Pakistan women’s national cricket team will be in action after a gap of over 10 months when they step out on the field at Kingsmead Cricket Stadium for the first of the three one-day-internationals against South Africa on Wednesday.
The national women’s team played their last international game during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia before the COVID-19 pandemic brought an abrupt halt to sporting activities across the globe.
Javeria Khan who is leading Pakistan women’s squad had a commendable performance in South Africa. She is replacing Bismah Maroof, who could not make it as part of the squad due to an issue of personal nature.
Javeria Khan is a right-handed top-order batswoman, who has scored 377 in 14 innings and her batting average of 48 is the best for a Pakistan batter against South Africa in South Africa.
Pakistan’s last tour of South Africa in May 2019 resulted in one of the most thrilling ODI series played in the history of the women’s game. The three-match ODI series, part of ICC Women’s Championship, ended in tie with the 1-1 scoreline. The winning match of the series was credited to the left-arm orthodox Nashra Sandhu, who dazzled with scoring seven runs off the last two balls of the final match.
This series also serves as a platform for the women’s team to begin their preparations for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers which will be held in July this year.
All three ODIs and the three T20Is will be played at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium and this will mark the first instance of the side playing at this venue. Pakistan and South Africa have played 21 ODIs against each other. Pakistan have won four, while South Africa have won 15.
17 members of Pakistan women squad are: Javeria Khan (c), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Nahida Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Nawaz (wk) and Syeda Aroob Shah
According to Tour schedule: 20 Jan – First ODI, 23 Jan – Second ODI, 26 Jan – Third ODI, 29 Jan – First T20I, 31 Jan – second T20, and 3 Feb – Third T20. All matches will be played Kingsmead Cricket Stadium.
