DURBAN: Pakistan women's cricket team will face South Africa in a three-match T20I series, which will be played at Durban's Kingsmead Cricket Stadium from Friday. This will be the national side's first international T20I format assignment since the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia last year.
Pakistan has played eight T20Is in South Africa to date and faced South Africa in six of them. The tourists have won two -- all in the last tour in 2019 -- and lost four. Nida Dar was the leading run-getter (192 runs) and highest wicket-taker (five wickets) when Pakistan toured South Africa in 2019.
In the recently concluded three-match ODI series, the 34-year-old scored back-to-back half-centuries in the first two matches and finished as the third-best batter with 124 runs.
Pakistan captain Javeria Khan said that her side is well equipped to challenge the hosts in their conditions. "It is a new series and presents us an opportunity to bounce back on the tour. We have some exciting cricketers in our ranks who can leave a mark and they are eager to make the most of this series," said Khan in an official PCB release.
"All-rounders Nida Dar and Aliya Riaz have been in good form and their ability to hit the ball hard and contribute with the ball in the crucial middle overs provide good balance to the side. Diana Baig, who is on her first tour of South Africa, turned out to be the most successful bowler in the ODI series, which is a good sign for us and the presence of Aiman Anwar provides depth to our pace bowling department," she added.
Pakistan squad: Javeria Khan (c), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Nahida Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Nawaz (wk) and Syeda Aroob Shah