PCB announces schedule of 2019-20 women’s events

Each player will be paid PKR10,000 as match fee, while Kookaburra cricket ball will be used for the event

PHOTO: PCB

As part of its strategic plan to invest in the promotion, development and growth of women’s cricket in the country, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today, through a press release, announced a comprehensive international and domestic 2019-20 schedule with the National Triangular One-Day Women’s Cricket Championship serving as the curtain-raiser.

The three-team 50-over competition will be played at the Lahore Gymkhana Ground from 17 to 26 September. PCB Dynamites will aim to complete a hat-trick of titles and will be led by star all-rounder Nida Dar.

The winner will pocket PKR500,000 and the runners-up team will be collecting a cheque of PKR250,000.

In addition to this, for the first time, each player will be paid PKR10,000 as match fee, while Kookaburra cricket ball will be used for the event to be played on a double-league basis.

Furthermore, six women’s umpires namely Afia Amin, Humairah Farah, Nazia Nazir, Riffat Mustafa, Sabahat Rasheed and Shakila Rafiq will officiate in the series. This decision further highlights the importance the PCB is giving to women’s cricket and providing opportunities to women within the game.

The selection panel of Urooj Mumtaz will use the National Triangular One-Day Women’s Cricket Championship, along with the recent international performances, as the basis for the selection of the Pakistan women’s senior and ‘A’ teams for the forthcoming home series against Bangladesh and October’s tour to Sri Lanka for the ACC Women’s Emerging Cup.

Apart from these two important international events, the women’s calendar also comprise two ICC Women’s Championship fixtures against India and England. Pakistan presently sit fifth in the points table and have a strong chance of qualifying directly for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2021 in New Zealand if they finish in the top-five, with New Zealand qualifying automatically as the host country.

The other international assignment, probably the side’s biggest in the 2019-20 season, is the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia, to be played from 21 February to 8 March. In the build up to the T20 World Cup and as part of event preparation, Pakistan women will play three T20I s against the West Indies in Australia.

Apart from the National Triangular One Day Women’s Cricket Championship, the other domestic competitions include the National Triangular T20 Women’s Cricket Championship, which will be held in January 2020, and a series of three 50-over and three T20 matches between Pakistan Green and Pakistan Yellow in April 2020, featuring the top 30 female players.

Alongside competitive cricket, the PCB has also slotted a number of education and game development sessions to not only hone the skills of the cricketers but to also attract younger generation of women’s cricketers.

Urooj Mumtaz, Chair of the women’s selection panel and member of the PCB Cricket Committee, said: “A comprehensive cricket-based schedule has been put together for women’s cricket for the forthcoming season which focuses on quality tournaments at the domestic level and an intense international schedule. Our aim is to provide more opportunities to young cricketers than ever before in order to raise the bar of our players and to help bridge the gap between our domestic and international cricket.

“We firmly believe these activities will contribute to the PCB’s endeavours to grow the game and increase our existing pool of players so that we can form quality sides that can perform consistently at the international stage.

“These are exciting times for women’s cricket in Pakistan and we expect more and more young athletes will get attracted and fall in love with cricket.”

Squads for the National Triangular One Day Women’s Cricket Championship (selected by the women’s selection committee, also comprising Asmavia Iqbal and Marina Iqbal):

BLASTERS – Rameen Shamim (captain), Aliya Riaz, Almas Akram, Areeb Shamim, Ayesha Zafar, Hafsa Khalid, Kainat Hafeez, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sandhu, Umaima Sohail, Noreen Yaqoob, Sidra Amin, Tooba Hasan, Waheeda Akhtar

CHALLENGERS - Bismah Maroof (captain), Aroob Shah, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Hafsa Amjad, Hurraina Sajjad, Iram Javed, Javeria Rauf, Khadija Chishti, Maham Manzoor, Natalia Pervaiz, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Nawaz

DYNAMITES - Nida Dar (captain), Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Naz, Nahida Khan, Fareeha Mehmood, Ghulam Fatima, Javeria Khan, Kainat Imtiaz, Maham Tariq, Muneeba Ali, Sana Mir, Soha Fatima, Subhana Tariq