Cricket has faced tough times in the pandemic. There is no cricket whatsoever. Boards have had to deal with financial strains and players too had to gel with the new locked-down way of living. These are not solitary tales though, the whole of humanity is facing the greatest crisis since the second world war.
Nonetheless, it is hope and the resistance that makes us special. Players and fans, amidst this crisis, realize that this would go soon and the game will be back and better. Pakistan and its administration with women cricket have stood out in this lockdown. Female Cricket reported that there was an online training session for women and then the central contract brought a much-needed increment in the payrolls and facilities to women cricketers. Another update comes our way, the young cricketers from Pakistan are slated to undergo a fitness assessment as well.
In a report by PCB, Pakistan Cricket Board shall hold the final online assessment of under 19 women cricketers from Monday. The report further states that the test will begin from 22nd June to 26th June. The players will be tested in their hand-eye coordination, core muscle, lower body strength, and body balance. Moreover, their upper body endurance will also be evaluated. This assessment is supposed to inflict motivation and focus on the players at the time when outdoor, physical activity is not feasible.
This online assessment comes after PCB announced a separate contract for emerging new players recently. The board looks to enhance its pool of cricketers by creating a U19 pathway program. Interestingly, the players were selected on the basis of their outings in the Skills2Shine under 18 women T20 championship. It was a four-team tournament which was scheduled in Lahore last year. Moreover, after the tournament, players had to go through a 14-day training camp at Hanif Mohammed High-Performance Centre in Karachi.
Urooj Mumtaz, the chair of women’s national selection committee, emphasized on the need for physical sharpness. She said that: “The investment in women cricketers at the emerging and age group level is of great significance for the PCB as they are the future of the game and it is important that the board regularly engages with these players and assists them in understanding the essential attributes of modern-day cricket. The PCB through its Skills2Shine and Cric4us initiatives has undertaken various programs to broaden the pool of women cricketers.”
List of players who will undergo fitness assessment:
Anoosha Nasir (Karachi), Arijah Haseeb (Karachi), Fajar Naveed (Islamabad), Fatima Khan (Lahore), Gul Rukh (Lahore), Gul Uswa (Multan), Hamna Bilal (Islamabad), Hania Ahmar (Karachi), Khushbakht Waseem (Lahore), Laiba Fatima (Karachi), Laraib Malik (Lahore), Laveeza Munir (Lahore), Momina Riasat Khan (Abbottabad), Nazish Rafique (Lahore), Rida Aslam (Islamabad), Saima Malik (Quetta), Shawal Zulfiqar (Lahore), Yusra Amir (Karachi) and Zaib-un-Nisa (Charsadda).
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