The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed Nida Dar as the captain of the national women’s cricket team for the upcoming demanding tour of England. The squad, comprising 17 members, is set to face their English counterparts in a series inclusive of both One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), each format featuring three matches. This tour heralds a critical phase for the team as they eye direct qualification for the 2025 Women’s World Cup.
Following her voluntary exit from international cricket, Bismah Maroof, alongside Sidra Nawaz, represent the notable omissions from the otherwise unchanged squad tasked with competing in an ongoing white-ball series against the West Indies. Suffering setbacks in the Caribbean, Pakistan observed a 0-3 whitewash in the ODI leg and faced escalated challenges in the shortest format, with West Indies dominating the T20I series by leading 3-0 with a couple of fixtures left to play.
Despite these recent struggles, the team is determined to turn over a new leaf as they prepare for an intense series against England. The England tour, set to kick start with the T20I matchups commencing on May 11, will be followed by the ODI series starting on May 23. These matches incorporate greater stakes as they form part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25. The team’s performance in this championship is imperative for their aspirations to secure a berth at the World Cup, hosted by India, in 2025.
With 16 points vaulting them to fifth place in the championship standings, Pakistan’s women are amidst a tight competition in the 10-team league. The top five teams will earn their way straight into the coveted tournament, sidestepping the qualification rounds. Pakistan, seated in a vulnerable yet promising position, faces their eighth and final series in the current championship cycle.
The preparation for the players does not solely rest on the official matches; the tour itinerary also includes two warm-up games facilitating acclimatization and tactical refinement. The side will engage with an ECB Development XI in a T20 practice match on May 9th at Grace Road, just before they plunge into the T20I series. This is followed by a 50-over game in Northampton on May 21, priming them for the impending ODIs.
As the England venture looms, the squad’s focus sharpens on the series schedule, which begins distinctly with the T20I trifecta—first locking horns in Birmingham on May 11, then moving to Northampton for the second match on May 17, and concluding the short-format pursuit in Leeds on May 19. The combatants will transition to the longer ODI format with the first fixture in Derby on May 23, advancing to Taunton for a second showdown on May 26, and wrapping up in Chelmsford on May 29.
Tackling the English conditions and a robust opposition, Nida Dar and her squad are braced for a series that not only challenges their fortitude but also offers a crucial pathway to strengthen their international standing. The resolve and tactics Pakistan will unveil promise to captivate cricket enthusiasts, with widespread hopes pinned on an inspiring performance that will pave their way to the World Cup in India, solidifying their presence as a force to be reckoned with in women’s cricket on the global stage.