PESHAWAR: Under the auspices of the Higher Education Department (HED) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Inter-Zonal Women Cricket Championship got underway here at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Peshawar with eight zonal teams taking part.
Chairperson Pakistan Cricket Board Women Wing Tania Malick was the chief guest on this occasion who formally inaugurated the Championship. Additional Director Higher Education Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Iqbal Khan, Deputy Director Sports Arshad Hussain, Manager Operation Pakistan Cricket Board for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Women Wing Hasina Khushbu, Deputy Director Sports Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Mariyyah Samin, Director Sports Miss Najma Qazi and other important personalities were present.
In which the winning teams from each Zone qualified for the Inter-Zonal Women Cricket Championship, wherein in the opening match Bannu defeated Malakand Zone by 45 runs. Bannu won the toss and scored 95 runs for the loss of one wicket in the allotted overs, in which Naseema,
the skipper of Bannu smashed a cracking 34 runs with three dashing boundaries and three boundaries.
In reply, Malakand Zone was bowled out for 50 runs only in which Husna was the top scorer with 19 runs including three boundaries. For Bannu, Mahnoor took three wickets, and Shadab, Seema, and Sania took one wicket each. Naseema was awarded the Woman of the Match award for her excellent all-round performance.
Earlier, to promote cricket activities Pakistan Cricket Board and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women’s University signed an MoU for the development cricket ground with multiple facilities including the second-biggest cricket academy in Pakistan.
It is a 10-year agreement signed between Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Peshawar and Pakistan Cricket Board for the promotion of cricket, which was signed by Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Safia Ahmed and Chairperson PCB Women Wing Tania Malick. Deputy Director Sports Mariyyah Samin and PCB Assistant Manager Operations Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Hasina Khushboo, Miss N
ajma Qazi were also present during the MoU signing ceremony.
Under the agreement, a ground and academy for local people and students will be established by PCB at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women’s University. PCB will be responsible for the uplifting of the ground, changing rooms, players’ pavilion, maintenance of pitches, making nets and patches, and supply of equipment and machinery, university students and players will use the net facilities based on need, beautify the ground and provide cricket facilities.
In this way, the youth will be involved in cricket activities, Tania Malick said. The university will be responsible for providing space for the ground, staff offices, pavilions, changing rooms, stores, and players’ and officials’ hostels, construction will be the responsibility of the PCB, bringing students from Peshawar, Charsadda and Nowshera.