Pak women players eye WC glory

Pak women’s cricket team have raised their game remarkably in recent months and are confident about making impact at this year’s ICC World Cup. PHOTO: AFP

Pakistan women's team booked a spot in the Cricket World Cup 2025 after a brilliant run in the Qualifier earlier this month.

While India is the official host of the upcoming tournament, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has confirmed that the national women's team will not be traveling to the country.

"Pakistan's participation in the next global competition would adhere to the Fusion Formula [the same structure decided upon before the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025]," Mohsin Naqvi said.

Ahead of the World Cup 2025, Pakistan women's team player Aliya Riaz sat down with Sidra Amin and Shawaal Zulfiqar for a chat on the PCB podcast.

The trio discussed their qualification for the tournament set to be hosted by India and their preparation for it.

"Appearing in the World Cup is quite a challenge," Shawaal Zulfiqar said when asked about her preparation.

"Big teams appear in it. We've done camps, and we'll continue doing them. So we'll grow and it will be beneficial to us. We are hopeful of doing well," she added.

Sidra Amin emphasised the importance of preparation and adaptability to the conditions they would encounter in the tournament.

"We'll plan it series by series. The bigger an event, greater the pressure, so we'll work on things we can control. We are practising well, we'll bring an improvement on that. We have to adapt ourselves to the kind of wickets we have," she said.

The Pakistan women's team batter said that the side will plan with the idea that their games will be in Asian conditions in mind.

"So we'll have to plan our shots, rotation of strike accordingly," Sidra Amir added.

Sidra topped the batting charts for Pakistan in the ICC Women's CWC Qualifier 2025, scoring 225 runs from five matches at an average of 45, including three half-centuries.

Nida Dar opts out of cricket amid mental health struggles

Nida Dar of Pakistan during the 3rd Women's Metro Bank ODI between England and Pakistan at The Cloud County Ground on May 29, 2024 in Chelmsford, England. - AFP

Former Pakistan women's cricket team captain Nida Dar has announced a temporary break from cricket to focus on her mental health.

The seasoned all-rounder took to social media late Thursday to share her decision, citing the toll that recent personal and professional events have taken on her well-being.

"I would like to inform that alot of things have happened in the past with me personally and professionally and this has affected my mental health. For this reason I am taking a break for a while from cricket to focus on myself. Please respect the privacy. Thank you. #respect," Dar posted.

The 38-year-old has been a stalwart for Pakistan, featuring in 130 T20 Internationals and 99 One-Day Internationals. She was recently part of the training camp for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Faisalabad, having been included among the 19 shortlisted players.

However, despite returning to training, Dar was not selected in the final 15-member squad after failing to meet the required fitness standards.

Subsequently, she also opted out of the upcoming National T20 Cup, choosing instead to step away from competitive cricket altogether for the time being.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan women's team recently secured qualification for the upcoming ICC Women's World Cup, slated to take place in India later this year.

They concluded an impressive campaign at the ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier in Lahore with five consecutive victories, including a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in their final match on April 19 at the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi praised the women's team for their successful campaign during a visit to the LCCA Ground.

However, he reiterated the PCB's stance that the national women's team will not travel to India for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, aligning with the "hybrid model" that was implemented ahead of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy earlier this year.

"Pakistan will not travel to India, as this formula has already been agreed upon," Naqvi said during his visit.

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