Pakistan women’s cricket team in action© X (formerly Twitter)

In this photograph taken on August 17, 2024, receptionist Hina Saleem arrives to work at a leather factory, in Karachi. “I am the first girl in the family to work, from both my paternal and maternal side,” said Hina Saleem, a 24-year-old telephone operator at a leather factory in Korangi, Karachi’s largest industrial area.
| Photo Credit: AFP

The sight of Amina Sohail veering through heavy traffic in a motorcycle to pick up her next passenger drew stares in Pakistan’s megacity of Karachi.

The 28-year-old is the first woman in her family to enter the workforce, a pattern emerging in urban households coming under increasing financial pressure in Pakistan.

“I do not focus on people, I do not speak to anyone or respond to the hooting, I do my work,” said Ms. Sohail, who joined a local ride-hailing service at the start of the year, transporting women through the dusty back streets of the city.

“Before, we would be hungry, now we get to eat at least two or three meals a day,” she added.

The South Asian nation is locked in a cycle of political and economic crises, dependent on International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailouts and loans from friendly countries to service its debt.

Prolonged inflation has forced up the price of basic groceries such as tomatoes by 100%. Electricity and gas bills have risen by 300% compared to July last year, according to official data.

Ms. Sohail used to help her mother with cooking, cleaning and looking after her younger siblings, until her father, the family’s sole earner, fell sick.

“The atmosphere in the house was stressful,” she said, with the family dependent on other relatives for money. “That is when I thought I must work.”

“My vision has changed. I will work openly like any man, no matter what anyone thinks.”

Pakistan, in the 1980s, became the first Muslim nation to be led by a woman Prime Minister. Now women CEOs graced power lists in Forbes magazine and women made up the ranks of the police and military.

Conservative society

However, much of Pakistani society operated under a traditional code which requires women to have permission from their family to work outside of the home.

According to the United Nations, just 21% of women participated in Pakistan’s work force, most of them in the informal sector and almost half in rural areas working in the fields.

“I am the first girl in the family to work, from both my paternal and maternal side,” said Hina Saleem, a 24-year-old telephone operator at a leather factory in Korangi, Karachi’s largest industrial area.

The move, supported by her mother after her father died, was met with resistance from her extended family.

Her younger brother was warned that working could lead to socially unacceptable behaviour, such as finding a husband of her choice.

“My uncles said ‘get her married’,” she said. “There was lots of pressure on my mother.”

At the changeover of shifts outside the leather factory, workers arrived in painted buses decorated with chinking bells, and a handful of women stepped out amid the crowd of men.

19-year-old Anum Shahzadi, who worked in the same factory inputting data, was encouraged by her parents to enter the workforce after completing high school, unlike generations before her.

“What is the point of education if a girl cannot be independent,” said Ms. Shahzadi, who now contributes to the household alongside her brother.

Bushra Khaliq, executive director for Women In Struggle for Empowerment (WISE) which advocates for political and economic rights for women, said that Pakistan was “witnessing a shift” among urban middle class women.

“Up until this point, they had been told by society that taking care of their homes and marriage were the ultimate objective,” she said.

“But an economic crunch and any social and economic crises bring with them a lot of opportunities.”

Farzana Augustine, from Pakistan’s minority Christian community, earned her first salary last year at the age of 43, after her husband lost his job during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My wife had to take over,” Augustine Saddique explained. “But it is nothing to be sad about, we are companions and are running our house together.”

Bellwether for change

The sprawling port metropolis of Karachi, officially home to 20 million people but likely many millions more, is the business centre of Pakistan.

It pulls in migrants and entrepreneurs from across the country with the promise of employment and often acts as a bellwether for social change.

19-year-old Zahra Afzal moved to Karachi four years ago to live with her uncle, after the death of her parents, leaving her small village in central-eastern Pakistan to work as a childminder.

“If Zahra was taken by other relatives, she would have been married off by now,” her uncle Kamran Aziz said, from their typical one room home where bedding is folded away in the morning and cooking is done on the balcony.

“My wife and I decided we would go against the grain and raise our girls to survive in the world before settling them down.”

Ms. Afzal beams that she is now an example for her sister and cousin: “My mind has become fresh.”

The warm-up matches for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup were announced on Tuesday, with India set to play West Indies and South Africa in their preparations for the marquee competition. The warm-up games are scheduled from Saturday, September 28 to Tuesday, October 1 in the United Arab Emirates, as per ICC. All 10 teams that have qualified for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will participate in the practice games, with every side playing two warm-up games each.

These warm-up fixtures will be 20 overs per side and will not have international T20 status, allowing teams to field all members of their 15-player squad. No two sides who belong to the same group will take on each other in the warm-up round.

In the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, Group A comprises defending champions Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Group B has England, South Africa, West Indies, Scotland and Bangladesh.

The warm-up fixtures will start on 28 September with Pakistan taking on Scotland and Sri Lanka facing Bangladesh. Australia will feature in a clash against arch-rivals England the following day, while India take on 2016 edition champions West Indies on the same day.

In the T20 WC last year, Australia defeated South Africa at their home by 19 runs to win their sixth title. Meanwhile, India made it to the semifinals, losing to the Aussies by five runs.

After the tournament was moved from Bangladesh to the UAE, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday revealed the revamped fixtures of the event set to be played in Dubai and Sharjah.

The groups remain the same with six-time champion Australia drawn alongside 2020 runners-up India, Trans-Tasman rival New Zealand, and Asian sides Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Group A of the event that will be held in October.

South Africa and England are placed alongside 2016 champions West Indies, Bangladesh and Scotland in Group B.

Sri Lanka and Scotland qualified for the tournament via the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier tournament held in Abu Dhabi earlier this year.

Each side will play four group matches at the tournament, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the semi-finals on 17 and 18 October ahead of the Final in Dubai on 20 October. A reserve day has been fixed for both the semi-finals and the final.

Warm-up fixture schedule:

28 September, Saturday, Pakistan v Scotland, Sevens, Dubai, 6 PM

28 September, Saturday, Sri Lanka v Bangladesh, ICCA1, Dubai, 6 PM

29 September, Sunday, New Zealand v South Africa, Sevens, Dubai, 6 PM

29 September, Sunday, India v West Indies, ICCA2, Dubai, 6 PM

29 September, Sunday, Australia v England, ICCA1, Dubai, 6 PM

30 September, Monday, Sri Lanka v Scotland, Sevens, Dubai, 6 PM

30 September, Monday, Bangladesh v Pakistan, ICCA2, Dubai, 6 PM

1 October, Tuesday, West Indies v Australia, Sevens, Dubai, 6 PM

1 October, Tuesday, England v New Zealand, ICCA2, Dubai, 6 PM

1 October, Tuesday, South Africa v India, ICCA1, Dubai, 6 PM.

India will be taking on arch-rivals Pakistan on October 6 here as per the revamped fixtures of the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup released by the ICC on Monday. The tournament starts on October 3. The global competition, initially scheduled to be held in Bangladesh, was moved out of the country by the ICC after many players expressed concerns around security due to the prevailing political unrest. Dubai and Sharjah are the only two venues in the event hosting a total of 23 matches.

The groups remain the same, with defending champion Australia clubbed alongside India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Group B comprises South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh and Scotland.

Each side will play four group matches at the tournament, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the semi-finals on October 17 and 18 ahead of the final in Dubai on October 20.

A reserve day has been fixed for both the semi-finals and the final. If India advance, they will feature in the first semi-final.

Sri Lanka and Scotland qualified for the tournament via the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier event held in Abu Dhabi earlier this year. There will be 10 warm-up matches held prior to the tournament from September 28 through to October 1.

Tournament fixtures:

3 October, Thursday, Bangladesh v Scotland, Sharjah

3 October, Thursday, Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Sharjah 

4 October, Friday, South Africa v West Indies, Dubai 

4 October, Friday, India v New Zealand, Dubai 

5 October, Saturday, Bangladesh v England, Sharjah 

5 October, Saturday, Australia v Sri Lanka, Sharjah 

6 October, Sunday, India v Pakistan, Dubai 

6 October, Sunday, West Indies v Scotland, Dubai 

7 October, Monday, England v South Africa, Sharjah 

8 October, Tuesday, Australia v New Zealand, Sharjah 

9 October, Wednesday, South Africa v Scotland, Dubai 

9 October, Wednesday, India v Sri Lanka, Dubai 

10 October, Thursday, Bangladesh v West Indies, Sharjah 

11 October, Friday, Australia v Pakistan, Dubai 

12 October, Saturday, New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Sharjah 

12 October, Saturday, Bangladesh v South Africa, Dubai 

13 October, Sunday, England v Scotland, Sharjah 

13 October, Sunday, India v Australia, Sharjah 

14 October, Monday, Pakistan v New Zealand, Dubai 

15 October, Tuesday, England v West Indies, Dubai 

17 October, Thursday, Semi-final 1, Dubai 

18 October, Friday, Semi-final 2, Sharjah 

20 October, Sunday, Final, Dubai

File image of Fatima Sana© X (Twitter)

With Jay Shah, the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ruling out India hosting the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as a potential host for the tournament. At the same time, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has asked for more time to save the tournament from being moved out of the country. In May this year, the ICC had unveiled the schedule of Women’s T20 World Cup to be hosted by Bangladesh from October 3-20, with warm-up matches scheduled to begin from September 27.

According to a report in Cricbuzz, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is believed to be looking at Dubai and Abu Dhabi as the options for hosting the tournament, though the BCB has sought more time. It added the ICC is expected to make a decision likely on August 20, when an online meeting of the directors is scheduled, though the agenda is different.

“A BCB official said on Thursday that it has requested the ICC for five more days before making a call. If the ICC grants the extra time, then it would have to decide on August 20, the day of the board meeting. It is understood that the ICC was originally expected to take the call on the Women’s World Cup by August 15,” said the report.

With Shah’s statement ruling out India as an alternative venue, the report also said BCB requesting for extra time is because they are confident of coming up with a plan that will meet the ICC’s requirements to host the tournament.

“The ICC is seeking a host country with a time zone similar to that of Bangladesh and clear weather conditions, and UAE fits that criteria well. Besides, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) boasts world-class infrastructure.

“And more importantly, the ECB is believed to be keen on hosting the event. It is understood that Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka are also interested. With just about 50 days remaining for the start of the tournament, time is running out,” added the report.

The report further said the agenda for the August 20 meeting by the ICC is believed to be finalizing the terms of reference for an inquiry into the delivery of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup co-hosted by the USA and West Indies, from June 1-29.

At the ICC Annual Conference in Colombo last month, cricket’s global governing body formed a panel comprising three directors – Roger Twose, Lawson Naidoo, and Imran Khwaja – to report on this matter. “The meeting has been mainly called to address this issue but a decision on the Women’s World Cup cannot be ruled out,” concluded the report.

Sri Lanka will face India in the final of Women’s Asia Cup T20.© X/@OfficialSLC

PAK vs UAE, Women’s Asia Cup 2024: Pakistan won by 10 wickets© X (Twitter)

Shreyanka Patil impressed vs Pakistan.© X (Twitter)

Contenders India started their Women’s T20 Asia Cup title defence on a rousing note, demolishing arch-foes Pakistan by seven wickets in Dambulla on Friday. India bundled out Pakistan for a below-par 108 after being asked to bowl and then chased down the target with as many as 35 balls remaining. Chasing 109, Indian openers Shafali Verma (40) and Smriti Mandhana (45) was at their best as they toyed with the Pakistani attack from the word go. It was an aggressive display of batting from both the Indian openers as they mostly dealt in fours and sixes.

The duo of Mandhana and Shafali hit two fours and a six off Tuba Hassan to collect 15 runs in the sixth over.

The seventh over bowled by Hassan yielded 21 runs with Mandhana hitting the bowler for five boundaries.

Pakistan finally tasted success in the 10th over in the form of Mandhana who was caught by Aliya Riaz at mid-wicket off the bowling of Syeda Aroob Shah.

Shafali departed in the 12th over, but by then, she and Mandhana had already done the damage.

Dayalan Hemalatha (14) didn’t last long, caught by Hassan off Nashra Sandhu.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues then ensured a comfortable win for the title holders.

Earlier, India dished out a fine effort led by experienced off-spinner Deepti Sharma (3/20).

India, after being asked to bowl first, tasted their first success in the second over itself when pacer Pooja Vastrakar (2/31) dismissed Gull Feroza, caught by skipper Harmanpreet at mid-on.

Vastrakar struck again, dismissing the other Pakistan opener Muneeba Ali with a short-pitched delivery, caught by Rodrigues at cover, reducing Pakistan to 26 for 2 after the fourth over.

The Indians didn’t allow Pakistani batters to settle down as off-spinner Shyreyanka Patil (2/14) packed off Riaz, caught by Rodrigues at mid-wicket.

The Pakistani batters struggled to score runs, let alone build partnerships as Indian bowlers continued to pick up wickets at regular intervals to derail their opponents.

The next to depart was Pakistan skipper Nida Dar who holed out to Hemalatha at long-on off the bowling of Deepti as the batter went for her customary heave over the straight boundary.

It was raining wickets for India as pacer Renuka Singh (2/14) struck twice in the last two deliveries of her spell.

Renuka first accounted for Sidra Amin (25) and then trapped Iram Javed leg before in the next ball to reduce Pakistan to 61 for 6 in 13 overs.

Thereafter Tuba Hassan (22) and Fatima Sana (22 not out) stitched together a valuable 31-run stand for the seventh wicket to take Pakistan forward.

But their partnership came to an end in the 18th over when Hassan was caught by Radha Yadav at backward point off Deepti.

The 18th over bowled by Deepti saw three dismissals — Hassan, Syeda Aroob Shah and Nashra Sandhu.

While Hassan and Sandhu fell to Deepti, Shah was run out, denying the India spinner a hat-trick.

Sana hammered left-arm spinner Radha for two sixes in the 19th over to take Pakistan over the 100-run mark.