LAHORE: Pakistan women’s team will tour South Africa for three ODIs and three T20Is, which will be played in Durban and Pietermaritzburg from January 20 to February 3, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Monday.
The series has been finalised to ensure women’s cricket continues to build on the momentum and successes following the trailblazing ICC Women’s Championship 2017-2020, ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cups 2018 and 2020.
This additional series has also been organised to help both Pakistan and South Africa prepare for the upcoming assignments, in particular Pakistan, who will feature in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier in July 2021 for the event proper to be held in New Zealand in early 2022.
South Africa, along with world champions England, Australia, India and hosts New Zealand, have already qualified for the World Cup after securing top positions in the ICC Women’s Championship 2017-20.
The series will start and finish in Durban with the first ODI on January 20 and the third T20I on February 3. Both matches will be played under lights. Durban will also stage the second ODI on January 23 before action moves to Pietermaritzburg where the third ODI and opening two T20Is will be played on January 26, 29 and 31, respectively.
To prepare and select the best available side and in continuation to the Women’s High Performance Camp and the National Triangular T20 Cricket Championship, the selection committee has invited 27 cricketers for a training and preparation camp, which will be held at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre in Karachi from December 20.
This will be Pakistan women’s second tour to South Africa within 18 months. In May 2019, Pakistan and South Africa featured in one of the most thrilling, keenly contested and exciting women’s series to date.