LAHORE: In what looks like an eyewash, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to review the budgetary allocation and domestic structure of its women’s wing in the wake of the national team’s pathetic performance at the ICC Women’s World Cup.

Pakistan lost all of their seven matches, finishing bottom of the eight-team event, and no one connected with the team has since come out to explain the reasons for their debacle.

However, Dawn has learnt that PCB’s game development department has decided to revisit the budgetary allocation and domestic structure of the women’s wing. Women’s wing secretary Shamsa Hashmi endorsed that there was a review underway but the international affairs and other activities wouldn’t be affected, adding trials were being held in Gilgit-Baltistan this week as per schedule.

But she was coy when asked if the review was a direct result of Pakistan’s dismal show at the World Cup in England. “I can’t say anything in this regard”, she said.

Shamsa added she was disappointed with the results, adding she was expecting the team to win against Sri Lanka, the West Indies and India.

“[Manager] Ayesha Ashar and [head coach] Sabih Azhar would submit their respective reports in next couple of days and then we can look where it went wrong,” she said.

Shamsa was also termed the performance of captain Sana Mir as “not very encouraging”.

Despite below-par results in the last nine years, Sana has held on to captaincy. So has Ayesha, despite PCB routinely changing coaches.

Sana’s hasn’t been in top form either, scoring 153 runs at an average of 30.60 while picking six wickets at an expensive 51.50 during the World Cup.

Asmavia Iqbal was Pakistan’s most successful bowler (eight wickets at 40.00), ahead of Diana Baig (seven, 30.00), Sadia Yousuf (seven, 39.14), Nasha Sandu (seven, 41.43), Kainat Imtiaz (three, 65.33) and Marina Iqbal (one, 56.00).

Nahida Siddiqi was Pakistan’s top batter with 173 runs, followed by Sana, Javeria Khan (127), Nain Abidi (114) and Ayesha Zafar (108).

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2017