KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Women’s Wing Chairperson Shireen Javed has said that her department will be launching a major domestic tournament all over the country, details of which will be revealed to the press by Monday.
 
Speaking to Dawn on Thursday, she said that it will be a tournament involving different regions of the country and the girls, too, are looking forward to getting into action.’

It is not right to say that the Women’s Wing is not doing anything for the promotion of women’s cricket in Pakistan. We are constantly striving for it,’ she said.

When asked why there have been no domestic women’s cricket tournaments happening since over one year, the chairperson said: ‘Well, how could we hold a tournament during Ramazan? And it was very hot before that after our return from England in June where the national women’s team featured in the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Tournament.’

It must be mentioned here that the last domestic tournament for women in Pakistan was the National Twenty20 Quadrangular Championship held at the Quaid-i-Azam Park in Karachi’s Steel Town from July 18 to 27, 2008.

On being asked if lack of funds has been a hindrance in running the affairs of the Women’s Wing, Mrs Javed said: ‘The PCB provides us with all the funds we need.’

While talking on behalf of her Manager Ayesha Ashhar, she said that she was in fact the one working on their domestic calendar.

‘She cannot be ignorant about details of our domestic season, she only didn’t want to reveal anything until I came back and we are going to announce all the details on Monday,’ she clarified.

Meanwhile, talking about the ongoing case between the PCB and the Pakistan Women’s Cricket Control Association (PWCCA) over the unlawful establishment of the PCB Women’s Wing, Mrs Javed said: ‘It is something between the PCB and the PWCCA so I have faith in the board’s handling of things there.’

‘I don’t feel the need to comment on it. As far as my own work is concerned, I may be a PCB employee but I work for women’s cricket out of my own passion for the game,’ she concluded.

Miandad clarifies

PCB Director General Javed Miandad has issued a clarification to his comments about the workings of the PCB Women’s Wing printed in this paper on Wednesday (Oct 14).

Speaking to Dawn on Thursday, the former Test captain said that he did not make any personal attacks on the Women’s Wing Chairperson Shireen Javed but was giving his own point of view of how women’s cricket should be patronized in Pakistan.

‘I carry much respect for Mrs Javed. We have 20-year-old family terms and I cannot even think of blaming her for the state of women’s cricket in the country,’ he said.

‘I was only speaking about the PCB as I think that women’s cricket is becoming very popular all over the world with even the ICC introducing an award for women cricketers. And knowing that the Women’s Wing is dependant on the PCB for just about everything, I still stand by saying that women’s cricket should run through an independent board,’ he said.

‘That is also why I had forwarded a proposal regarding the matter to the Women’s Wing on my official letterhead. I really feel that we can do justice to women’s cricket after forming a separate board on the lines of the men’s board, that’s all,’ he explained.