Bismah Maroof back as Pakistan captain for Women's World Cup

Experienced all-rounder Nida Dar appointed as vice-captain

PHOTO COURTESY: ICC

Bismah Maroof will lead Pakistan in the 2022 ICC Women's World Cup in New Zealand as the Chair of Women's National Selection Committee Asmavia Iqbal announced a 15-member squad in a press conference in Lahore.

The event will mark the 30-year-old’s return to international cricket after two years as she took a break from the game for the birth of her first child in December 2020. She will be accompanied by a support person, as part of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s parental policy, to help her look after the newborn while keeping her focus on cricket.

Meanwhile, experienced all-rounder Nida Dar has been appointed as vice-captain while Nahida Khan and Ghulam Fatima returns to the squad Kainat Imtiaz and Sadia Iqbal could not make it into the squad due to injuries.

A camp for the preparation of the mega-event will start on January 27 in Karachi. Pakistan women's team will leave for New Zealand on February 8.

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Chair of women’s national selection committee Asmavia Iqbal: “I want to congratulate every player who made it to the squad for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. We considered the conditions and challenges our team will encounter in New Zealand along with the current form of players and the team’s balance while putting together this squad.

“While we have retained majority of the players who have been on the national duty recently, we have called back Nahida Khan and Ghulam Fatima. Nahida brings with her experience that every team seeks going into a World Cup and Fatima has had an incredible run in Karachi. She has done well to enhance her fitness and has been in good form in domestic cricket of late.

“Tough luck to those who missed out. I hope they will continue to work hard on their skills and fitness and push their cases for national return with strong performances.”

Bismah Maroof: “It is a great honour for me to lead my country into another World Cup. I am thrilled to be back in action and do what I love and have dedicated my life to.

“The recent selection matches proved to be fruitful for me and the whole side as we got some match practice under competitive and challenging environment leading into the mega event. The aim is to reach the World Cup semi-finals and I believe this team has the potential to pull it off.”

Kainat Imtiaz and Sadia Iqbal who were part of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier squad miss out on selections because of injuries.

The Pakistan squad will begin the final phase of their preparations with a 10-day pre-departure camp in Karachi from 27 January. They will depart for NZ on 8 February.

Pakistan squad:

Bismah Maroof (captain), Nida Dar (vice-captain), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Javeria Khan, Muneeba Ali, Nahida Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin and Sidra Nawaz

Traveling reserves: Iram Javed, Najiha Alvi and Tuba Hassan

Player support personnel: Aisha Jalil (team manager), David Hemp (head coach), Arshad Khan (assistant coach), Kamran Hussain (assistant coach), Saboor Ahmad (strength and conditioning coach), Zubair Ahmad (analyst), Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (media and digital content manager) and Rifat Asghar Gill (Physiotherapist)