Pakistan to host India for first-ever women's by AFP

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Event:

India Under-21s Women in Pakistan 2005/06

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DateLine: 4th September 2005

 

LAHORE, Pakistan, Sept 4 (AFP). Pakistan later this month will host the first ever visit by an Indian women's cricket team, an official said on Sunday.

 

"The Indian women's cricket team coming to Pakistan later this month will help lift interest of women in cricket," secretary of the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) women's wing, Shamsa Hashmi, told AFP.

 

The Indian women's under-21 team is scheduled to arrive in the eastern city of Lahore on September 26 and play four one-day matches in the city. Dates will be finalised next week.

 

"Since India's senior team is of very good standard and we are new, we requested them to send their Under-21 team while we will play our national team," said Hashmi, who is an all-rounder.

 

India finished runners-up to Australia in the women's World Cup in South Africa earlier this year but Pakistan failed to qualify.

 

To raise standards the PCB held its first-ever national women's cricket championship early this year and selected 35 probables from which a team will be selected next week.

 

"The PCB has also proposed to the Asian Cricket Council an Asian cricket tournament in December with India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh joining Pakistan in the event to be called the first women's Asia Cup," she said.

 

Hashmi hailed President Pervez Musharraf's government for patronising women's sports in the mainly Muslim nation.

 

"President Musharraf's government has patronised women's sports which has encouraged Pakistani women. And since we follow strict dress codes of long trousers and shirts, no one has objection on our playing," she said.

 

Pakistan, whose conservative society does not encourage women to feature in field sports, has made good progress in women's sports since staging its first-ever women's football match last year.

 

Pakistan also staged its first-ever women's international squash tournament near Islamabad last week while a national football championship for women is scheduled in Islamabad for the first time later this month.

 

Pakistan women players are not allowed to wear T-shirts or shorts in matches and the Islamist government in North West Frontier Province last year banned male coaches from training females.

 

But the provincial government earlier this year relented and permitted women to accept training from male coaches, if required.

(Article: Copyright © 2005 AFP)