Pakistan women's national cricket team

The concept of women's cricket was first introduced in Pakistan by two sisters, Shaiza and Sharmeen Khan, in 1996. In conservative Pakistan, the creation of a Pakistan women`s cricket team was even considered illegal and was met with court cases and even death threats. The government refused them permission to play India in 1997 and ruled that women were forbidden from playing sports in public due to religious issues.[12][13]

However, the team did manage to overcome these objections and represented Pakistan in 1997, playing against New Zealand and Australia. They lost all three One Day International matches on that tour, but they were still invited to take part in the Women's Cricket World Cup later that year in India. They lost all five matches in the tournament and finished last, out of the eleven teams in the competition. The following year, Pakistan toured Sri Lanka and played three One Day International matches, losing all of their matches and played in their first Test match, which they also lost.

In 2000, Pakistan toured Ireland for a five match One Day International series against Ireland. They lost the Test match by an innings inside two days and the One Day International series 4–0, with one match interrupted by rain. Their first international win, in their 19th match, came against the Netherlands in a seven match One Day International series at their home ground in 2001, a series which they won 4–3. This form did not continue into their six One Day International tour of Sri Lanka in January 2002, though, and they again lost all six matches.

In 2003, Pakistan travelled to the Netherlands to take part in the 2003 IWCC Trophy, the inaugural edition of what is now called simply the World Cup Qualifier. They finished fourth in the tournament, winning against Japan and Scotland. However, they missed out on qualification for the 2005 Women's Cricket World Cup. The 2003 IWCC Trophy was marred by a schism between the Pakistan Women's Cricket Control Association and the Pakistan Cricket Board. The IWCC did not recognize the Pakistan Cricket Board as the governing body of women's cricket in Pakistan and court cases were brought in Pakistan.[14] The Pakistan Cricket Board announced that they would not be sending a team to the tournament and that no other team should be allowed to represent the country in the competition.[15] This problem was overcome with the International Cricket Council requirement that women's associations and men's associations be unified under one single governing body.

2004 saw the West Indies tour Pakistan, playing seven One Day International matches and a Test match. The Test match was drawn and West Indies won the One Day International series 5–2, but those two victories for Pakistan were their first against a Test-playing nation.

In 2005, Pakistan Cricket Board established a women's wing to oversee all cricket affairs under the Pakistan Cricket Board's control and to unite all the conflicts between various associations. The first international event was when Indian under-21 team toured Pakistan, becoming the first Indian women's side to tour the country. This paved the way for Pakistan to host the second Women's Asia Cup in December 2005/January 2006. They lost all their games however, finishing last in the three-team tournament. The tournament featured the first match between the Indian and Pakistani women's cricket teams.

Early in 2007, the Pakistan squad toured South Africa and played in a five match, One Day International series. During that year, Pakistan was announced as the host for the Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier in which eight teams were scheduled to participate. All of the arrangements were almost completed for the tournament to be held in November when, unfortunately, the event was postponed due to political instability and was moved to South Africa. Pakistan qualified for the 2009 Women's Cricket World Cup by defeating Ireland, Zimbabwe, Scotland and Netherlands. They qualified for this tournament after defeating Hong Kong in a three match series in Pakistan in September 2006.

In Pakistan, views towards women's cricket have softened considerably since its introduction. Cricket is currently seen as an improvement for women's rights.[12][13]

In June 2019, the PCB reduced the number of contracted players from 17 to 10, but increased remuneration for the retained players.[16][17]

Pakistan have participated in five editions of the Women's Cricket World Cup: in 1997, 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2022. They did not win any of their matches during the 1997 Cricket World Cup and finished in eleventh place.[18]

Pakistan saw their first win in the 2009 World Cup; they advanced to the Super Six round defeating Sri Lanka in group stage match by 57 runs with Nain Abidi scoring 26 runs, and the player of the match Qanita Jalil taking 3 wickets for 33.[19] They qualified for the 5th place playoff match defeating West Indies in the Super Sixes by 4 wickets,[20] but finished at 6th place losing to the same team by 3 wickets.[21]

They were winless in both the 2013 World Cup and the 2017 World Cup, finishing bottom of the group stage tables in both tournaments.

It wasn't until the 2022 edition that Pakistan was able to earn another victory at the ODI World Cup. This came against the West Indies at Seddon Park, Hamilton, where they beat them by eight wickets in a group stage game, thus ending a 13-year 18-match losing streak.[22] However, they finished bottom of the group stage table, having lost all of their other six matches.[23]

Pakistan Women's team during the ICC T20 World Cup

Pakistan have participated in all the editions of the ICC Women's World Twenty20. They lost all of their games in 2009 ICC Women's World Twenty20 and 2010 ICC Women's World Twenty20. In the 2012 edition, they registered their solitary win over India. Pakistan defeated them by 1 run with Sana Mir scoring 26 runs and Nida Dar—who was awarded player of the match—taking 3 wickets for 12 runs.[24] Pakistan finished with 7th place playoff in the 2014 ICC Women's World Twenty20; they defeated Sri Lanka by 14 runs in the playoffs. Bismah Maroof scored 62 runs not out and Sania Khan took 3 wickets for 24 runs. Maroof was awarded woman of the match.[25]

The Pakistan national women's cricket team won a gold medal in the inaugural women's cricket tournament in the 2010 Asian Games that took place in Guangzhou, China. In the final match at the 2010 Asian Games, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh women cricket team by 10 wickets. Bangladeshi women made 92 runs for 9 wickets with their captain Salma Khatun scoring 24; Nida Dar took 3 wickets giving away 16 runs in 4 overs. Pakistan women achieved the target of 93 runs in 15.4 overs without losing wickets: Dar scored 51 from 43 balls and Javeria Khan scored 39 runs from 51 balls, both remained not out.[33][34] Asif Ali Zardari, the then-president of Pakistan, termed the team's win as a "gift to the nation riding on a series of crises" as 21 million people were affected by flood in 2010.[35]

In the 2014 Asian games, Pakistan women's cricket team defeated again Bangladesh women cricket team in the final match by four runs in Incheon, South Korea.[36] In the low scoring match, Pakistan women scored 97 runs in 20 for 6 wickets. The match was interrupted by rain. Bangladesh women innings reduced to 7 overs and their revised target was 43 runs per Duckworth–Lewis method; they scored 38 runs for 9 wickets. This was the second consecutive title won by the Pakistan women against the same team in Asian Games.[37][38]

Pakistan will compete at the women's cricket event at the 2022 Asian Games, with its first match scheduled on 21 September 2023.

• Women's Asia Cup:
  • Runners-up (2): 2012, 2016

• Asian Games
  • Gold Medal (2): 2010, 2014

• Highest team total: 426/7d v. West Indies on 15 March 2004 at National Stadium, Karachi.[42]
• Highest individual score: 242, Kiran Baluch v. West Indies on 15 March 2004 at National Stadium, Karachi.[43]
• Best innings bowling: 7/59, Shaiza Khan v. West Indies on 15 March 2004 at National Stadium, Karachi.[44]

Women's Test record versus other nations[39]

Records complete to Women's Test #122. Last updated 18 March 2004.

Opponent	Matches	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	First match	First win
Ireland	1	0	1	0	0	30–31 July 2000
Sri Lanka	1	0	1	0	0	17–20 April 1998
West Indies	1	0	0	0	1	15–18 March 2004

• Highest team total: 335/3 v. Ireland on 4 November 2022 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.[47]
• Highest individual score: 176*, Sidra Ameen v. Ireland on 4 November 2022 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.[48]
• Best innings bowling: 7/4, Sajjida Shah v. Japan on 21 July 2003 at Sportpark Drieburg, Amsterdam.[49]

Highest individual innings in Women's ODI[52] Player Score Opposition Venue Match Date Sidra Ameen 176*  Ireland Lahore 4 November 2022 Javeria Khan 133*  Sri Lanka Sharjah 13 January 2015 Javeria Khan 113*  Sri Lanka Dambulla 20 March 2018 Muneeba Ali 107  Ireland Lahore 4 November 2022 Nain Abidi 101*  Ireland Dublin 22 August 2012

Best bowling figures in an innings in Women's ODI[53] Player Score Opposition Venue Match Date Sajjida Shah 7/4  Japan Amsterdam 21 July 2003 Sana Mir 5/32  Netherlands Potchefstroom 9 October 2010 Urooj Mumtaz 5/33  West Indies Karachi 23 March 2004 Shaiza Khan 5/35  Netherlands Karachi 11 April 2001 Sadia Yousuf 5/35  Ireland Dublin 19 July 2013

WODI record versus other nations[40]

Records complete to WODI #1335. Last updated 212 September 2023.

Opponent	Matches	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	First match	First win
ICC Full members
Australia	16	0	16	0	0	7 February 1997
Bangladesh	12	6	6	0	0	20 August 2012	20 August 2012
England	12	0	11	0	1	12 December 1997
India	11	0	11	0	0	30 December 2005
Ireland	21	15	6	0	0	18 December 1997	18 February 2008
New Zealand	14	1	13	0	0	28 January 1997	12 December 1997
South Africa	27	4	21	1	1	16 December 1997	24 November 2011
Sri Lanka	33	11	22	0	0	11 April 1998	21 April 2011
West Indies	34	10	24	0	0	25 July 2003	25 March 2004
Zimbabwe	1	1	0	0	0	27 November 2021	27 November 2021
ICC Associate members
Denmark	1	0	1	0	0	10 December 1997
Japan	1	1	0	0	0	21 July 2003	21 July 2003
Netherlands	12	7	4	0	1	9 April 2001	9 April 2001
Scotland	1	1	0	0	0	22 July 2003	22 July 2003

• Highest team total: 177/5, v. Malaysia on 7 June 2018 at Royal Selangor Club, Kuala Lumpur.[54]
• Highest individual innings: 102, Muneeba Ali v. Ireland on 15 February 2023 at Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town.[55]
• Best innings bowling: 5/13, Omaima Sohail v. Sri Lanka on 11 October 2022 at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet, Bangladesh.[56]

WT20I record versus other nations[41]

Records complete to WT20I #1670. Last updated 25 September 2023.

Opponent	Matches	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	First match	First win
ICC Full members
Australia	15	0	13	0	2	29 September 2012
Bangladesh	17	15	2	0	0	29 August 2012	29 August 2012
Barbados	1	0	1	0	0	29 July 2022
England	15	1	14	0	0	16 June 2009	5 July 2013
India	14	3	11	0	0	13 June 2009	1 October 2012
Ireland	19	15	4	0	0	25 May 2009	28 May 2009
New Zealand	8	0	8	0	0	10 May 2010
South Africa	21	10	11	0	0	16 October 2010	19 January 2014
Sri Lanka	19	10	8	0	1	12 June 2009	16 January 2015
West Indies	17	3	11	3	0	6 September 2011	10 September 2011
ICC Associate members
Malaysia	2	2	0	0	0	7 June 2018	7 June 2018
Netherlands	1	1	0	0	0	24 April 2011	24 April 2011
Thailand	3	1	1	0	1	3 June 2018	3 June 2018
United Arab Emirates	1	1	0	0	0	9 October 2022	9 October 2022

Note: Pakistan Women lost all 3 tied matches against West Indies in Super Over.