Bismah Maroof will lead Pakistan in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom scheduled to take place next month. Maroof will be leading the side after the selectors announced an 18-member squad for the Games.
There are no other changes in the squad as the selectors retained the Pakistan women's team that defeated Sri Lanka in the recently concluded T20I series.
Ahead of the Commonwealth Games, the Pakistan women's team will play a tri-series in Ireland. The team that was picked by Asmavia Iqbal, the national women team's chief selector, head coach David Hemp and captain Bismah Maroof has three reserve players and two wicket-keepers. The reserve players are Ghulam Fatima, Sadaf Shamas and Umme Hani.
"Following a successful series against Sri Lanka, we have decided to retain the same winning combination. Not only did our senior cricketers in the side display great cricketing acumen also our youngsters were outstanding and have raised their hands whenever the team needed them to," chief selector Asmavia Iqbal was quoted as saying by Pakistan Cricket Board in a release on Tuesday.
"We are delighted with the start Tuba Hassan has had to her international career and feel her leg-spin will be a potent weapon for us in the days ahead. Ayesha Naseem produced a match-winning innings in the second match of the T20Is against Sri Lanka and proved her big-hitting ability.
"The tri-series in Ireland and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games will test the abilities of our players and I have all the belief in them that they will live up to the expectations and show consistent results," she added.
"The tri-series in Ireland and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games will test the abilities of our players and I have all the belief in them that they will live up to the expectations and show consistent results," she said.
Head of Women Cricket in Pakistan, Tania Mallick, said, "I want to thank the Commonwealth Games for accepting our request to accommodate our captain Bismah Maroof's family at the games village which will allow her to focus on the task at hand without any worries about her young infant daughter."
Ahead of their departure to the UK on July 12, the team will undergo a training session in Islamabad at the House of Northern from July 1 to 11. Pakistan will take on T20 world champions Australia and hosts Ireland in Belfast from July 16 to 24 and play Barbados, India and Australia in the Commonwealth Games between July 29 and August 3.
Pakistan Women squad: Bismah Maroof (c), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza (wk), Iram Javed, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (wicketkeeper), Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal and Tuba Hassan.
(Inputs IANS)
