Bismah retains Pakistan captaincy for 2020-21 as central contracts for nine women cricketers announced
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has awarded a central contract to nine women players, divided into three categories, with 33 per cent increase in A category for 2020-21 season while Bismah Maroof was retained as the captain of Pakistan women’s cricket team.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has awarded a central contract to nine women players, divided into three categories, with 33 per cent increase in A category for 2020-21 season while Bismah Maroof was retained as the captain of Pakistan women’s cricket team.
According to a press release issued by the PCB, the match fee and prize money for domestic events have been enhanced by 100%, besides domestic daily allowance increased by 50 per cent. While 33 per cent increase in Category A remuneration has been given, Category B and C also see a 30 and 25 increase in monthly retainers respectively.
Left-arm spinner Anam Amin and middle-order batter Omaima Sohail are the new entries in the central contracts. Only two players including captain Bsimah Maroof and Javeria Khan feature in the A category while Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig and Sidra Nawaz are placed in the B category. The C category comprises four players namely Anam Amin, Nahida Khan, Nida Dar and Omaima Sohail.
Nine players feature in the emerging category which are 16-year-old Syeda Aroob Shah, 15-year-old Ayesha Naseem (who made her Pakistan debut in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup this year), 22-year-old
Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Fatima Sana, Kainat Hafeez, Najiha Alvi, Rameen Shamim, Saba Nazir and Sadia Iqbal (who won a player-of-the-match award on her T20I debut against Bangladesh in October).
The PCB also decided not to renew the contract of head coach Iqbal Imam, under whose coaching Pakistan women’s team did not fare well in the last T20 World Cup held in Australia early this year. However, Iqbal is still lucky to get a place in the high-performance set-up. The vacant post of coach of the Pakistan women team will be filled through an advertisement.
Chief selector Urooj Mumtaz said: “The selection committee had detailed deliberations prior to announcing the central contracts. International performances over the past 12 months, fitness standards and the players’ ability to contribute in both white-ball formats were key measures that formed the criteria for the selection.
“Bismah and Javeria have been promoted to Category A, following leading performances with the bat in the last year. Over the last one year, Bismah scored 213 runs at an average of 42.60 in five ODIs and 236 at 39.33 in T20Is, while Javeria was the highest run-getter for Pakistan in T20Is with 260 runs including three half-centuries.
“Diana Baig has been promoted to Category B and she joins Aliya Riaz and Sidra Nawaz — both of whom have been retained in this category – as she topped the T20I bowling charts for Pakistan in the last 12 months. Leading the pace bowling attack she has shown tremendous improvement with control over the ball along with being an exceptional fielder.
“I am pleased for both new entries, Omaima Sohail and Anam Amin. Omaima has been added after being a consistent member of the side in both formats while Anam has been outstanding with the ball in T20 cricket, being the highest wicket-taker in the domestic and joint-highest in the international circuit.”
She also congratulated Bismah for being retained as captain of both One-day Internationals and T20 formats.
Women’s cricket central contract list 2020-21:
Category A — Bismah Maroof and Javeria Khan
Category B — Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig and Sidra Nawaz
Category C — Anam Amin, Nahida Khan, Nida Dar and Omaima Sohail.
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