Five female cricketers have been reinstated to the white-ball teams, as the National Women’s Selection Committee, under the leadership of Saleem Jaffar, unveiled 16-player ODI and T20I squads for the competition against the West Indies women’s team.
The series includes three One-Day Internationals (ODIs), part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25, scheduled between 18th and 23rd April. Following this, five T20 Internationals (T20Is) will be played from 26th April to 3rd May. All eight matches will be hosted at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi.
In the ODI series, wicketkeeper-batter Sidra Nawaz, who has played in 67 One-Day Internationals and 56 T20Is, has been brought back to the Pakistan women’s team. This comes after her last appearance in the ODI series against South Africa in Karachi during September 2023.
For T20 cricket, four players – Ayesha Zafar (experienced in both 29 ODIs and 20 T20Is), Gull Feroza (with 2 T20I appearances), Rameen Shamim (having played 3 ODIs and 4 T20Is), and Tuba Hassan (selected for both formats with 1 ODI and 21 T20Is) – have been brought back into the team.
Ayesha’s last T20I performance for Pakistan was against South Africa in 2021, Gull Feroza’s last appearance for the team was against Sri Lanka in 2022, Rameen’s last T20I match was against South Africa in 2019, and Tuba, who made her ODI debut against Australia in 2023, last played in the T20I format against England during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2023.
Ayesha, Gull Feroza, and Rameen, members of the T20I team, are set to participate in the National Women’s One-Day Tournament starting in Faisalabad on 17th April. Prior to the T20I series, these three athletes will rejoin the national team. Following the completion of the ODI series, Sadaf Shamas, Sidra Nawaz, and Waheeda Akhtar will travel to Faisalabad to participate in the domestic one-day tournament.
Leg-spinner Ghulam Fatima, a member of the 20-player training camp in Karachi, has been given a break to adequately heal from the minor injuries she suffered in a peculiar car accident last week. Similarly involved in the incident, Bismah Maroof will undergo a fitness evaluation next week, following which her selection will be determined.
Saleem Jaffar, Chief Selector: The selection committee, in collaboration with Captain Nida Dar and the interim head coach, has officially confirmed 16-member teams for the ODI and T20I series. Among these players, five individuals have been reselected due to their outstanding performances in domestic tournaments and the exceptional abilities they displayed during the training camp.
“The upcoming West Indies series holds significant value for our team, as these ODIs contribute to the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25. Our primary goal is to perform exceptionally well, utilizing our home advantage, to boost our chances of directly qualifying for the upcoming ICC Women’s ODI World Cup.
“Simultaneously, this series offers a platform for the players to demonstrate their talents and potentially secure a spot on the England tour next month. Meanwhile, the ongoing domestic one-day tournament serves as an opportunity for those not participating in the West Indies series to showcase their skills, ensuring strong performances and increasing their chances of being considered for the England series selection.”
Pakistan women squad for ODI:
Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Bismah Maroof*, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda Akhtar
Pakistan women squad for T20I:
Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Bismah Maroof*, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Tuba Hassan and Umm-e-Hani
Series schedule:
18 Apr – First ODI at National Bank Stadium (NBS), Karachi (0930am local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)
21 Apr – Second ODI at NBS (0930am local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)
23 Apr – Third ODI at NBS (1530 local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)
26 Apr – First T20I at NBS (1930 local time)
28 Apr – Second T20I at NBS (1930 local time)
30 Apr – Third T20I at NBS (1930 local time)
2 May – Fourth T20I at NBS (1930 local time)
3 May – Fifth T20I at NBS (1930 local time)
