Nida to lead Pakistan on England tour

LAHORE: Pakistan has announced its 17-member squad for the upcoming white-ball tour of England, led by Nida Dar.

The team will embark on their journey with a T20I series starting on May 11, followed by an ODI series commencing on May 23.

The ODI series holds significance as it is part of the ongoing ICC Women’s Championship cycle, marking the final series featuring Pakistan. With their current fifth position in the table, Pakistan, having secured 16 points from 21 matches, aim to bolster their standing with a strong performance against England.

The squad largely mirrors the team currently engaged in the white-ball series against West Indies, with the exception of Sidra Nawaz, who has been omitted for the England tour.

Also absent from the squad is Bismah Maroof, who was initially named for the West Indies series but withdrew due to minor injuries sustained in a car accident on April 5. Maroof later announced her retirement from international cricket on April 25.

The Pakistan women’s squad comprises the following players: Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani, and Waheeda Akhtar.

Player support personnel: Nahida Khan (manager), Mauhtashim Rasheed (interim head coach), Saleem Jaffar (bowling coach), Taufeeq Umar (batting coach), Hanif Malik (fielding coach), Syed Nazir Ahmed (media manager), Rabia Siddiq (physiotherapist), Zubair Ahmed (analyst) and Hina Munawar (chief security officer)

To gear up for the T20I and ODI series, Pakistan will engage in warm-up matches in each format against an ECB Development XI on May 9 and May 21.