LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar M. Khan on Friday said separate grounds will be allocated for women players at every regional level, in a phase-wise programme to give them secure playing environment.

He was addressing at a farewell reception arranged for the head of PCB Women’s Wing Bushra Aitzaz, whose initial two-year tenure ended after four years in office, and that too when PCB decided to abolish the wing this year in its new constitution.

Shaharyar disclosed that the Punjab government had given a ground situated in Model Town to the PCB, which he said had been spared specifically for women cricketers. Though Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had handed the ground to the PCB last year, it took the Board more than a year to get control of the venue.

Shaharyar on the occasion also announced a cash prize of Rs500,000 for each player of the Pakistan women’s team for retaining their title at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea earlier this year. A cash prize of Rs300,000 was announced for each team official. He also hailed Bushra’s performance as PCB Women’s Wing head.

Meanwhile, former PCB chief Najam Sethi and national women’s team captain Sana Mir also appreciated Bushra’s role in promoting women’s cricket.

It is noteworthy to recall that Bushra had been appointed women’s wing chairperson for two years during Ijaz Butt tenure after previous head Shirin Javed died of cancer. After two years, though the PCB did not issue any extension letter during Sethi tenure but Bushra continued her job.

The legal tussle between Sethi and Zaka Ashraf for PCB chairmanship again brought in the latter as PCB chairman who extended Bushra’s tenure for one year. In the new PCB constitution — during the Sethi era — surprisingly the wing was abolished.

During Bushra’s four-year tenure, except for back-to-back Asian Games gold medals (2010 and 2014) the national women’s team hardly made any significant achievement. Furthermore, the women’s wing representatives working with all regional cricket associations — except those of Lahore and Karachi regions — were sacked. Furthermore, women cricketers could not get the services of coaches at the regional level throughout the year; NCA coaches would only join the regional teams just a couple of days before the start of national championships.

A Multan-based women cricketer Haleema Rafique also died in mysterious circumstances at her home this year. Haleema was one of the five women cricketers of Multan Cricket Club, who faced a defamation suit of Rs20 million by their club president Maulvi Sultan, for accusing him of sexual harassment. After receiving the said notice, it is feared, Haleema decided to commit suicide.

It is generally believed that a committee of the women’s wing formed to investigate the matter could not hold a proper and thorough inquiry.

Published in Dawn, November 22th, 2014