Pakistan women vow to do well

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has relocated some group and Super Six Stage matches of the Women’s World Cup involving Pakistani team to the Odisha city of Cuttack. Though the final, which remained scheduled for the Brabourne Stadium, the home of the Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Mumbai on February 17, may still get shifted to some other city.
It may happen only if the Pakistani team, led by Sana Mir enters the final of the World Cup. “We will decide that when it happens”, Colin Gibson, Head of ICC Media and Communications, said from Dubai.
Interestingly, the entire Pakistan women team, before coming to India, had visited the Depilex Beauty Clinic in Lahore.
“Cricket in the sub-continent is viewed more as a men’s sport and although our men’s cricket team has achieved a lot of success and is loved unconditionally by everyone in Pakistan. We felt not as much was highlighted of the women’s cricket team. Having had followed the teams success and hard work we wanted to show them our support and appreciation by inviting them over to the salon and treating them to a day of relaxing treatments”, Redah Misbah, Director Depilex said.
“It was an honor for my organization and myself to have the team over here and after spending the whole day with them and getting to know them we were thoroughly impressed by how grounded, well spoken and disciplined the girls were. They are true representatives of Pakistan and we are very proud of them”, she further added.
“We wished them good luck and gave them our prayers for the World Cup. Its a win enough to have a women’s cricket team representing Pakistan in the World Cup amongst so many other countries”, she signed off.
The team also had few sessions with the psychologist, Maqbool “Max” Babri, the man instrumental in men’s team success in the recent past. “The team is positive, excited and in high spirit to win the World Cup”, he said, again exclusively, from Lahore. “The team members are harmonious, confident and highly committed to doing well”, he added.
Meanwhile, an agency news from the venue said that ahead of the Pakistan team’s arrival for the ensuing Women’s Cricket World Cup at Cuttack, the city police took 10 activists of Utkal Bharat, including former MP Kharvel Swain, into custody as the outfit was agitating against their participation in the tournament.
The police picked up Swain and others while they were on their way to Biju Patnaik Airport here. “The agitators are likely to be detained till arrival of the Pakistan team,” a senior police officer said.
“Pakistani players are scheduled to arrive here this evening. They will be lodged in Cuttack close to the Barabati Stadium while three other teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are to stay in Bhubaneswar,” Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) secretary Asribad Behera said.
While all the matches involving Pakistani players will be played at Barabati Stadium, other matches will be held at DRIEMS Ground at Tangi, 20 km from Cuttack city.
“The (Pakistani) players may go to Railway Stadium in Bhubaneswar for practice,” Behera said. However, sources said the movement of Pakistani team would remain confined to Barabati Stadium. They would play a practice match against Odisha Women’s cricket team at Barabati Stadium tomorrow and the day after.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Odisha Police led by Director General of Police (DGP) Prakash Mishra visited the Barabati Stadium and inspected the security arrangements for the Pakistani players.