Pakistan women cricketers may never play again (6 Jan 1998)

06 January 1998

Pakistan women cricketers may never play again

By Sports Correspondent

LAHORE, Jan 5: Pakistan women's cricket team may be debarred from participating in international competitions due to factional rivalry and claims by three bodies of controlling cricket affairs in the country. Performance of the Pakistan team was dismal during the Women's World Cup Cricket Tournament held in India in December.

Pakistan Women Cricket Association (PWCA) chairperson Bushra Aitzaz Ahsan disclosed during a Press conference on Monday that the International Women Cricket Association (IWCA) warned the three groups of Pakistani women bodies to bury the hatchet or face the consequences. Members of the three groups of the Pakistani women had gone to India to get their viewpoint accepted by the IWCA but the body warned them to patch up their differences instead.

Bushra was flanked by PWCA president Mrs Shirin Javed Ahmad and secretary Azra Pervin during the Press conference. Bushra Aitzaz said that the IWCA office-bearers listened to the pleading of the three Pakistan groups, including her own, which had gone to India. Each pressed its claim of being genuine representative of women's cricket in Pakistan during the IWCA meeting at Calcutta on Dec 26. It may be mentioned here that Shaiza Khan's group had represented Pakistan in the Women's World Cup Cricket Tournament but ended up at the bottom.

Besides Bushra's group, representatives of another group headed by Tahira Hameed had also gone to India to convince the international body about its genuineness.

Bushra said that the IWCA had given three months to the Pakistani groups to resolve their dispute amicably otherwise Pakistan team would not be allowed to take part in the next Women's World Cricket Cup to be held in Australia. She claimed that IWCA had also expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of the Pakistan team in the world cup.

Bushra alleged that Shaiza Khan had British nationality and had included Pakistani girls, living in Britain, in her team which "represented" Pakistan in the world cup. That was unfair and unethical. She added that Shaiza took her team without getting NOC from the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).

"On the other hand, our body has been given NOC by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Its chief executive Majid Khan had also assured her that no fake group will take part in the World Cup", Bushra said emphaically. Refuting an allegation, Bushra claimed that president of her body Shirin Javed and secretary Azra Pervin had left for India to attend the ICWA meeting after getting visas from the Indian High Commission at Islamabad.

While replying a question, Bushra said that her bodywould negotiate with Shaiza Khan to save Pakistan women's team being deprived of participation in the next world cup. Bushra said that her group would continue to promote women's cricket in Pakistan.

Source:: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)