PCB reconstitutes women’s selection committee after drubbing to West Indies

PCB has added men’s national selectors, Abdul Razzaq and Asad Shafiq, and a former women international player, Batool Fatima, to the committee.

REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE: Pakistan’s Bismah Maroof (C) and Omaima Sohail (R) celebrate winning a match, | Photo Credit: AFP

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reconstituted its national selection committee for women’s cricket after West Indies overwhelmed the home side 3-0 in the ICC women’s league series in Karachi.

All-rounder Healy Matthews led the West Indies’ charge by scoring 140 and 142 in the first and third ODIs at the National Stadium this month.

The PCB said chairman Mohsin Naqvi had reconstituted the women’s selection committee after the disappointing show at home and added men’s national selectors, Abdul Razzaq and Asad Shafiq, and a former women international player, Batool Fatima, to the committee.

The retained members from the previous panel include Asmavia Iqbal and Marina Iqbal.

In line with the men’s national selection committee make-up, the coach and captain will also be part of the national women’s selection committee, which will have no chairman and decisions would be based on majority votes.

The immediate task of the new selection committee will be to pick the Pakistan women’s team for the upcoming tour of England, where they are scheduled to play three T20Is and three ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 fixtures from May 11 to 29.

Despite the recent drubbing to the West Indies, Pakistan currently hold the fifth position in the 10-team ICC Women Championship 2022-25.

The top five teams from this championship, along with hosts India, will directly qualify for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. The remaining teams will participate in a Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament.