LAHORE: South African women’s cricket team would be in Pakistan for their first-ever tour to the country in August/September this year, which would kick-start a busy 2023-24 international cricket season for the women’s cricket team of Pakistan.
According to local media, South Africa would play three Twenty-20Is and three of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s Championship 2022-25 One Day International (ODI) in Karachi from 1-14 September. Pakistan is sitting second on the points table with five wins in nine ODIs (three series), while South Africa women’s cricket team has played only one series of three ODIs and has six points.
In the inaugural ICC Women’s Championship 2014-16, Pakistan hosted South Africa in Sharjah, with the African side winning the series 2-1. In the 2017-20 edition, Pakistan toured South Africa, with the series ending in a 1-1 draw after the third ODI in Benoni finished in a thrilling tie.
South African women’s cricket player will be the fourth high-profile national women’s side to tour Pakistan recently. In January 2019, West Indies women played three T-20Is in Karachi, while in May and November 2022, Sri Lanka and Ireland played ODIs and T20Is in Lahore and Karachi, respectively. Separately, 11 players from seven countries, including three captains, featured in the three Women’s League Exhibition cricket match in Rawalpindi in March.
The home cricket series against South Africa would be one of the five ICC Women’s Championship series Pakistan would involve in during the 2023-24 season. Pakistan women’s cricket team will travel to Bangladesh in October, followed by tours to New Zealand in November and England in May 2024. Before their tour to England, the cricket team will host the West Indies in April 2024.
This means Pakistan’s women cricketers would be involved in 15 ICC Women’s Championship ODIs and 17 Twenty-20 over the next 12 months. The tally of Twenty-20 is likely to increase as the side is expected to participate in the 19th Asian Games in China in September. Pakistan women’s side had clinched gold in Guangzhou (2010) and Incheon (2014) when women’s cricket players was included in the Asian Games.
The Pakistan Women’s team has also scheduled two emerging series against the West Indies (in October) and Bangladesh (in January), intending to identify talent and invest in the future. Against the West Indies Emerging side, Pakistan would play three 50-over and three Twent-20 matches, while on tour to Bangladesh, the Pakistan U19 squad would play five Twenty-20 cricket matches.
The upcoming series against South Africa would be all-rounder Nida Dar’s first series as captain. Nida is one of the most experienced cricket players of Pakistan with 99 ODIs and 130 T-20s.
Pakistan’s cricket matches schedule in the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25:
- South Africa (all matches in Karachi)
27 Aug – South Africa team arrival
1 Sep – First Twenty-20I v South Africa
3 Sep – Second Twenty-20I v South Africa
5 Sep – Third Twenty-20I v South Africa
8 Sep – First ODI v South Africa
11 Sep – Second ODI v South Africa
14 Sep – Third ODI v South Africa
Oct/Nov 2023 – Pakistani team tour to Bangladesh (three ODIs & three T20Is)
Nov/Dec 2023 – Pakistani cricket team tour to New Zealand (three ODIs & three Twenty-20Is)
Apr/May 2024 – West Indies tour to Pakistan (three ODIs & five Twenty-20Is)
May 2024 – Pakistan cricket team tour to England (three ODIs & three Twenty-20Is)
