Shan, both in their 50s, well and truly 'stunned' and now both men face the prospect of making history by being one of the first Lawn Bowls players from Pakistan to represent the country at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow..

Qureshi and Ali are both members of a local bowling club in Scotland, and are considered as one of the top-rated players but never had an opportunity to represent Pakistan.

As Lawn Bowls is not a popular sport in Pakistan, it was less likely to prepare a home-based team for the competition.

A report published in The Telegraph, quoted Qureshi as saying, “It was beyond our wildest dreams.”

“When the Pakistan Lawn Bowls Federation phoned us, we thought they were going to ask us to do some coaching. But when they asked us to play, we were stunned. I couldn’t sleep all night,” he said.

Ali, on the other hand, was equally pleased on receiving a call from Pakistan and said, “I was over the moon when I found out. It’s everyone’s dream to be asked to represent your country. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Qureshi and Ali were both born in Pakistan and later immigrated to Scotland, where they have been running a restaurant — best known for spicy curry — for 18 years, and is nearby Glasgow's Hamden Park, where the closing ceremony of the Games will take place.

One of the other players in the four-man team is research student Mohammad Shahzad, who is studying for a PhD in biochemistry at Glasgow University and has been playing bowls for only three years, the report stated.

Rana Maqsood is the only player in the line-up who actually lives in Pakistan. It will be Pakistan's first-ever participation in Lawn Bowls competition.

The History Makers

Maqsood Khan

Age: 41 | Height: 1.7m | Weight: 77kg | Place of Birth: Faisalabad

“We have picked a good lot and hopefully will perform better.”

Ali Shan Muzahir

Age: 56 | Height: 1.62m | Weight: 69kg | Place of Birth: Karachi

"It is a tremendous feeling. You can't really explain it. This is a chance you get once in a lifetime, to do something for your country."

Mohammad Shahzad

Age: 30 | Height: 1.72m | Weight: 70kg | Place of Birth: Swabi

"Aim is to win a medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games."

Qureshi Ayub Mohammad

Age: 55 | Height: 1.72m | Weight: 78kg | Place of Birth: Multan

"We can take part in the closing ceremony and still be back at our work that night."

Lawn Bowls explained

The objective of the game is to roll your bowl closer to the jack (a smaller ball) than your opponent and you score a point. In singles, the winner is the first player to reach 21 points. In pairs, triples and fours, a set number of ends are played and the total score decides the winner.