Shaiza Khan spearheading the cause with conviction

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Shaiza Khan happens to be one of the trend-setters. She has been chiefly responsible for putting Pakistan women on the cricketing map of the world. Besides being an active cricketer herself she has excelled in the role of the administration of the game against the heaviest of odds.

She currently holds a world record having merited recognition in Wisden, the Bible of cricket. She rewrote history by capturing 13 wickets in a Test match, obliterating Australian Betty Wilson’s record of 11 wickets achieved way back in 1956. Her record haul also included a hat-trick, only the second in women's Test history.

Shaiza also earned the distinction leading Pakistan women's cricket team in their first-ever Test match as well as the inaugural One-day International. She has, in fact, led the country in 40 ODIs besides three Tests. The prolific leg-spinner captained the national team in the 1997 World Cup in India and the 2003 IWCC Trophy in Holland.

She had started playing cricket at a very young age and the passion grew while attaining secondary education in England. She played club cricket for Winchmore Hill in England while she graduated to league and county cricket just a few years later. She was still at school while making her debut for Middlesex in 1986.

She became the first non-British captain for University of Leeds, where she completed her masters in Textile Engineering during 1991-95.

Upon her return to Pakistan she proactively took up the challenge of organizing a proper women team that could make its presence felt on the international scene. She had the dual responsibility of looking after the administrative matters besides leading the team in the field.

Shaiza was the motivating force behind the launch of the Pakistan Women Cricket Control Association (PWCCA) a body that was founded in January 1996 and registered under the Companies Ordinance of 1984. Later the same year the PWCCA became affiliated to the International Women's Cricket Council (IWCC) as an associate member.

Shaiza led Pakistan in their first-ever ODI in New Zealand soon after the country was granted the desired status. She added another feather to her cap by captaining the team in their historic first-ever Test match played against Sri Lanka in April 1998 at Colombo.

In 1999 she had become the first overseas player/member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) when the membership opened for women after 212 years. She is currently a full member of the MCC.

As the Pakistan, she had toured New Zealand (1997), Sri Lanka (1998 and 2002), England and Ireland (2000) while she also skippered the national team in the home series against Holland (2001) and the West Indies (2004).

Although her focus of late has shifted on the administration of the PWCA, she remains an active cricketer and makes most of her stay in England during the summers.

Shaiza is a versatile entrepreneur working as Executive Director in the United Carpets Group of Industries. She has been one of the major financiers in the promotion and development of women’s cricket in Pakistan.

In fact it’s believed that the affairs of women’s cricket were totally financed by both Shaiza Khan and Sharmeen Khan during the first 10 years of PWCCA’s existence.

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World champions England eye Women’s ICC Twenty20

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

England’s women cricketers are on a high. Having won the World Cup in Australia earlier this year they are now eyeing the ICC World Twenty20 having retained their top guns for the showpiece event to be held in their own backyard this summer.

Charlotte Edwards, who led England to title victory in the World Cup, appears in a very positive frame of mind and she reckons that keeping the nucleus of the World Cup-winning squad intact will boost the chances of the hosts winning the World Twenty20.

England have made only three changes to the 15-man squad that carried the World Cup home from Australia, Georgia Elwiss, a fast bowler from Staffordshire, and two off-spinners, Danielle Hazell of Yorkshire and Sussex’s Rosalie Birch.

“We have tried to keep the nucleus of the World Cup squad together. We have got a good, sound squad there. We have prided ourselves on keeping consistency in selection. People are very clear on their roles, and I think it’s been one of the biggest factors in our success," the Kent all-rounder remarked in a recent interview.

England may have swept all before them in women’s cricket’s flagship event, but the their skipper feels that this summer’s World Twenty20, with a combined men’s and women’s finals day, will propel the women’s game higher into the public consciousness than ever before.

“This is the biggest occasion for women’s cricket so far. I know the team is looking forward to it, having the momentum from Australia. I enjoy Twenty20 - I average over 50 - no fear of failure comes into Twenty20,” Edwards said.

“A few days after the World Cup myself and coach Mark Lane had forgotten about it and were preparing for the T20. We can’t rest on our laurels because this could potentially be the biggest yet for England’s cricket team,” she added.

Meanwhile Taunton has been picked to host the women’s group matches at the ICC World Twenty20 in June 2009. The semi-finals of the women’s ICC World Twenty20 will be held at the same ground, on the same day and same ticket as the men’s semi finals, at the Brit Oval and Trent Bridge, and the women’s final will be a precursor for the men’s final to be held at Lord’s on June 21, 2009.

Taunton is a special ground for the England women’s team and has also impressed so many of the touring sides that have played here.

“Hosting such a major event is a great coup for Taunton and Somerset. Women’s cricket is now a major player in global sport and we look forward to welcoming the world’s best teams in 2009, particularly as by then we will have completed the first tranche of our redevelopment and will be able to provide a world-class cricketing arena to go along with our world-class pitches,” Somerset’s Chief Executive Richard Gould stated.

The warm-up games of the women's event will be held on June 8 and while the league matches will be organized from June 11 to 16. The semifinals will be taking place on June 18 and 19 with the final and the presentation ceremony scheduled to be held on June 21.

The women’s tournament of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 consists of eight teams with the group stage games hosted at Taunton. The eight teams that participated in the 2009 women's World Cup will not only play in the upcoming event but also the 2010 World Twenty20 in West Indies. 

Pakistan and West Indies have booked their place in the 2011 qualifiers already, by coming fifth and sixth at this World Cup, while the teams below them will have to earn their spot in the qualifiers. 

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