Nain Abidi returns to national team for Asia Cup

KARACHI: Nain Abidi has been named in Pakistan’s 15-member squad for the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, which will be played from June 3 to 10 in Malaysia.

Apart from Pakistan, women teams from India, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Thailand will compete for the title.Abidi, a top-order batter, took a break from sport after the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017. She was married in January that year and moved to USA.

She missed Pakistan’s ICC Women’s Championship matches against New Zealand and Sri Lanka, including their historic first One-day International win against the White Ferns in the UAE and their sweep of Sri Lanka in the ODIs.

However, determined to fight her way back into the team and add to her 152 international caps, Abidi returned to Pakistan to play the domestic Departmental T20 Women’s Cricket Championship 2018.

Turning out for Zarai Tarakiati Bank Limited Women, she starred with two fifties in the competition. Her 65-ball 85 not out in the final and her second-wicket partnership of 124 with Bismah Maroof, the national team captain, set up their side’s 46-run win against PCB Women XI.The brilliant performance helped her make it to the national squad.