West Indies women to tour Pakistan for white ball series in April

Lahore, March 20 (IANS) The West Indies women’s team will be touring Pakistan for a white-ball series, comprising three ODIs and five T20Is, in April, with all the matches to be played at National Stadium in Karachi.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said three ODIs between Pakistan and West Indies are a part of ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 and will be played on April 18, 21 and 23. It will be followed by five T20Is are scheduled for April 26, 28, 30, as well as for May 2 and 3.

The T20I series will also allow for both Pakistan and West Indies to kickstart their preparations for the Women's T20 World Cup, to be held in Bangladesh in September-October this year.

“We extend a warm welcome to the West Indies women's team to Pakistan for the upcoming series. Hosting the fourth women's championship series at home within the 2022-25 cycle is a testament to PCB's commitment to promoting women's cricket and providing our players with opportunities to shine on the international stage. The forthcoming series against West Indies is not just about cricket; it's about developing relationships and strengthening bonds between cricketing nations.

“With the ICC Women's Championship 2022-25 coming to its conclusion for the Pakistan women’s team, the stakes are higher than ever for the women’s team to qualify directly for the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup. The current position of the Pakistan women’s team reflects our determination and dedication, and we aim to collect maximum points from the three championship matches at home.

“Later this year, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is also taking place. In light of this event and the team’s recent good performances in the shortest format, we have scheduled five T20Is against West Indies. The T20I series will help the selectors finalise the squad for the mega event,” said Tania Mallick, Head of Women’s Cricket, in a statement.

Pakistan are currently ranked third in the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25, securing 16 points from 18 matches, whereas the West Indies are positioned at number nine with eight points from 12 games. In the ICC Women’s T20I rankings, Pakistan are placed eighth, while West Indies occupy sixth spot.

West Indies last toured Pakistan in November 2021 and featured in three ODIs. The upcoming ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 series will also be the fourth series hosted at home by Pakistan after hosting Sri Lanka (June 2022), Ireland (November 2022) and South Africa (September 2023) previously.

Pakistan’s last series in the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 will be the tour to England taking place in May this year.