Asian games women cricketers honoured

KARACHI: Several respected and noteworthy sports personalities belonging to Sindh came together to honour Pakistan team’s women cricketers from the province at a reception hosted by the Department of Sports, Sindh Government in collaboration with the Karachi Sports Forum at the Karachi Gymkhana on Saturday.
Performing consistently since their Asian Games victory in Guangzhou, China, Pakistan’s women cricketers also won both the Twenty20 and the One-day International editions of the recently-concluded Women’s Quadrangular Series in Sri Lanka without losing a single match to Ireland, Holland and the hosts. The series also saw wicket-keeper Batool Fatima equalling her earlier world record of six dismissals in one match when she took four catches and stumped two Sri Lankans.
Six women cricketers in the Pakistan team, namely former vice-captain Nain Abidi, current vice-captain Javeria Khan, wicket-keeper Batool Fatima, Masooma Junaid, Kainat Imtiaz and Rabbia Shah hail from Sindh.
Paying rich tributes to the girls, Dr Shah also praised Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Women’s Wing Karachi representative Mrs Naz Alam Sherazi for her able contribution in sports, especially women’s cricket. “The girls have proven quite a bit through their performance on the field and we know that they have potential for doing even better,” said Dr Shah.
Meanwhile, Test leg-spinner Danish Kaneria said he was very happy to be there to support the women cricketers. “It is a matter of pride for me to see as many as six girls from my city playing and doing so well in the national team,” he said.
Batool said it felt good to be getting so much respect and support for their efforts from the Government of Sindh, too, after getting the same kind of recognition from the Punjab government soon after the Asian Games victory.
Nain Abidi, who had to miss the tournament in Sri Lanka due to a fracture in her right hand, is now recovering very well. “My hand is almost healed now and the doctors have allowed me to play. So you will see me in action again when I represent my province in the Pentangular Cup to be held in Islamabad at the end of this month,” she informed.
Also present on the occasion were former Test cricketer Shoaib Mohammad, Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Sindh Shoaib Siddiqui, Mrs Naz Alam Sherazi, former cricketer Sagheer Abbas and cricket commentator Munir Hussain. Team vice-captain Javeria Khan couldn’t attend as she was out of town.


news covered by dawn sports