The PCB announced a 26-player squad for the West Indies.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has on Monday (June 21) announced the Pakistan women’s squad for the upcoming white-ball tour of the West Indies later this month.
Pakistan and West Indies women will play 3 T20Is and 5 ODIs, starting 30 June while the 'A' teams will play three one-day matches and three T20s.
The PCB national women's selection committee has named a 26-player squad from which Pakistan and Pakistan 'A' teams will be selected for the limited-overs series against the West Indies Women’s team. All 26 players will be available for selection for 14 matches in the West Indies.
Javeria Khan will lead the Pakistan national cricket team while Rameen Shamim will captain Pakistan Women's 'A' in the three one-dayers. Sidra Nawaz will lead Pakistan 'A' team in the three T20s.
The five-match ODI series will act as key preparation for both Pakistan and West Indies for the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Sri Lanka in December for one of the three remaining qualifying spots to secure a place at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022 in New Zealand.
In an official PCB release, Urooj Mumtaz, the chairperson of the national women's selection committee, stated: “This is a historic occasion in the history of Pakistan women's cricket as for the first time national side and the 'A' team are traveling together. The Caribbean tour presents a phenomenal opportunity to our core group of cricketers to showcase their performances and further cement places for the 2021-22 season, which promises to be an exciting one for women's cricket.”
Mumtaz further said in a release: “These 26 players have been involved in all our high-performance camps over the past nine months and have put in the hard yards under the national coaching staff led by David Hemp. The group has prepared with high intensity and purpose. They remain focused and determined to put up winning performances.”
Noteworthy, the 26 players, the coaching staff, and the team officials arrived in Lahore on Monday morning and will depart for Antigua via London on Wednesday, June 23.
The touring contingent will undergo COVID-19 tests before flying to London byby Monday afternoon and those testing negative will board the flight for Antigua. The Pakistan contingent will be tested twice in five days during their room isolation after their arrival in Antigua.
Pakistan squad:
Javeria Khan (C- national team), Rameen Shamim (One-Day captain, 'A' team), Sidra Nawaz (T20 captain, A team), Aliya Riaz, Aiman Anwar, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Iram Javed, Jaweria Rauf, Kainat Imtiaz, Kaynat Hafeez, Maham Tariq, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (WK), Nahida Khan, Najiha Alvi (WK), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, and Syeda Aroob Shah.
(With ANI Inputs)