LAHORE: While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are in negotiation with their Sri Lankan counterparts for a national series tentatively in June, they have also invited 27 emerging women cricketers for a fitness training camp at the Moin Khan Academy in Karachi, starting from Saturday.

Dawn learnt that the PCB want the national women’s team to tour Sri Lanka to play 50-over- matches against the hosts as part of their preparations for the World Cup Women qualifying round, which is also scheduled to be hosted by Sri Lanka in June-July this year.

Three top teams of the qualifiers have to enter the World Cup Women to be hosted by New Zealand in March-April next year. Besides hosts New Zealand, other countries which have already qualified for the World Cup are Australia, England, South Africa and India.

The World Cup was to be held in 2021 but due to Covid-19 the ICC have deferred the event until 2022.

Meanwhile, in a media release issued on Tuesday, the PCB said: “Over the course of the 14-day camp, these 27 players will train under the supervision of the coaching staff of the women’s national cricket team namely David Hemp, the head coach, Arshad Khan, the bowling coach, and Drikus Saaiman, the strength and condition coach, along with academy coaches Mohsin Kamal and Naveed Anjum.

“This camp serves as an opportunity for the national team’s coaches to observe upcoming cricketers and provide them awareness about the desired skills and fitness levels to thrive at the apex level.”

The camp will be held under a strict bio-secure environment and the players and support staff will be stationed at a local hotel and all will have to clear two Covid-19 tests — first at home on Wednesday and the second upon the arrival in Karachi on Saturday.

The players invited are: Aima Saleem Satti, Anoosha Nasir, Asma Amin, Arijah Haseeb, Ayesha Naseem, Bisma Amjad, Fajar Naveed, Fatima Khan, Fatima Zahra, Gul Rukh, Gul Uswa, Hamnwa Bilal, Hania Ahmar, Khushbakht Waseem, Laiba Fatima, Laraib Malik Aziz, Laveeza Munir, Momina Riasat Khan, Najiha Alvi, Nazish Rafique, Rida Aslam, Saima Malik, Shawal Zulfaqar, Syeda Aroob Shah, Syeda Inshra Asad, Yusra Amir, Zaib-un-Nisa.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2021