On Monday, Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) national women’s selection committee announced a 26-player squad from which the national and ‘A’ teams will be selected for white-ball matches on the tour of the West Indies.
Pakistan and West Indies will play a three-match T20I series followed by a five-match ODI series. The bilateral series will be played from June 30 to July 18 at Antigua on two different venues; Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and Coolidge Cricket Ground.
Urooj Mumtaz, the chairperson of the national women’s selection committee, said: “This is a historic occasion in the history of Pakistan women’s cricket as for the first time the national side and the ‘A’ team are traveling together. The Caribbean tour presents a phenomenal opportunity to our core group of cricketers to showcase their performances and further cement places for the 2021-22 season, which promises to be an exciting one for women’s cricket. These 26 players have been involved in all our high-performance camps over the past nine months and have put in the hard yards under the national coaching staff led by David Hemp. The group has prepared with high intensity and purpose. They remain focused and determined to put up winning performances.”
All the 26 players, the coaching staff, and the team officials arrived in Lahore on Monday morning. They will leave for Antigua via London in the wee hours of Wednesday, June 23. The Pakistan contingent has undergone pre-departure Covid-19 tests on Monday and only those testing negative will board the plane. Once they arrive in Antigua, the players and officials will be tested twice in five days.
Pakistan women’s team has reached Antigua. #WIvPAK pic.twitter.com/t95XaJgRB6
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 24, 2021
Pakistan squad: Javeria Khan (captain, national team), Rameen Shamim (One-Day captain, ‘A’ team), Sidra Nawaz (T20 captain, A team), Aliya Riaz, Aiman Anwar, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Iram Javed, Jaweria Rauf, Kainat Imtiaz, Kaynat Hafeez, Maham Tariq, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (wk), Nahida Khan, Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, and Syeda Aroob Shah.
📢 26-player women squad announced for West Indies tour 📢
Read more: https://t.co/heHTTDP9a6#backourgirls #WIWvPAKW pic.twitter.com/Qijs8HcieB
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) June 21, 2021
Javeria Khan, who is the most experienced player in the Pakistan line-up having played 106 ODIs and 102 T20Is will lead the national side. Rameen Shamim, who has featured in two ODIs and four T20Is, will captain Pakistan Women’s ‘A’ in the three one-dayers and wicketkeeper Sidra Nawaz, with the experience of 98 international, will lead the ‘A’ side in the three T20s. While the Pakistan national women’s team will play West Indies in three T20Is and five ODIs, the ‘A’ side will take on their counterparts in three ODIs and as many T20Is All 26 players will be available for selection for the aforementioned 14 matches.
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.