Pakistan Women's Cricket Team leaves for Auckland via Dubai.

 Pakistan Women's Cricket Team leaves for Auckland via Dubai.

The Pakistan Women's Cricket Team will arrive in Auckland on November 25 at 11 am New Zealand local time.

Nida Dar-led Pakistann’s 17-member squad flew from Karachi to New Zealand via Dubai in the wee hours of Friday.

The team will feature in a series of three T20Is and three ODIs. The three ODIs are part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25. To acclimatise to the conditions, the women’s side will feature in two warm-up matches before the start of the T20I series. 

The preparations and enthusiasm of the Pakistan Women's Cricket Team ahead of their tour to New Zealand was unmatched. The schedule is packed with both T20I and ODI matches, giving the players a good opportunity to showcase their skills. The inclusion of talented young players like Fatima Sana, Shawaal Zulfiqar, and Umm-e-Hani reflects the team's commitment to building a strong and diverse squad.

The warm-up matches and the training camp in Karachi indicate the team's dedication to acclimatizing to the conditions and fine-tuning their game. It's also encouraging to note the positive performance of some players in the recent series against South Africa and their rankings in the ICC T20I bowlers' list.

Nida Dar's emphasis on squad depth and the development of a pool of players, including fast bowlers and batters, is a strategic approach that can contribute to the team's long-term success. It seems like the team is not only focusing on the upcoming series but also on building a strong foundation for the future.

The 50-over match will be played against NZXI at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln on 28 November, while the T20 match against them will be played at the same venue on 30 November. Both matches will be live-streamed on New Zealand YouTube channel and first ball will be bowled at 11am local time.

The three-match T20I series will be played on 3, 5 and 9 December in Dunedin and Queenstown, while the ODI series matches will take place from 12 to 18 December in Queenstown and Christchurch.

Before departing for New Zealand, the Pakistan women’s team under the coaching staff led by Mauhtashim Rashid, featured in a four-day training camp in Karachi, where the players took part in net sessions, match scenarios and also played a one-day practice game.

At the conclusion of the camp, Nida Dar while addressing the media said, “We have some very talented young players in the squad for the series against New Zealand, including the comeback of Fatima Sana and Shawaal Zulfiqar. Umm-e-Hani is also a young bright prospect, we are working and building the right combination and also working on increasing the pool of players. 

“The players have performed well in the South Africa series at home, and our two players Nashra Sundhu and Sadia Iqbal are among the top 10 in the ICC T20I bowlers’ rankings. I have full trust in the capabilities of these players, and I believe they will make a strong comeback in the series against New Zealand.

“We are striving for squad depth by ensuring a combination of eight to 10 fast bowlers and batters. This will provide us with a strong pool for two quality T20 teams, including U19 and Emerging teams.”

Pakistan squad: Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda Akhtar 

Player support personnel: Nahida Khan (manager), Mauhtashim Rashid (interim head coach), Saleem Jaffar (bowling coach), Taufeeq Umar (batting coach), Muhammad Asfand Yar (strength and conditioning coach), Syed Nazir Ahmed (media manager), Rifat Asghar Gill (physiotherapist) and Zubair Ahmed (analyst)

Series schedule:

28 Nov – 50-over warm-up match v NZXI, Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln University (11am local time)

30 Nov – T20 warm-up match v NZXI, Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln University (11am local time)

3 Dec – 1st T20I, Dunedin (1pm local time)

5 Dec – 2nd T20I, Dunedin (1pm local time)

9 Dec – 3rd T20I, Queenstown (1pm local time)

12 Dec – 1st ODI, Queenstown (11am local time) (ICC Women’s Championship) 

15 Dec – 2nd ODI, Christchurch (2pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)

18 Dec – 3rd ODI, Christchurch (2pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)