Like the men, women focus on batting as well

Team desperate to raise performance after World Cup failure, says manager.

KARACHI: Inconsistent batting has not just been a problem with the Pakistan men’s team as their female counterparts also share the issue.

The Pakistan women’s team, preparing for the upcoming UK tour, is focusing on its batting that, according to the team management, needs drastic improvement to be competitive at the international level.

Pakistan play two One-Day Internationals (ODI) and as many Twenty20s against England besides an ODI and a couple of Twenty20s against Ireland before the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifiers begin on July 23.

The team’s training camp is underway in Lahore where the management has arranged various practice games.

“We have planned at least seven matches during the camp,” team manager Ayesha Ashar told The Express Tribune. “It will include Twenty20 and 50-over fixtures besides target matches. The aim is to provide our batters enough match practice.”

Apart from former Test cricketer Basit Ali, who is the team’s batting consultant, the management will also request legendary Javed Miandad and other former Pakistan batsmen for their assistance during the camp, added Ashar.

The team manager added that the team would be looking to improve on its performance at the ICC Women’s World Cup where it finished at the bottom of the table.

“The Cuttack event was a completely different scenario. Our players had never experienced such situations before.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2013.