Pakistani women will compete in a T20 competition in Dubai
A promising Pakistani women’s cricketer, Fatima Sana, will play in a T20 event in Dubai. Two of her colleagues, Diana Baig and Aliya Riaz, will accompany the 20-year-old all-rounder.
Players from 35 countries, including Bhutan, Brazil, and Vanuatu, will compete in the mammoth T20 competition, which begins on May 1.
The notable players likely to participate are Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Stafanie Taylor (West Indies), and Suzie Bates (New Zealand).
Fairbreak launched the competition to provide female cricketers from all around the world an opportunity to showcase their talents. Over the course of about 15 days, a total of 19 matches will be played.
The availability of Indian cricketers Harmanpreet Kaur and Mithali Raj is dependent on the BCCI’s NOCs, therefore their participation is still uncertain.
A conflict with their local T20 league might be another reason for renowned Indian players’ absence from the opulent event.
Ex-Australia captain Lisa Sthalekar and Shaun Martyn founded Fairbreak after the 2013 World Cup to promote women’s cricket.
Although the organisation has booked matches with WBBL teams in the past, this is the first time they have committed to a big event.
The Fairbreak Invitational is a Hong Kong Cricket concept that was initially planned for Hong Kong but was relocated to the UAE due to the Covid-19 scandal.
“There’s never been anything like that in cricket,” Martyn told BBC Stumped.
“As far as I’m aware, there has never been a team athletic event including 36 (35 if the Indians don’t participate) countries outside of an Olympic Games. We’ve uncovered and unearthed a lot of talent in Associate nations through the years that you don’t get to see because they don’t get the opportunity to play,” Martyn continued.
The event is expected to attract around 40 players from full-member countries and 50 players from associate countries.
Taylor will captain Team Tornadoes, which includes Devine, Diana Baig, Aliya Riaz, Katey Martin, and a few Hong Kong players.
Mohtashim Rasheed, the previous head coach, will also be present at the occasion.
Mohtashim Rasheed, the former head coach of the Pakistan women’s team, will also be present at the event. The event will be aired worldwide and will be held twice a year.
