Karachi, 22 May 2023.
Three teams boasting of the best athletes in women’s cricket will battle it out for glory in the one-day leg of the Pakistan Cup women’s cricket tournament from Tuesday. The seven-match tournament will be held at the State Bank Grounds in Karachi. The final will be played on June 4 and will be telecast live on the Pakistan Cricket Board’s official YouTube channel.
The winning side will pocket £1 million in silverware, with the runners-up receiving £500,000. To encourage and reward players for impressive performances, each player of the match will earn £20,000 and player of the tournament will receive £50,000.
The tournament will open with Blasters taking on Dynamite. Challengers will play their first match on May 25 when they play Blasters. The tournament will be played in a round-robin format, and the top two teams after the match on June 2 will play in the final.
Muneba Ali, the Blasters captain who remained winless in three T20s, said: “This is a new format and provides a fresh start for us. I hope every player on the team takes responsibility and performs to expectations. It is important that we learn from the mistakes we made in the T20 stage and do better.”
Challengers captain Omaima Sohail, who won one match, said: We are a team that has a good combination of experienced senior players and talented youngsters. I hope we click as a unit and win.”
“Dynamite” captain Sidra Amin, who won twice in the first round, said: “The players are responding well to the demands of the team and I am confident of our chances in this tournament. Results can go either way in cricket, so it’s important to stay focused and grab opportunities with both hands. The senior players in the side have stepped up and done well.”
The three teams were re-inducted after the T20 round of the Pakistan Cup Women’s Cricket Tournament to strike the right balance in each side and improve the quality of competition.
Detachments
Blasters – Muneba Ali (c), Alina Shah, Anam Amin, Ayesha Bilal, Ayesha Javed, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Dua Majid, Irum Javed, Kainat Imtiaz, Saba Nazir, Saika Riaz, Shabnam Hayat (Saturday), Zaib-un – Nisa and Zuneira Shah
Challengers – Omaima Sohail (c), Amber Kainat, Areesha Noor, Fariha Mehmood (Saturday), Fatima Zehra, Hureena Sajjad, Javeria Khan, Javeria Rauf, Kainat Hafeez, Maham Tariq, Masoma Zehra, Noreen Yaqub, Sadia Iqbal and, Warda Yousaf
Dynamites – Sidra Amin (c), Aima Salem, Alia Riaz, Bismah Maruf, Fajr Naveed, Fatima Shahid, Ghulam Fatima, Humna Bilal, Khadija Chishti, Laiba Nasir, Maham Manzoor, Nashra Sundhu, Ramin Shamim, Sidra Nawaz (wk) Wahida Akhtar
Timetable
May 23 – Blasters vs Dynamite, State Bank Ground
May 25 – Blasters v Challengers, State Bank Ground
May 27 – Dynamites v Challengers, State Bank Ground
May 29 – Dynamites v Blasters, State Bank Ground
May 31 – Challengers vs Blasters, State Bank Ground
June 2 – Challengers v Dynamites, State Bank Ground
June 4 – Final, State Bank Foundation