Need to beat the big teams; Pakistan’s aim would be to target victory: Bismah Maroof

Lahore: Pakistan skipper Bismah Maroof on Saturday insisted that her team will be going with the target of victories and defeating big teams in the women’s cricket event of the Commonwealth Games 2022.

Pakistan are placed in Pool A alongside women’s T20 World Cup winners Australia, India and Barbados. They will open their campaign in the 20-over event against Barbados on Friday, July 29 at Edgbaston in Birmingham, followed by India on July 31 and Australia on August 3.

“We have a good team combination with youngsters like Tuba Hassan, Ayesha Naseem and Fatima Sana providing real energy, skill and talent, they are the ones for the future and this tour is a real opportunity for them to make a big impression.”

“At the Commonwealth Games, we would take on the challenge of playing formidable opponents so to succeed there we need to beat the big teams, our aim would be to target a victory,” said Bismah in a release by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Before playing in the Commonwealth Games, Pakistan will participate in a tri-series alongside Australia and hosts Ireland at the Bready Cricket Club from July 16. The Bismah-led side will fly out for Belfast in the wee hours of July 12 via Dubai after nine days of training and practice in Rawalpindi and Islamabad at the Pindi Cricket Stadium and House of Northern Cricket Ground despite the rain coming in between.

“Our preparations have suffered a bit due to the persistent rains as we could not play practice matches, we had to hence shift our focus to fitness more. We tried to make most of the indoor facility we were provided and that did come as a good help to the side amid the weather challenges. The tri-series in Ireland provides us a good opportunity to acclimatize to the conditions ahead of the Commonwealth Games,” concluded Bismah.

Pakistan squad: Bismah Maroof (captain), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gul Feroza (wicketkeeper), Iram Javed, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (wicketkeeper), Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal and Tuba Hassan.

–IANS