Breakthrough moment for Pakistan women’s cricket

LAHORE: For Sana Mir, the captain of the Pakistan women’s cricket team, the successful and peaceful completion of a national Twenty20 event this week was a giant step forward for women’s sports in the country

The six-team tournament, named after former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, was held at the Pakistan Cricket Board headquarters at the Gaddafi stadium under a heavy security blanket and concluded on Thursday night in a colourful finale
It's great to see women's cricket going strong. Hypothetically speaking, could a woman play in a 1st class international team? Let's say that a female cricketer is a brilliant leg spinner. Truly masterful, like Warne back in his day. She is head and shoulders above the male talent in the country (which isn't hard in Australia atm). Could she be picked for the male squad, playing alongside Clarke etc? More to the point, even if she was the best bowler in the nation, would she be picked? Or would sexism and close mindedness stop such a person from advancing? I would like to think it could happen, but considering that cricket is already such a "lads club" and the politics that already goes into the selection of a side, I wouldn't ever be hopeful.
Of course it is still a purely hypothetical situation, but by god I would love to see a mixed team (assuming it was done to play the strongest available team, and not just as a marketing ploy)

 In a first for women’s sports in Pakistan, men were allowed inside the stadium to watch the matches which have been out of bounds for them in the past – except for those who came with families.

Pakistan’s society, which has been divided by a continuing war against militants, has left women’s sports battling to be taken seriously or even properly funded.

In 2005 a marathon race in Lahore that included women was attacked by extremists and had to be called off.

But there were no such problems this week.

“The girls who came from all over the country really enjoyed themselves,” Mir told reporters.

“Besides the cricket, it was a chance to mingle and interact with each other and this has really raised their confidence.”

Mir, who has been playing for Pakistan for the last seven years and has led the side in many international events, said girls still face difficulties playing the sport they love because of the conservative outlook towards women in sports in the country.

The final, won by Sana’s domestic team ZTBL, turned out to be an occasion for the players and their friends and families to celebrate and enjoy themselves as some of them even danced to the beats of popular local hits by singers at a concert after the match.

“I am really happy to see these girls enjoying and expressing themselves. It has been a long journey for women’s cricket in Pakistan,” said Shamsha Hashmi, a former Pakistan captain who has headed the Pakistan Cricket Board’s women’s wing.