LAHORE: Pakistan hosted West Indies Women-A and Thailand Women Emerging from October 24 to November 11. The tour included bilateral fixtures against the two teams and a T20 tri-series and was played across two venues in Lahore – Ghani Glass Institute and Gaddafi Stadium.
Pakistan Women-A played three one-day games and five T20s over the course of the tour; which allowed vital game time to the bench strength. The tour reflected PCB’s commitment towards pathway for women’s cricket and bridging the gap between international and domestic cricket.
Pakistan Women-A first played a three-match one-day series against West Indies Women-A, which went in the visitors’ favour 2-1. Pakistan skipper Rameen Shamim and 18-year-old left-arm spinner Anosha Nasir were the joint-highest wicket-takers, returning with six wickets each in three games. Rameen’s figures of 4-13 in the third one-day were also the best individual bowling figures in the series from either side.
Pakistan Women-A found more success in the shorter format; defeating West Indies Women-A in the final of the tri-nation series to claim the trophy. They remained unbeaten across three matches in the tri-series. 18-year-old opening batter Shawaal Zulfiqar was the top-scorer in the tri-series, accumulating 106 runs in three matches, including an unbeaten half-century. She was also named player of the series.
Rameen, alongside her fellow off-spinner Omaima Sohail, were the joint-highest wicket-takers in the tri-series. Both accounted for five wickets each. Omaima chipped in with crucial runs with the bat too, including a match-winning cameo in the tri-series final.
Pakistan Women-A won both matches against Thailand Women Emerging in the two-match T20 series. Omaima was the top run-getter for Pakistan, getting 61 runs in two games. Alongside left-arm spinner Saima Malik, Omaima topped the wicket-taking charts too. The two spinners returned with three wickets, while Omaima had the best individual bowling figures (2-3) in the series. The 26-year-old all-rounder was player of the match in successive games.
Pakistan Women-A head coach Mohsin Kamal, in an interview reviewed the team’s performance and said, “Before the series, we held a training camp in Muridke. We prepared keeping in mind that we would be playing 50-over matches, which has been a challenge for us. Even though we lost the series 2-1 to West Indies, it was a close contest and the girls got vital game time. We had been preparing for the shorter format simultaneously. We have played against West Indies in the past so we were aware of [how they play], especially some of the players who have featured in their national side. We had not played Thailand Emerging Women before so it was a new challenge, even though we felt we were stronger on paper.”
Mohsin said, “Rameen Shamim has stepped up during this series, not only as captain but as a bowler too. She has played her part really well. Left-arm spinner Saima Malik fulfilled her role really well too, even though she was fairly inexperienced. Anosha Nasir, who has represented Pakistan in the U19 World Cup previously, did well too. Omaima Sohail, who has been part of the senior team in the past, was struggling ahead of the series. However, she gave an amazing performance in the T20 format. She stepped into her role as an all-rounder and delivered completely.”
He said, “Tours like these are really beneficial for the development of players. The senior team, the ‘A’ team and the U19 team are all selected after domestic performances, so the structure around it is very important. We need to prepare for ICC events as well, so tours like these become important.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023