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An NZC review recommended the coaching and support staff reapply for their positions but Tiffen has decided to stand aside

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Mar-2019Haidee Tiffen has decided not to reapply for the head coach role of the New Zealand women’s team after opting to stand down from the recent tour of Australia following an NZC review into the team’s performance.Tiffen had said she was not in the right frame of mind to coach the team in the one-day series in Australia, after the review concluded that the support staff should reapply for their positions.She was, however, encouraged to seek a renewal of her contract by NZC, but she has decided it’s time to move on and may explore opportunities in other sports.”I believe in collaboration, hard work, respect, and team first, and I have enjoyed developing a learning environment where players are supported and encouraged to take responsibility to be better every day,” Tiffen said.David White, the NZC chief executive, said: “Haidee’s made a decision and we understand and respect that. She is a talented and committed coach who leaves NZC with her head held high, and knowing she has a healthy future in the game.”Women’s international cricket has been making some rapid gains of late and Haidee has worked tirelessly in what has been an increasingly competitive high-performance environment. We wish her well and thank her for the integrity and passion she has brought to the role.”The review into team performance was instigated after New Zealand failed to get out of the group stage of last year’s World T20. They then lost the one-day series against India at home but won the T20I series that followed before getting whitewashed 3-0 by Australia in the Rose Bowl series.The new coach will have the challenge of preparing the team for 2020 T20 World Cup, which will be staged in Australia next February and March.

Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat Titans fast bowler distances himself from the post, says his account had been hacked into

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jun-2023Yash Dayal, the Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat Titans fast bowler, has distanced himself* from a social-media post containing an Islamophobic cartoon, saying both that post and a subsequent apology “weren’t done by me”.The original Instagram post was removed, but not before screenshots were shared and debated widely on social-media. Not long after, the handle posted: “Guy’s [sic] apologies for the story it was just posted by mistake plz don’t spread hate … I have respect for each & every community n society”.He later said in a statement, “There were two stories posted on my Insta handle today – both of which weren’t done by me. I have reported the matter to authorities as I believe my account is being accessed by someone else and used for posting. I am trying to regain full control of my Instagram account. I respect all communities and the picture shared today does not reveal my true beliefs.”Dayal, 26, has been playing representative cricket since 2018, when he made his senior debut for Uttar Pradesh, but became a household name for not-very-happy reasons on April 9 this year when, in a game in Ahmedabad, Kolkata Knight Riders’ Rinku Singh hit him for five consecutive sixes off the last five balls of the match to chase down an improbable target.He didn’t turn out for Titans for over a month after that, but played two more games as Titans made the tournament final, which they lost to Chennai Super Kings. Dayal had a forgettable season overall, picking up two wickets from five matches at an economy rate of 11.78.Bought by Titans before IPL 2022, Dayal played nine games in the team’s run to the title in what was their debut season, picking up 11 wickets and maintaining an economy rate of 9.25.

Tom Alsop, James Coles add fifties on shortened second day in Bristol

ECB Reporters Network28-Apr-2023A trademark defensive masterclass from captain Cheteshwar Pujara batted Sussex into a promising position on the second day of the rain-affected LV= County Championship match with Gloucestershire at Bristol.After a delayed start at 1.50pm due to a saturated outfield, the visitors took their first innings total from 47 for 1 to 302 for 4, India Test star Pujara leading the way with 99 not out, one short of his 58th first-class century, while Tom Alsop contributed 67 and James Coles a career-best 74.Zafar Gohar was the most successful Gloucestershire bowler with 2 for 67. But even his efforts on a docile surface could not unsettle the patient Pujara, who by the close had faced 190 balls and hit 13 fours and a six.Warm sunshine and a drying breeze dispelled fears of a second day washout after only 16 overs had been possible on day one before persistent heavy rain left standing water on an already wet outfield.Umpires Billy Taylor and Mark Newell decided play could resume after inspections at 11am, 12.30pm and 1.20pm. Gloucestershire skipper Graeme van Buuren opted to open the bowling with left-arm spinner Gohar and it paid quick dividends.Ali Orr, having added five to his overnight score of 31, went to reverse sweep the first ball of the third over and only succeeded in top-edging a gentle catch to wicketkeeper James Bracey, making the score 58 for 2.Having advanced from 11 to 34, Alsop survived a sharp chance to Miles Hammond at gully off Marchant de Lange, the ball stinging the tips of the fielder’s fingers on the way to the third-man boundary. It was all the good fortune the Sussex left-hander needed to progress to fifty, off 123 balls, with 6 fours, out of a total of 111 for 2.Ominously for Gloucestershire, Pujara looked to be setting his stall out for a long innings from the moment he took strike. The experienced India Test batter exercised great caution, particularly against the accurate de Lange, who had figures of 1 for 17 after 11 overs, four of them maidens.Pujara took 78 balls to reach 19, but then cut loose with a pulled four off de Lange and a square cut boundary off Gohar. By tea, which was taken at 4pm, Sussex had made 138 for 2 from 49 overs, with Alsop on 63 and Pujara on 28. The visitors were clearly intent on only batting once in a match already heavily curtailed by the weather.The final session began with Ajeet Dale going past the inside edge of Alsop’s bat, the ball swinging late and beating Bracey to add four byes to the total. Dale troubled both batsmen from the Ashley Down Road End, working up decent pace on the slow pitch, and got his reward when Alsop edged a defensive shot to first slip where Chris Dent held the catch into his midriff.At 158 for 3, Sussex needed to rebuild. But by then Pujara had moved on to 40 off 108 deliveries and looked well set. He was joined by a player more than 16 years his junior in England Under-19 international Coles.With the Seat Unique Stadium bathed in sunshine, Pujara moved to his half-century, having batted for almost exactly three hours and hit eight fours. He celebrated with a glorious driven boundary through extra cover off van Buuren, an indication of the fund of attacking shots in his locker when he chooses to unleash them, while Coles looked untroubled in sharing a century stand in 24 overs.The nearest Pujara came to getting out was an inside edge past his leg stump off Gofar. He responded by cutting two boundaries off the left-arm spinner’s next over.Gloucestershire took the second new ball after 80 overs, with the scoreboard reading 258 for 3. But it made no impact as Coles reached a fluent and chanceless fifty off 85 balls, with six fours. The 19-year-old fell in the final over of the day, stumped moving down the pitch to Gohar in an effort to give Pujara the strike.The Indian maestro is unlikely to lose any sleep over being on 99 and will look to add significantly more on day three.

They qualified on the virtue of finishing higher than Paarl Rocks on the points table

The Report by Liam Brickhill14-Dec-2018A summer downpour sent Jozi Stars into the final of the inaugural Mzansi Super League, heavy rain washing out the play-off eliminator against Paarl Rocks at the Wanderers.The weather was starting to close in even as the captains met in the middle for the toss half an hour before play, with Rocks captain Faf du Plessis calling correctly and opting to field. The players never left the dugout, however, with the covers coming out straight after the toss. When it was still raining heavily at 8.30pm, the game was officially called off.There was no reserve day, and according to the league’s playing conditions in the event of insufficient playing time being available to achieve a result, Stars went through to the final on the basis of their better final log position as they finished in second position with 29 points.They will meet Cape Town Blitz in the final on Sunday at Newlands, where the weather should be set fair. In the event of inclement weather in the final, there will be a reserve day, as well as two hours of additional playing time allocated on both the match day and the reserve day. An additional 20 minutes is permissible for a Super Over to take place which is inclusive of the 10 minutes changeover period after the match.

Ben Stokes’ focus on “picking his moment” to make his own impact with the ball

Vithushan Ehantharajah14-Feb-2023Stuart Broad will return to the England team for Thursday’s first Test against New Zealand after missing the series against Pakistan.Broad, on his fifth tour of New Zealand, sat out the three-match series at the end of 2022 for the birth of his first child, Annabella. With Olly Stone and Matthew Potts also hovering around selection, three seamers were vying for the final bowling spot in the lead-up to the day-night opener on Thursday.Speaking in Mount Maunganui after England’s training session on Tuesday, Ben Stokes confirmed the 36-year-old seamer will pick up his 160th cap.While the nature of the pink ball lent itself to flirting with a horse-for-course approach, with Stone’s extra pace attractive given the lack of sideways movement expected, the captain has gone with what he sees as his best XI.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“The way in which we’ve gone about our selections and stuff like that, especially in England and in similarish conditions here, the team we pick – especially with the ball – has the bases all covered, especially in these type of conditions,” Stokes said.Broad will accompany fellow quicks James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, with Jack Leach offering the spin option. Outwardly, the bowling pack have been less than complimentary about the pink Kookaburra that will be used, which moves a little less and feels a little harder than the one they used in the 2021/22 Ashes series.

Stokes confirms bowling fitness

Short balls will have to be utilised during quieter moments, something which puts the onus on Stokes as the allrounder. The skipper did not take part in last week’s warm-up match in Hamilton, and did not bowl at training on Tuesday. However, he confirmed he will be able to play a full part in the match.”We’ve had really good preparation and build-up for this game and, even with the weather, we’ve still been able to train in the tent,” Stokes said. “Everything is good. Bowling-wise, it’s picking the right moment to bowl. I’ve had the last two days off bowling-wise, then will have a trundle tomorrow [Wednesday]. It’s just making sure I get in everything I need to before we start.”The bowling group have been great together. They have been discussing what they feel is working. People like Jimmy and Broady, who have played quite a few of these pink-ball matches, are still coming to terms with it. Some balls swing, some balls don’t, then they will try to bowl the same ball and it will react differently. They have bowled really well together and discussed how they feel is the best way to bowl with the pink ball. In terms of myself, it will be similar to Pakistan, picking the moment when it will be best to get my overs in.”Related

• England in New Zealand – Vish's tour diary

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This series marks the first time this new era team under Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum have come up against the same team. New Zealand got the first bitter taste of a “New England”, losing 3-0 at the start of the 2022 summer which sparked a run of nine wins out of 10.Though the team are further along in their development, Stokes called back to that series as one which showcased the team’s fighting spirit, beyond their destructive qualities.”That whole series, we were behind the game a lot but we managed to turn each game around completely on its head by the way we went out and did it. We know that we can be dominant but we also know that when we are behind in a game we can turn it around quickly.”New Zealand, meanwhile, were dealt a blow with the news that Kyle Jamieson has been ruled out for the foreseeable future with a suspected back stress-fracture, while Matt Henry will also miss the first Test at Bay Oval as he awaits the birth of his first child. The uncapped duo of Jacob Duffy and Scott Kuggeleijn have been called into the squad as replacements.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Ollie Robinson, 9 Jack Leach, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson

He admitted that becoming a three-format player may have contributed to the injury issues

Alex Malcolm18-Dec-2022Injured Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is hoping to make himself available for selection for the Boxing Day Test against South Africa while admitting his repeated side injuries could be the cost of trying to be a three-format fast bowler.Hazlewood has missed Australia’s last two Test matches, including the first Test against South Africa in Brisbane, due to a side strain he suffered during the first Test against West Indies in Perth three weeks ago.Related

• Boland 'trying to push' to get a spot in Boxing Day XI as selection dilemma continues

• Dean Elgar applauds his pacers for firing warning shots in short Gabba burst

• Cummins, Head, Starc lead Australia to victory inside two days

• Hazlewood ruled out of opening Test against South Africa

The 31-year-old had a solid bowl in the nets on Sunday and said his chances of being available for Boxing Day were improving by the day.”[My chances are] much better after today’s session,” Hazlewood told . “Went very much according to plan and pushed upwards of 90% for a couple of deliveries. It’s all about the next three or four sessions before that [session on December] 24th and I can really tick it off. Everything is feeling really nice and I’m not noticing the side at all so fingers crossed.”I had a little bowl on Friday back in Sydney and started up off a few steps and pushed back to a half-run on Friday and today went really well. I pushed back to pretty much full run-up and around 85-90% intensity. Everything is ticking along nicely and going according to plan.”The Perth Test was Hazlewood’s first since March and just his third since January 2021. During last summer’s home Ashes series against England. Hazlewood suffered another side strain in the first Test in Brisbane, which was understood to be different from this current injury and missed the final four Tests of the series. He then played the first Test of the Pakistan tour but was left out of the final two Tests and Australia’s next two Tests in Sri Lanka in June and July when Australia selected two spinners.While not playing much Test cricket, Hazlewood has reached No.1 in the world in the T20I bowling rankings this year and become a highly sought-after player in the IPL.He admitted that becoming a three-format player, having dropped out of Australia’s white-ball calculations in 2019-20 before his re-emergence, may have contributed to the injury issues that have seen him play so little Test cricket in the last two years.”It’s been a bit of a frustrating period,” Hazlewood said. “Especially red ball. White ball has been going great. Maybe that’s the cost of playing all three formats and putting all your energy into every game you play. You don’t have that time to build your strength up or workloads up and get ready for a Test match. I might have to look at that and find a way around it somehow.”If he passes his fitness test at Australia’s main training session on December 24, Hazlewood’s availability creates a selection headache for Australia. Scott Boland has continued his outstanding form at Test level as Hazlewood’s replacement in Adelaide and Brisbane picking up seven wickets across the two games to maintain his staggering Test average at just 10.36. Boland will also be returning to his home ground at the MCG on Boxing Day where he has an extraordinary record in first-class cricket and took stunning figures 6 for 7 on Test debut last year against England.Hazlewood was chosen ahead of Boland for the first Test of the summer against West Indies when both men were fit and available and is seen by the selectors as a first-choice Test bowler when fit, given his career record.

League commissioner hopes the tournament will give more players exposure to the big stage and high-pressure games

Sruthi Ravindranath02-Dec-2022Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher are hopeful that the SA20, South Africa’s new franchise T20 league, will help the national team finally win a World Cup.”I actually thought we had a strong team in this World Cup in Australia, I thought we had a good chance,” Smith, the SA20 commissioner, said at an event in Mumbai. “But obviously disappointed with the way we finished. I think what we want to create in this league is that there’s so much talent – hope we can develop that talent to play under pressure on a global stage.”I know I keep talking about the IPL but you look at the amount of strong cricketers that have come through in the IPL,” Smith said. “Looking at trying to find 15 players, hopefully there’s 25-35 players in the next couple of years at a level where it makes the selectors jobs very, very difficult. Those that are used to playing big games, exposed to big games. Unfortunately South Africa has to deal with these questions all the time until they actually win a tournament.”Related

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South Africa have not won a men’s World Cup in 16 attempts – eight ODI World Cups and eight T20 World Cups. While they have come close in knockout games a number of times, they failed to make the semi-finals in five of the last six ICC white-ball events. In the 2022 T20 World Cup, South Africa lost their last group match to Netherlands and did not progress to the knockouts.Boucher, whose tenure as South Africa head coach ended after the T20 World Cup, said the IPL – where he will now be coaching Mumbai Indians – was one of the reasons for India’s success in world tournaments. India, however, have won just one World Cup – in 2011 – since the IPL began in 2008.”There’s reasons why you’ve got World Cups in your cabinets,” Boucher said, talking about India. “The reason is big stages, guys playing in finals and semi-finals. The more you play those games the better you get. This [SA20] is going to be on the big stage as well. You’re going to see youngsters. Guys are going to be put in situations they’re not used to and that’s going to be exciting to see who comes through. Then once that happens, our coaches and selectors can check and select the guys who are needed for the big moments and the big events.”South Africa’s direct qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup, however, hangs in the balance. They are currently at No. 11 in the Super League with only five matches to go, and need to win at least three to try and finish among the top eight teams that get direct qualification for next year’s World Cup.South Africa have won only five of their 16 Super League matches so far, having forfeited three ODIs in Australia to have all their top players available for the start of the SA20 in January.Graeme Smith, pictured here with Mark Boucher, Yuvraj Singh and Anil Kumble at the SA20 event in Mumbai, stressed on the importance of the league for South African cricket as a whole•PTI

Smith said South Africa had brought this situation upon themselves by playing “bad” cricket, and that CSA had no choice but to prioritise the SA20 at that point. CSA’s chief executive Pholetsi Moseki had also said previously that the board had taken a risk of withdrawing from the series against Australia with an eye on “securing the long-term sustainability of the game” in South Africa.”I think South Africa’s World Cup qualification was bad because they played bad. I mean, they had a lot of time to control that,” Smith said. “I think that this three-ODI cancellation, I actually feel for Cricket South Africa in many ways, because I know the effort that went in to move those three ODIs to open up a window for the league. The league will have a window free of international cricket in South Africa, like the IPL, for a period every year.”Australia never travel on Boxing Day or New Year’s. England are never away from home in their summer. It’s incredible that South African cricket still has decided that they’ll earn zero revenues this year because they’re going to Australia for three Test matches. So, I know that they went out of their way with Cricket Australia to find a way to make those three ODIs work, but it just wasn’t practical, and eventually South African cricket had to make a choice … it was going to start its own league and it needed to give it a chance and make a proper statement that it was going to make a success of it.”South Africa have not played a festive series in Australia since 2008, for the reasons Smith mentioned. Former CSA CEO Gerald Majola negotiated in previous FTPs that South Africa would only tour Australia outside of the Christmas-New Year period to maximise revenue at home. This series was decided in the 2019-2023 FTP, which was drafted in the post-Majola era. Cricket South Africa host only one incoming tour this season, against West Indies, but will launch the SA20 this summer.

The day started off with Sri Lanka five wickets down in the second innings. It ended with Sri Lanka five wickets down in the fourth

Shashank Kishore and Sreshth Shah26-Jun-2018AFP

An inspired Jason Holder breathed fire to remove four Sri Lankan wickets late in the day as West Indies kept their hopes of a series win alive on a 20-wicket day in Bridgetown. These are the most wickets to have fallen in a single day of Test cricket in the Caribbean, surpassing the 18 that fell when England last toured here in 2015.Holder’s figures at stumps on the third day read 8-3-21-4 as Sri Lanka stumbled to 81 for 5 chasing 144 for a series-levelling victory in the third Test. The visitors could effectively be six down, with Kusal Perera in hospital for scans following a nasty injury while fielding earlier in the day. Official word on his availability is awaited.West Indies had grabbed a 50-run lead, that could have been much more if not for a shoddy drop down leg by wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich in the day’s first over, with Sri Lanka yet to add to their overnight 99 for 5. On 13 then, Dickwella went on to top-score with 42 in Sri Lanka’s 154 all out. Holder picked up three of the four wickets to fall, finishing with 4 for 19 off 16 overs.The game then galloped forward when Sri Lanka took just 31.2 overs to skittle West Indies for 93, the least overs they’ve taken to bowl out a Test side outside Asia. Kemar Roach’s adventurous 23 not out was the highest in a disastrous batting performance, with each of the top five recording single-digit scores. Suranga Lakmal, the captain, and Lahiru Kumara picked up three wickets apiece, Kumara easily the most impressive of the lot, troubling batsmen with genuine pace married with tremendous accuracy.Then under lights, Holder, Roach and Shannon Gabriel got the ball to hoop around, putting the batsmen through a searching examination. Sri Lanka’s hopes now hinge on Kusal Mendis, unbeaten on 25. He has allrounder Dilruwan Perera and the lower order for company.Danushka Gunathilaka and Mahela Udawatte opened the innings in Kusal’s absence, but were dismissed cheaply to expose a fragile middle order missing Dinesh Chandimal, who is sitting out because of a suspension. Udawatte’s horror international return after a 10-year gap continued when he was beaten for pace by a sharp inswinger from Roach to be lbw – his second duck and third single-digit score in four innings on tour. Gunathilaka, meanwhile, top-edged a pull to a back-pedalling Devendra Bishoo at mid-on off a steep Holder delivery.Dhananjaya de Silva was then put to severe test by an inspired Holder, who eventually had his wicket when the batsman shouldered arms to a ball coming inwards and saw his off stump flattened. So fired up was Holder that West Indies wasted a review to a caught behind appeal off Roshen Silva, but he wouldn’t last long, nicking to second slip in the same over to leave Sri Lanka in trouble at 50 for 4. That could have been 59 for 5 had Shai Hope, keeping in place of an injured Dowrich, held on to a one-handed chance offered by Kusal Mendis off Holder.At the start of West Indies’ innings, the home side’s hopes of building on a big lead suffered early setbacks when they slid to 13 for 3 at the end of the first session where eight wickets fell. Kraigg Brathwaite was snaffled at short leg by a rising Lakmal delivery, while Devon Smith and Hope were beaten on the inside edge by sharp inswingers. Dowrich and Holder briefly resisted to add 27, the highest partnership of West Indies’ second innings, before things unravelled. Eventually, Roach’s cameo took the lead well beyond 100, and gave them a respectable pink-ball target to bowl at.

Left-arm fast bowlers Rahat Ali and Usman Khan also return to the 15-man squad for the upcoming T20I series against West Indies in Karachi

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-2018Strong performances in the PSL have brought rich rewards upon three uncapped Pakistan players – Asif Ali, Hussain Talat and Shaheen Afridi – who have been called-up to the international side for the upcoming T20I series against West Indies in Karachi. Asif, Talat and Shaheen form part of the 15-man squad for the series, with left-arm fast bowlers Rahat Ali and Usman Khan also coming back into the fray.Imad Wasim and Rumman Raees, meanwhile, missed out, having failed to recover from their injuries in time. Imad sustained a concussion after his head slammed into the ground after completing a catch, while Raees trod on a ball on the boundary and damaged knee ligaments. Ahmed Shehzad kept his place at the top of the order, while Shoaib Malik, who missed the second half of the tour to New Zealand with concussion after being struck on the head by a wayward throw, also returned.The T20I series will be played across three consecutive days: April 1, 2 and 3. All matches will be played at the National Stadium in Karachi, which recently hosted the Pakistan Super League final. It will be the first time international cricket will be played in Karachi since 2009, and the first T20I to ever be played at the venue.Talat, Asif and Afridi have been three of the standout performers in this year’s PSL. Talat’s composure under pressure and solid technique saw him play vital roles in close games, while Asif’s power-hitting, culminating in a six-ball 26 in the final that all but secured the title. Lahore Qalandars’ left-arm bowler Shaheen Afridi is understood to have a strong admirer in Mickey Arthur, who compared him to a young Mitchell Starc days after the 17-year old took five wickets for four runs, the best ever figures in the PSL.T20 squad: Ahmed Shehzad, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Muhammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Rahat Ali, Usman Khan, Shaheen Afridi

To conduct an open trial in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Abbottabad and Gilgit, and offer 22 women a one-year developmental contract

Umar Farooq15-Oct-2022Lahore Qalandars has expanded its Player Development Programme (PDP) to include women cricketers, in a bid to expand the playing base in Pakistan. The franchise is set to launch an open trial on October 18 in Lahore, with stints in Rawalpindi, Abbottabad and Gilgit as well, to pick a team of 22 women who will be offered a year-long contract with the aim of nurturing their talent.The model is similar to Qalandars’ men’s PDP, which has been in place since 2016, and has helped to create a production line of players for the PSL and the national circuit, with fast bowler Haris Rauf its biggest success story. For the women’s programme, the Sports Board of Punjab will work in partnership with Qalandars, providing boarding and lodging for the women based in Lahore.Related

• PCB postpones women's T20 league to September

• PCB's women's T20 league to run alongside PSL 2023

• PCB launches women's Under-19 T20 tournament

The non-Lahore venues for the trials have been picked specifically to tap into areas beyond the big cities, and areas where women might not easily be able to venture to another city for trials because of the often conservative cultural backgrounds they come from. Gilgit is known for producing Diana Baig a double-international, capped in both cricket and football for Pakistan.The players who are selected will get a one-year scholarship with access to Qalandars’ high-performance programme that takes in physical fitness, nutrition, and awareness of their rights, besides developing cricketing skills. Qalandars have a partnership with Australia’s Big Bash League that sees players who develop well enough through to the league, apart from helping build a player base for Pakistan’s own women’s league which will be inaugurated next March.The women’s game in Pakistan remains by and large in the developmental phase, although over the last few years a few more colleges and universities with grounds have started to play women’s teams. Acceptance for women cricketers has grown in the bigger cities like Lahore and Karachi, but in general there is a still a wider reluctance to let women play the game professionally.For women, the pathway to Pakistan’s senior women’s team had till recently now been unclear, with no lines going down to the grassroots level, meaning a pool of only 30-35 competitive cricketers at the senior level. Women cricketers had two tournaments: three teams each playing the National T20 and ODI Challenge Cups. But the PCB recently launched and conducted a successful Under-19 tournament, with an on the inaugural Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa next year.