LAHORE: Right-arm fast bowler Diana Baig and spinners Sadia Iqbal and Tuba Hassan were called, as Pakistan national women team’s chief selector Asmavia Iqbal on Wednesday announced a 15-member squad for next month’s bilateral white-ball series against Australia and for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in South Africa from February 10 to 26, 2023.
Bismah Maroof will continue to lead the Pakistan Women’s team in both assignments. The squads were finalised after deliberations by Asmavia, interim head coach Saleem Jaffer and captain Bismah. Left-arm spinner Sadia is part of the ODI and T20I squads, while leg-spinner Tuba is part of the T20I squad. Two players – Fatima Sana and Tuba Hassan – will make their maiden appearance for Pakistan in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
In the tour Down Under, Pakistan women’s side will feature in three ODIs – part of the ICC Women’s Cricket Championship 2022-25 – and three T20Is. Pakistan will fly out for Brisbane via Dubai from Karachi on 6 January. The three ODIs will be played on January 16, 18 and 21, while the three T20Is will be staged on January 24, 26 and 29. The team will then travel to South Africa from Melbourne to feature in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023.
In the marquee event, Pakistan is placed in Group 2 alongside England, India, Ireland and West Indies. Pakistan will play their opening match against arch-rivals India on 12 February at Newlands, Cape Town.
They will go against Ireland at the same venue on 15 February. Their third encounter in the group will be against West Indies on 19th February at Boland Park, Paarl, while they will feature against England in their fourth match of the group stage on 21st February at the Newlands, Cape Town.
Pakistan women’s side will undergo training camp which will be held in two phases. The first phase will be staged in Lahore from 25 to 28 December. On 29th December, the side will travel to Karachi, where they will have the second phase of the camp before departing for Australia on 6th January.
Chief selector Asmavia Iqbal said, “I am hopeful the side will continue to perform in the same manner they have performed recently in the ACC Women’s Asia Cup and Ireland series. The ODI series against Australia is very crucial, the expectations are high as we have won five of the six ICC Championship matches and our aim is to qualify directly for the 50-over World Cup.”
She said, “The return of Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal and Tuba Hassan will give a boost to the side and will strengthen our bowling attack which has the capability to do well. Sidra Nawaz has been added as our second wicket-keeper in the squad to give Muneeba Ali some space to express herself more with the bat, and gives an added option to the captain to utilise the services of a second wicket-keeper on the long tour.”
Pakistan ODI squad for Australia series:
Bismah Maroof (c), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin and Sidra Nawaz (wk)
Pakistan T20I squad for Australia and ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, South Africa:
Bismah Maroof (c), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Javeria Khan, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk) and Tuba Hassan
Player Support staff: Ayesha Ashhar (team manager), Saleem Jaffer (bowling coach and interim head coach), Taufiq Umar (batting coach), Mauhtashim Rashid (fielding coach), Yasir Malik (strength and conditioning coach), Muhammad Zubair Ahmad (analyst), Syed Nazir Ahmed (media and digital content manager) and Rifat Gill (physiotherapist).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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