The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has overhauled its national women’s selection committee, expanding it to seven members in a bid to improve the team’s performance. The decision follows Pakistan’s disappointing 3-0 ODI series loss to West Indies at home.
The new selection committee includes four former Pakistan internationals: Asmavia Iqbal, Marina Iqbal, Abdul Razzaq, and Asad Shafiq. They are joined by former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Batool Fatima. The head coach and captain (currently Mohtashim Rasheed and Nida Dar) will also be part of the seven-member panel.
Former fast bowler Saleem Jaffar is the only member not retained from the previous selection committee.
The first task for the new selection committee will be to pick the squad for Pakistan’s upcoming tour of England, where they are scheduled to play three T20Is and three ODIs from May 11 to 29. All three ODIs are part of the ICC ODI women’s championship 2022-25.
Pakistan are currently fifth on the women’s championship table with eight wins and 13 losses in 21 ODIs. Ahead of them on the points table are Australia, South Africa, England, and New Zealand. The top five teams from the championship, along with hosts India, will directly qualify for the 2025 ODI Women’s World Cup. The remaining teams will participate in a qualifier tournament.
Pakistan started off the ODI series against West Indies with a 113-run loss. They then suffered a narrow, two-wicket defeat in the second game before going down in the third ODI by 88 runs. With scores of 140*, 44, and 141, Hayley Matthews was the star of the series as she finished with 325 runs while averaging 162.50. She was also the joint-leading wicket-taker along with Dar, picking up six wickets.
Pakistan will now compete in a five-match T20I series against West Indies which gets underway on April 26 and will run through till May 3. All matches will be played in Karachi. They will then travel to England with the first T20I scheduled to be played on May 11 in Birmingham.
