KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday confirmed Bismah Maroof will continue to lead the national women’s limited-overs teams in the 2022-23 season.

There have been rumours lately signalling Bismah can be removed as captain and the PCB wanted to ensure stability within the team is maintained, hence an announcement of her retention was announced.

Bismah’s team will then head for Belfast to play hosts Ireland and champions Australia in a T20 triangular series from July 12-24 before they move to Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games to be held from July 25 to Aug 8.

Pakistan are gearing up for an action-packed season in which they will play at least 25 matches with the schedules for the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to be announced.

Their season begins by hosting Sri Lanka in Karachi for three T20 Internationals and three ODIs in what will be the first instance of ICC Women’s Championship matches being staged in Pakistan from later this month.

Like the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022, Bismah will travel to Belfast and Birmingham with her daughter Fatima and mother with the PCB sharing the travel, lodging and boarding expenses in line with its parental support policy.

In October, Ireland women will make their first-ever visit to Pakistan for three T20 Internationals and as many ODIs, also ICC Women’s Championship matches, after which they will feature in ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup. They then travel to Australia for three T20 Internationals and three ODIs, Pakistan’s first away ICC Women’s Championship fixtures of the cycle, at the start of 2023 and play ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in February in South Africa.

Meanwhile, Bismah said the team was ready for the challenges ahead.

“It is truly an honour for any cricketer to captain their country and it is a great privilege for me to continue in this role. The 2022-23 season is the busiest for Pakistan women’s side and we are excited and geared up for the challenges it presents,” she said.

“Every match in the upcoming season is important for us as a team as bilateral ODIs will determine whether we qualify for the next ICC Women’s World Cup and the T20Is provide us opportunities to prepare for the all-important T20 World Cup in February next year.”

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2022