RAWALPINDI - Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) women team chief selector M Ilyas has said PCB chairman Shaharyar M Khan and Najam Sethi are taking women cricket very seriously and want women cricket excel at the top.
Ilyas expressed these views during an interview with The Nation and said: “Everybody knows, I am a man of principles and I never back down from just stance. In the past too, when I was chief selector of the national team, I resigned despite the fact that during my 18-month tenure as chief selector, Pakistan cricket team never lost a single match.”
He said it was for the very first time in the history of women cricket that national women team was playing international matches abroad, while Pakistan A team was on countrywide tour. “They will play 10 practice matches against U-16 boys’ team, which was never done before. Pakistan’s one of the most successful domestic coaches Sabih Azhar is handed over the responsibility of coaching the A team players and I must admit Sabih is a thorough professional, very hard working and dedicated coach. His hard work is already paying off, despite the women team conceding over 300 runs in the earlier match, they never showed any signs of depression and fought gallantly.
“It is not about winning and losing as our main objective is to provide these upcoming girls with a platform where they may learn how to excel at the top. Some of these girls had played for the national women team and I can assure all that at least four girls from A team will definitely book berths in the national women team soon, as they are real future of Pakistan women cricket,” he added.
Ilyas said the girls were given hefty daily allowances, besides regular training and practice matches at Multan, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Karachi. “I want to provide round the year training and matches to Pakistan A women team, as it will boost their fitness level and help them make way to the national team.”
About Pakistan Super League, Ilyas said: “In the first edition of PSL, I had the same views about PSL, which some former cricketers had, but after the first edition, Pakistan team got 3 players, which is a great achievement. The way the Indian Premier League (IPL) helped them produce quality champions, the PSL has also started bearing fruit as M Nawaz, Hassan Ali, M Asghar are the products of PSL and even I consider Sharjeel Khan groomed through PSL.
“If Shaharyar Khan and Najam Sethi succeed in hosting PSL final in Lahore, it will be a great achievement of Pakistan cricket. I salute COAS General Qamar Bajwa for coming up with the clear-cut stance and Army’s all-out backing for the Lahore final. One thing is quite clear, whether any foreign player comes or not to play in Lahore, we have to give a clear message to these handful miscreants that we are not afraid of their tactics and Pakistanis are brave enough to do whatever they want. We will show the world despite all the hazards; these cowards can’t break our resolves,” he added.
“I will talk to PCB chairman and Najam Sethi to ensure international matches will also be provided to A team players, like national women team. Women cricket is bound to take new turn in months to come and it is my promise that I will not compromise on team selection, as every single girl, who performs, will get fair chance to represent Pakistan because it is their right and no compromise can be made on that,” Ilyas concluded.
MOHSIN ALI
