Daily Times

KARACHI: The second phase of the women’s skills camp concluded on Monday at the Hanif Muhammad High Performance Centre in Karachi. The 10-day skills camp came to an end with the conclusion of the second phase in Karachi. The first phase was held in Lahore’s National Cricket Academy from July 5 to 9. Like the first phase, a total of 20 players including Pakistan women’s captain Nida Dar took part in the second phase. During the five-day Karachi phase, the players featured in two practice games on Friday and Monday, besides taking part in different skills sessions under the supervision of Pakistan women’s team support staff, led by head coach Mark Coles. Both camps also provided an opportunity for players to sharpen their skills, but at the same time it also gave selectors a chance to closely observe the players’ fitness and skillset ahead of the busy 2023-24 season where Pakistan women’s team are scheduled to play 15 ODIs (all part of ICC Women’s Championship) and 17 T20Is excluding Asian Games matches.

Batting coach Taufeeq Umar, shedding light on the importance of camp, said: “The camp went well where the prime focus was on players’ fitness. During the Karachi phase, the players got the opportunity to play in some practice games, which helped them to showcase their skills in the matches. “I see great potential in players that featured in both camps and they responded well to the coaches. This camp also helped us to analyse the bench strength as we have a busy international season ahead. Such camps in the off-season help the coaches to identify talented local players and work on their skills so they are ready to feature in the international team.”

18-year-old left-arm spinner Anoosha Nasir, who represented Pakistan in ICC U19 Women’s World Cup in January this year and recently in ACC Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023 said: “The camp was really helpful. The players worked on different aspects of the game, and also got the chance to play practice matches during the camp. Nida Dar’s presence in the camp greatly benefitted the young players. She guided them during various sessions, which will ultimately contribute to our future success. My goal for the future is to perform well whenever I am provided with an opportunity, just as I have done in the past for my teams.”

The following were the list of invited players in both camps: Lahore (July 5 to 9) —- Aliya Riaz, Amber Kainat, Anam Amin, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Dua Majid, Fatima Khan, Ghulam Fatima, Gul Feroza, Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Nida Dar, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda Akhtar

Karachi (July 13-17) —- Anoosha Nasir, Eyman Fatima, Fatima Sana, Gull Rukh, Humna Bilal, Huraina Sajjad, Khadija Chishti, Lubna Behram, Maham Manzoor, Maham Tariq, Masooma Zahra, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Najiha Alvi, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Saima Malik, Syeda Aroob Shah, Yusra Amir and Zaib-un-Nisa

Coaching staff —- Mark Coles (head coach), Taufeeq Umar (batting coach), Saleem Jaffer (bowling coach), Mauhtashim Rashid (fielding coach) and Dr Rabia Siddiq (physiotherapist).