The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has unveiled the revised schedule for the Women’s Asia Cup 2024, set to take place in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, from July 19 to 28. The tournament will see eight teams, including India, Pakistan, and the semifinalists of the Women’s Premier Cup 2024, compete for the title.
India’s Smriti Mandhana slipped to fourth in the ICC Women’s ODI batting rankings, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur climbed to ninth. South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt moved up to second, closing in on top-ranked Nat Sciver-Brunt. Other notable movers include Marizanne Kapp, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Nonkululeko Mlaba.
India has named two changes to their squad for the third and final ODI against South Africa in Bengaluru. Shreyanka Patil and Priya Punia have been included in the squad, replacing Uma Chetri and Dayalan Hemlatha. South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first. The match will be broadcast on the Sports18 Network and can be streamed live on the JioCinema app and website.
India Women will be looking to secure an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against South Africa Women in Bengaluru. India won the first ODI by a comprehensive 143 runs, but there were concerns about the batting performance. The second ODI promises to be an exciting encounter with both teams aiming for a strong performance.
India’s women’s cricket team looks to seal a series win against South Africa in the second ODI, aiming for a tighter top-order performance. While Smriti Mandhana impressed with a century, the team seeks improvement from Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Jemimah Rodrigues. Meanwhile, South Africa hopes for a better batting display to counter India’s strong spin attack, led by Asha Shobhana, Deepti Sharma, and Radha Yadav.
India will host South Africa’s women’s cricket team for a multi-format series consisting of a Test match, three ODIs, and as many T20Is, announced by the BCCI on Tuesday. The one-dayers will be played in Bengaluru, while the one-off Test and T20Is will be held in Chennai. The series will begin with a one-day warm-up match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 13, where the visitors will take on the Board President’s XI. The ODIs are part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022–2025 and will start at 1.30 PM, while the T20Is are scheduled to begin from 7 PM. Notably, the addition of the Test match is part of an effort by the BCCI and Cricket South Africa (CSA) to promote women’s cricket in the traditional format.
Bismah Maroof, Pakistan’s most renowned women’s cricketer and former captain, has announced her retirement from international cricket. The 32-year-old left-handed batter has represented Pakistan in over 270 matches across ODIs and T20Is, scoring over 6,000 runs and taking 80 wickets. Maroof made history by becoming the first Pakistani woman cricketer to avail a 12-month maternity leave with pay policy, allowing her to balance her cricketing career with her role as a mother.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made changes to its national women’s selection committee following Pakistan’s 3-0 loss to the West Indies in the recent ICC Women’s Championship series. The new committee, led by Abdul Razzaq and Asad Shafiq, includes former women’s international player Batool Fatima and retains Asmavia Iqbal and Marina Iqbal. The coach and captain will also be part of the committee, and decisions will be based on majority votes. The new selection committee’s first task will be to pick the Pakistan women’s team for the upcoming tour of England.
England Women’s cricket team captain Heather Knight has expressed her excitement about the upcoming series against Pakistan, highlighting the talent of the visiting team and her admiration for Fatima Sana. Pakistan will embark on a tour of England in May, marking their first bilateral series in eight years, and Knight acknowledges the challenges they pose. The series will feature three T20 Internationals and three One Day Internationals, with Knight expecting competitive matches and enthusiastic crowd support. The tour also holds significance as it comes after England’s men’s team toured Pakistan twice in 2022. Knight remains hopeful that her team will visit Pakistan in the future and expresses her desire to experience the country’s cricketing culture. The introduction of a new first-class system for women’s cricket in England has also been welcomed by Knight, who believes it will provide greater opportunities for female players.
