The Pakistan Cricket Board women wing has collaborated with Zarai Taraqyati Bank Ltd (ZTBL) to hold the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Women Cricket Challenge Trophy from January 22.
Addressing a press conference here at the Gaddafi Stadium, PCB Women Wing Chairperson Mrs Bushra Aitzaz said that ZTBL is supporting the PCB by providing its corporate help for an event that aspires to promote women’s cricket in Pakistan.
Anjum Saeed Akhtar, MD & COO Kissan Support ZTBL was also present on the occasion. She said that six teams will be competing for the coveted trophy that is named after Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. The first edition of this T20 competition commences on January 22 and from now on it will be an annual event. For the 2012 Trophy national level players have been divided into six teams including Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtoonkhaw, Balochistan, Federal Capital and the ZTBL.
To make the format exceptionally competitive, the six teams have been divided into two pools, with the winner of each pool qualifying for the final.
The opening ceremony of the event will be held on January 22 at the Kinnaird College Ground while the final will be played on January 24 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. On the first two days, three matches a day have been scheduled, with two to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium and one at the Kinnaird College ground. Another additional incentive providing competitive edge will be that the matches held at Gaddafi Stadium will be televised live by PTV Sports.
Entry for families and female spectators at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore is free, she said. Ms Bushra Aitizaz said: “The PCB is committed to promote women cricket on all levels in the country. Having been neglected for so long, women cricket needs special attention. In the short span of time we have been sponsored adequately by the PCB, our women cricketers have taken major strides in international cricket – winning the Asian title, qualifying for ICC Women Cricket World Cup and punching above our weight in bilateral series against better ranked opposition. “Now we not only need to sustain but improve our standards to be the best in the world. We need to consolidate the pool of available cricketers, and improve on a consistent basis. This new addition to our cricketing calendar is an endeavour to give our players greater exposure to competitive cricket. This will be an opportunity for our top players to showcase their talent and polish their skills by competing against the best in the country.” She further added, “I urge the Lahorites to bring along their families to witness these matches. This will boost the morale of our women cricketers and at the same time send a positive signal to international community, projecting Pakistan as a safe place to play cricket.”
Anjum Saeed Akhtar, MD & COO Kissan Support ZTBL said, “ZTBL is a farmer-friendly and sports-friendly organization. In the last three years we have beefed up our sports teams by employing fresh talent. This has paid dividends as the ZTBL teams have excelled on the national level. Our women team is winning the national championship for last two years. We had ten members in the National Women Team that won the Asian Gold medal last year. “Now we are extremely happy to have provided this inaugural women’s event our support, believing that it would go a long way in promoting women’s cricket”. The winner will be given Rs 100,000 and the runner-up team will be awarded Rs 50,000 while the Player of the Tournament would get Rs 25,000 and the Player of the Match receives Rs 10,000.
Benazir Women Cricket Challenge Cup from 22nd
