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Lahore, June 16 (IANS) South Africa women's cricket team will undertake their first-ever tour to Pakistan in August/September which will kick-start a busy 2023/24 international cricket season for the Pakistan women's cricket team, said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday.
South Africa will play three T20Is and three ICC Women's Championship 2022-25 ODIs in Karachi from September 1-14. Pakistan is presently sitting second on the points table with five wins in nine ODIs (three series), while South Africa has played only one series of three ODIs and has six points.
"I am extremely excited to be back to play a bilateral series in Pakistan. Having visited Pakistan earlier this year for the women's league exhibition matches, I was truly impressed by the warm hospitality and the passionate cricket fans."
"The players were very friendly, it was really great to be there and experience the country. Pakistan is always a very competitive and dangerous side in their own backyard, so I feel it's going to be a good series. The ODIs being a part of the ICC Women's Championship is very important for women's cricket, and we all are looking forward to it," said South Africa skipper Sune Luus.
It will be South Africa's first international assignment since their remarkable runners-up finish in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup on home soil in February. South Africa will be the fourth high-profile national women's side to tour Pakistan in recent times, after West Indies, Sri Lanka and Ireland made trips to the country in the last few years.
"We are pleased to announce the Proteas Women's first-ever tour to Pakistan. This tour not only signifies the strengthening of bilateral relations between our nations but also highlights the ICC's commitment to globally competitive women's cricket through the Women's Future Tours Programme. We are confident that this tour will pave the way for further collaborations and opportunities in the future."
"These six matches will also provide the Proteas Women's team with an opportunity to further establish themselves among the elite in international cricket. Success during this tour will contribute to a seamless journey towards the upcoming tours and the ICC Women's T20 and 50-over World Cups, which will take place within the next two years," Pholetsi Moseki, the CEO of Cricket South Africa.
In head-to-head encounters between South Africa and Pakistan, the Proteas have had the upper hand, with a 76% win rate. Out of 24 matches played, South Africa has won 19 ODIs, with one match ending in no result. In the T20I format, the competition has been closer, with South Africa recording 11 wins and seven defeats against the hosts.
The forthcoming series against South Africa will be veteran all-rounder Nida Dar's first series as captain. Nida is the one of most experienced players in the country with 99 ODIs and 130 T20Is.
"The busy season will start with the home series against South Africa, which will also be my first series as captain. I am hoping to make it a memorable one for myself by not only completing a century of ODIs but also assisting the side to collect valuable ICC Women's Championship points so that we can finish in the upper half of the draw."
"However, to achieve this, we will have to play outstandingly well as South Africa is an experienced side that possesses some quality players," she said.
After facing South Africa at home, Pakistan will travel to Bangladesh in October, followed by tours to New Zealand in November 2023 and England in May 2024. Prior to their tour to England, Pakistan will host the West Indies in April 2024.
The team is also expected to participate in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in September. Pakistan had clinched gold in Guangzhou (2010) and Incheon (2014) when women's cricket was included in the Asian Games.
"The next 12 months will be incredibly busy for the Pakistan women's cricket team and I look forward to the upcoming assignments with excitement and anticipation. These matches will contribute significantly overall in our endeavours to gain experience and exposure, and narrow the gap with the front-runners," added Nida.
PCB also said it has scheduled two emerging series against the West Indies (in October 2023) and Bangladesh (in January 2024). Against the West Indies Emerging side, Pakistan will play three 50-over and three T20 matches, while on the tour to Bangladesh, the Pakistan U19 squad will play five T20 matches.
--IANS
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