The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) under former chairman, Mr. Ramiz Raja announced the launch of the highly-awaited, ‘Pakistan Women’s T20 league.’ In March 2023, 3 teams played the exhibition matches to test the league and in October the new PCB management under Mr. Najim Sethi is set to launch the league full scale.
The league was originally scheduled to be played from the 3rd to the 18th of March 2023 featuring four teams but was later postponed to September 2023 and an additional, 5th team plan too was announced. If reports are to be believed, Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Prize laureate and Pakistan’s 2nd is understood of owning a franchise in the competition.
25-year-old, Malala Yousafzai, has approached the PCB management committee with an interest in the women’s league and has also inquired about the bidding process for teams in the women’s league that’s scheduled to be now played in October. Notably, Malala’s husband, Asser Malik who is a sports enthusiast has also served office at the PCB.
This isn’t the first time Malala has expressed her interest in the women’s league, earlier, she also told former PCB chairman, Ramiz Raja about her interest in the women’s league. Malala’s love for the game isn’t hidden from any as she during her visit to Lahore last year, held a special meeting with women cricketers and earlier this year was seen with a few Pakistan Under-19 women’s team players as well.
The 3 women’s exhibition matches were played during the 8th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in Rawalpindi. Teams, Amazons, and Super Women locked horns in 3 matches and Bismah Maroof-led Amazons won the exhibition series 2-1. The highlight of the series was 10 overseas players arriving in Pakistan to be a part of the occasion and help the nation grow its cricket.
England’s quad of Lauren Winfield-Hill, Maia Bouchier, Danni Wyatt, and Tammy Beaumont, Australia’s Tess Flintoff, Ireland’s Laura Delany, Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu, Bangladesh’s Jahanara Alam, and New Zealand’s Lea Tahuhu were among the 10 players who featured in the exhibition games.
With women’s cricket booming to unparallel heights, and franchise T20 cricket on the rise, for Pakistan to have its indigenous women’s cricket league start well and attract a world audience, with active involvement from Mrs. Malala Yousafzai it’ll help PCB advertise the league and sooner than later will help Pakistan’s international cricket revive that is currently on a steady fall.
Source: Geo TV