By: Muhammad Faheem Anwar
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Women’s cricket team, led by all-rounder Nida Dar, set off from Lahore to Bangladesh, gearing up for a series of three T20Is and three ODIs. The trio of ODIs plays a vital role in the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25.
Scheduled from October 25th to November 10th in Chattogram and Dhaka, the team persevered through a rain-affected six-day training camp in Lahore. Despite the weather challenges, they capitalized on the indoor facilities at the National Cricket Academy, thoroughly preparing for the upcoming series.
Ranked eighth in ICC T20Is, Pakistan will face ninth-ranked Bangladesh in Chattogram for three T20Is on October 25, 27, and 29. In the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25, Pakistan currently stands fourth, accumulating 12 points from 12 matches, including six wins and as many defeats. Meanwhile, the hosts have participated in nine championship matches, securing one win, one tie, and three losses, with four matches declared as no-results due to rain.
Aliya Riaz, who excelled as a finisher in the recent T20I series against South Africa, expressed optimism for their upcoming performance, saying, “We had a challenging training camp due to the weather in Lahore. Our team is resilient and well-prepared to take on Bangladesh in the forthcoming series. We believe in our abilities and aim to replicate our recent performance against South Africa in the T20I series.”
She continued, “The ODI series holds great importance as part of the ICC Women’s Championship, and we are eager to secure maximum points from it. Bangladesh is a competitive team, especially on their home ground, and we respect their skills. Our focus is on our game plan, and once we arrive there, we will adapt quickly to the local conditions to ensure we perform at our best.”
The Pakistan squad comprises Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Ghulam Fatima, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Umm-e-Hani, and Waheeda Akhtar.