Nida named captain, Coles reappointed coach, Saleem to head selection panel in Pakistan women’s cricket shake-up
by Momna Yousaf
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced Nida Dar new Captain of Pakistan women team.
Nida Dar has been appointed as the Pakistan women’s team captain, Mark Coles will serve as Head coach.
Upcoming international assignments
The appointments have been made in light of the PCB’s vision and strategy to invest further into women’s cricket. keeping in mind the upcoming international assignments, including hosting South Africa and tours to Bangladesh and New Zealand for the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 fixtures.
Overall, in. These series comprising a total of 15 ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 ODIs.
In addition to these 50-over matches, Pakistan will play as many as 17 T20Is.
PCB Chairman Njam Sethi
Najam Sethi: “I want to congratulate Nida, Mark and Saleem on their appointments.
Nida won the PCB Women’s Cricketer of the Year for 2021 and replaces Bismah Maroof, who stepped down from captaincy following the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 in South Africa. Nida is one of the most experienced players in the country, having represented Pakistan in 130 T20Is and 99 ODIs.
She is also the leading wicket-taker in T20I women’s cricket with 126 wickets to her name.
Nida was also a member of the Pakistan side’s that won the Asian Games gold in 2010 and 2014 in Guangzhou, China, and Incheon, South Korea. In 2019, she became the first Pakistan women’s cricketer to feature in Australia’s women’s franchise cricket.
“ It is a huge responsibility, and I am excited to lead the team in the upcoming events. I want to thank the PCB for entrusting me with this responsibility and will do my best to take the team forward.
“I also want to thank Bismah Maroof for her services as the captain of the team. She has done a fantastic job, and I hope to continue her legacy and lead the team with the same passion and commitment.
“The upcoming season of women’s cricket is going to be a tough one. But we are fortunate to have some young exciting talent in our pool of players, which I am confident will significantly improve during the course and also help the side to produce strong performances.
“As a captain, my objective remains to inspire and mentor these young players to become quality cricketers.
MARK COLES
Coles previously served as Pakistan women’s cricket team head coach from 2017 to 2019 and during his time, the side achieved major results, including a fifth finish in the ICC Women’s Championship 2017-2020 that paved the way for the side to feature in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022.
“I am grateful to the PCB for giving me yet another opportunity to work with the talented Pakistan women’s team. It has been a privilege to work with such a talented group of players and I look forward to the exciting times ahead as we aim to improve our previous performances and achievements.
“We have a lot of potential in the team, and I look forward to helping the players to give their best and achieve success on the international stage.”
Saleem Jaffar will head the selection panel, which also includes Asmavia Iqbal, Marina Iqbal and Mohtashim Rasheed.
Saleem has had a few instincts with the women’s side, with the last being as interim head coach at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup South Africa. As an international cricketer, Saleem took 36 wickets in 14 Tests and 40 wickets in 39 ODIs from 1986 to 1992.
Pakistan women’s team upcoming bilateral series
Aug/Sep 2023 – South Africa tour to Pakistan (three ODIs & three T20Is)
Oct/Nov 2023 – Pakistan tour to Bangladesh (three ODIs & three T20Is)
Nov/Dec 2023 – Pakistan tour to New Zealand (three ODIs & three T20Is)
Feb 2024 – West Indies tour to Pakistan (three ODIs & five T20Is)
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Jul 2024 – Pakistan tour to England (three ODIs & three T20Is)
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