Financial constraints force PCB to shelve women’s match

LAHORE: Growing financial challenges in Pakistan cricket continue to cast a shadow over women’s cricket development, as the planned women’s exhibition match before the commencement of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024 has been shelved due to budgetary constraints.

Despite successful women’s exhibition matches in 2023, the current financial situation within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has compelled the decision to forego women’s matches ahead of PSL 2024. Tania Mallick, the head of PCB’s women’s cricket wing, revealed that the interim management committee, led by Zaka Ashraf, expressed reluctance to allocate funds for women’s exhibition matches. “The impression I got was they did not feel they were in a position to make such big financial decisions,” Tania Mallick conveyed to Cricinfo.

“What was conveyed to us was the next committee and administration would do this, ‘we don’t want to.’ The obstacle is not within our management or the financial officers within the PCB. It was the interim management committee that was not willing to commit. I don’t feel frustrated with my management because they all agree [we need a league].” Mallick highlighted that the planning for women’s exhibition matches had been diligently carried out, but the interim committee withdrew its commitment at the final stage.

The decision has disappointed many, including players and officials who were looking forward to the growth of women’s cricket in the country.