The Windies are in Pakistan for three Women’s Twenty20 Internationals starting 31 January, marking the first visit by their team to the country in 15 years, reported ICC.
Excitement is high in the squad led by stand-in captain Merissa Aguilleira, with the players keen to do their bit to bring cricket back to Pakistan.
“I’m pleased we can bring back cricket to Pakistan,” the experienced Aguilleira said. “Because it’s really important. If we find ourselves in this position, I believe one of the teams would step up and try to help us.”
T20I Interim Captain for the Pakistan tour @mraguilleira and her team stand by two watchwords…”Adapt and Overcome!”. The @windieswomen are geared up and ready to take on @WomenCricketPak in the 3 T20I match series in Karachi. #LetsGoWindies #PAKWvsWIW ??? pic.twitter.com/IYND29sZd1
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) January 30, 2019
The team have been in Dubai, practising for the conditions they can expect in Karachi, and will have a quick turnaround after they land in the city before the first match on Thursday. But the foreign conditions is not something they are spending much time being concerned about.
Khushamadeed ?
(Welcome to Pakistan )Super excited to see the Skip in action in my home country. ??? https://t.co/KbSHT1OVb6
— Sana Mir ثناء میر (@mir_sana05) January 24, 2019
“We have a motto, two words our coach has given us: adapt and overcome. That is what we are trying to do,” said the captain. “It is really difficult adapting in such quick time, but we are professional cricketers and we are willing and raring to go. We are excited for this tour.”
CAMEL RIDE:
Pakistani women team captain Bisma Maroof and her West Indian counterpart Merrisa Agulliera visited the Karachi’s Sea View Beach later.
The two took a camel ride with the T20I series trophy.
Agulliera also urged other teams to tour Pakistan in the future due to the better security situation in the country.
“Now, I think other teams should consider touring here [Pakistan] in near future,” she said. “It was quite difficult for players to tour Pakistan. However, we decided to come. I don’t think there are any security concerns here. All arrangements are perfect.”
Sharing her thoughts on the upcoming three-match T20I series, she said that the series would be a competitive one.
“I think this series is not going to be easy especially because Pakistan have home ground advantage. It will be a competitive series,” she said.
She also lamented the absence of regular captain Stafanie Taylor by stating: “We would miss her in this tour.”
The series takes on added significance with the announcement on Tuesday that Pakistan and the Windies are drawn in the same half of the tournament for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia. There is still a year to go for the event, but Windies, champions in 2016 and semi-finalists in the 2018 edition at home, see the games as an opportunity to get to know a fierce competitor.
Urging her team to stay focussed, Aguilleira said, “It’s important to take [all] information we can away from Pakistan because they’re a growing team and developing very well.”
The opening game will be followed by matches on 1 and 3 February.
Pakistan women’s cricket team will complete a century of T20Is on Thursday when they will take the field against the West Indies women’s cricket team here at the Southend Club.
