LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday named a 15-member women’s squad for next month’s bilateral white-ball home series against South Africa, marking the first-ever tour of South Africa to Pakistan.
The series will comprise three T20Is and three ODIs, with the ODIs being part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 cycle.
Diana Baig, the right-arm fast bowler, makes a return to the squad after a six-month absence due to a finger injury. Nida Dar, an experienced all-rounder, will lead the team, taking over from Bismah Maroof who stepped down after the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023.
Leg-spinner Syeda Aroob Shah and all-rounder Natalia Parvaiz also make their comebacks to the T20I squad, with Natalia Parvaiz also being reserved for the ODI squad. Najiha Alvi, a promising wicketkeeper-batter, has been selected as part of the T20I team.
The T20I squad sees exclusions including Aimen Anwar, Javeria Khan, Ayesha Naseem (who has retired from international cricket), Sidra Nawaz, and Tuba Hassan, while Omaima Sohail is included as a reserve.
Pakistan T20I Squad for South Africa Series
Nida Dar will lead the side, with other players including Bismah Maroof, Natalia Parvaiz, Nashra Sundhu, Sidra Amin, Fatima Sana, Muneeba Ali, Diana Baig, Najiha Alvi (wk), Sadaf Shamas, Aliya Riaz, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Syeda Aroob Shah, Sadia Iqbal, and Umm-e-Hani.
Pakistan ODI Squad for South Africa Series
Nida Dar will also lead the ODI squad. Other players include Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Umm-e-Hani, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sundhu, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Nawaz (wk), and Waheeda Akhtar.
The Pakistan women’s team ranks fourth in the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 points table, having won five out of nine matches.
South Africa, on their inaugural tour of Pakistan, is set to arrive in Karachi on August 27. The team management and training camp schedule for the Pakistan team will be disclosed in due course.
