Indian women promise maiden cricket series will be friendly by AFP

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Event:

India Under-21s Women in Pakistan 2005/06

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DateLine: 27th September 2005

 

The captain of India's junior women's cricket team said Tuesday their first-ever cricket series with Pakistan will be a friendly encounter, unlike the bitter contests between their male colleagues.

 

"I don't think there will be as intense a rivalry as the men's teams show," captain Karuna Jain told AFP. "We are here for a friendly competition."

 

Jain's 14-member Indian Under-21 team arrived for their landmark tour in Lahore late Monday, accompanied by coach Kalpana Venkatashar and manager Anjali Pendharkar.

 

"This is the most exciting tour for all the players, none of whom have ever toured Pakistan before," said Jain, who featured in India's runners-up finish to Australia in the women's world cup early this year.

 

"The warmth we received at the airport made us feel at home."

 

Lahore will be the venue of their first one-day match to be played on Wednesday. Three other matches on September 29, October 1 and 2 are also scheduled in the city.

 

The 20-year-old right handed batswoman said the series would not be one-sided in India's favour. Pakistan, led by left arm pace bowler and right handed batswoman Shamsa Hashmi, failed to qualify for the world cup.

 

"Pakistan is different territory and this Indian team is also very inexperienced," she said.

 

India and Pakistan revived sporting ties last year amid a thaw in relations between their two governments, when the Indian men's cricket team visited Pakistan for the first time since 1989.

 

Indian coach Venkatashar said since it was the first-ever tour by any Indian women team "it makes the occasion very, very special".

 

Cricket has always been the most popular sport across the sub-continent but women's cricket in Muslim Pakistan flourished only in the early 1990s, along with other sports.

 

Conservative attitudes here still mean female players cannot wear shorts and T-shirts or play in front of open crowds.

 

Both India and Pakistan will wear their traditional blue and green colours respectively. However, Pakistani women will follow a strict Islamic dress code, wearing baggy trousers and long shirts.

(Article: Copyright © 2005 AFP)