While our neighbours, India, savour the Women’s ODI World Cup triumph, we are left to ponder how to lift the standards of ours in the coming years. Pakistan women finished eighth and last, but that was nothing new. Pakistan have now finished eighth and last in the last four World Cups.
Like always, we have removed the head coach, Mohammad Wasim, and are hinting that we could have a foreign coach for the women’s team. This is another attempt to find a scapegoat, which is always either found in captain or the coach.
Former Pakistan skipper Rashid Latif — a die-hard expectant of improvement in our cricket – both men and women – suggests a change in the system. “Sabih Azhar, Mohtashim Rasheed, David Hemp, Mark Coles and M Wasim have all tried — and failed — to lift Pakistan women’s cricket over the past decade. The issue isn’t just coaching; it’s the system.
Without a clear strategy to grow the player pool, improve fitness and skills, build a competitive domestic structure, and invest in dedicated facilities, even the best coaches will fall short.
Fix the ecosystem, not the optics,” Latif wrote on social media platform X. The current Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, did take some big steps to improve the women’s setup. He increased the budget for women’s cricket from 70 million PKR to 240 million and increased the payment of players’ central contract by 50 per cent.
More matches were given to the budding and current players. Under Fatima Sana, Pakistan women’s team showed huge improvement by winning all five matches in the Qualifying round of the ODI World Cup, eliminating the more powerful West Indian team from the mega event.
Their five wins in Lahore raised hopes of a better result in the World Cup. Pakistan was expected to beat Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and plus one upset win over a stronger team would have put them in the race for the semi-finals.
But the start was not as per wishes. Pakistan batted abjectly in their first match against Bangladesh, tumbling to a below-par 129 in 38.3 overs in Colombo. It was too meagre a total to defend, resulting in a seven-wicket defeat.
Pakistan teams – men or women –fail to handle pressure against India. This has become their habit. While men have lost eight internationals against arch-rivals, women have never won an ODI in 12 attempts. Pakistan captain Fatima Sana committed the same mistake that Bismah Maroof did against India in the 2022 World Cup.
Then, India were caught napping at 114-6 but Maroof let India off to 244 by not using frontline bowlers. Fatima did the same and from 203-6, at one point, India managed 247. In reply, Pakistan were bowled out for just 159, again failing to bat their 50 overs.
Pakistan again raised hope of an upset when they played Australia. The reigning champions were reeling at 76-7and then 115-8, but Fatima changed the chief tormentor spinner Nashra Sandhu in the 27th over, which allowed Beth Mooney and Alana King to put together a solid stand which took Australia to 221.
It was beyond Pakistan batters as they folded on 114. It was the rain that deprived Pakistan’s women of an expected upset.
Chasing a modest 113 in 31 overs, Pakistan were 34-0 when rain ended the match as a “no result.” The matches against New Zealand and Sri Lanka were also washed out, leaving Pakistan in eighth place on the table.
The post-World Cup scenarios are always the same: investigation and sackings. Wasim, only appointed in June last year, was shown the door and now reports suggest PCB is trying to lure a foreign coach for the women’s team.
Pakistan women’s team has had foreign coaches as well in the past. Mark Noles of New Zealand had two tenures while David Hemp of Bermuda had one. They brought up some good changes, but they were not only far and few but also less productive.
Jodie Davis of Australia was also sponsored by the Australian Sports Commission to work with the Pakistan women’s team in the 1997 World Cup. But that too was for a short period. What Pakistani women players need is quality exposure. PCB must provide them with more matches against top teams.
They also need to play Leagues like the Women’s Big Bash in Australia and The Hundred in the UK. PCB must request Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board to allow our women players to feature in their Leagues, even if they are paid less or their payments are made by the PCB.
When our players rub shoulders with high-caliber players, they will definitely learn. On the home front, PCB needs to stage more and more matches for the women’s team. An extensive talent hunt program in Schools, Colleges and Universities is also imperative.
We need to unearth well-built players from the northern areas like Gilgit, Abbottabad, Murree, Chitral and some parts of Balochistan and South Punjab. New talent is badly needed in the Pakistan women’s circuit.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has shown and taken sincere efforts to lift cricket, and he must be taking these steps which we need sooner rather than later.
