On November 5, Rashid Hassan, father of Pakistan’s star all-rounder Nida Dar passed away in the morning. After hearing the news, Dar, who was training with the Pakistan team for the upcoming West Indies series starting November 8, left the team squad to attend her father’s last rites.
Dar’s availability for the three-match ODI series against West Indies seems doubtful. It is known that there has been no official announcement about Dar’s unavailability made by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). However, according to several reports in the Pakistan media, the board is expected to clear the air about her participation soon.
Meanwhile, Dar, 34, who is one of the most experienced all-rounders in the Pakistan team has featured in 82 ODIs, scoring 1186 runs in 74 innings, including seven half-centuries and the best of 87. With the ball, she has scalped 73 wickets in 81 innings, including the best of 4-15. Dar is a right hand bat and right arm off spinner.
Pakistan squad for West Indies series:
Javeria Khan (captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali, Sidra Ameen, Anam Amin, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Nawaz (wicket-keeper), Aiman Anwer, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Kainat Imtiaz, Maham Tariq, Nashra Sandhu, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal
The three-match ODI series will be played from November 8 to November 14 at the National Stadium in Karachi. It was reported that atleast 368 Police Special Security Unit (SSU) commandos along with 500 police and law enforcement agencies personnel will provide security to the West Indies team during the tour.
After the bilateral series, both the teams will head to Zimbabwe to play the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which will also see eight other teams participating. The tournament will be played from November 21 to December 5. A total of 29 matches will be played and the top three teams will qualify for the ICC Women’s World Cup that will be played in New Zealand from March 4 to April 3 in 2022. This bilateral series will ensure that both the teams get their combinations right going into the all-important ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier.
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.
