Latest news with #womenCricket
Arab News
2 days ago
- Sport
- Arab News
Sana Mir becomes first Pakistani woman to be inducted in ICC Hall of Fame
KARACHI: Former Pakistan cricketer Sana Mir made history this week when she became the first woman from her country to be inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame alongside other cricket greats. ICC announced the names of the inductees which included Mir, former South African batters Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla, Matthew Hayden of Australia, Daniel Vettori of New Zealand and England's Sarah Taylor on Monday. The ICC Hall of Fame pays tribute to the extraordinary achievements of cricket legends who have shaped the sport's rich history with players inducted only five years after they have played their last international match. 'A veteran in over 100 matches in both formats of white-ball cricket, Sana Mir becomes the first Pakistan woman cricketer to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame,' the ICC said in a post on its website on Monday. Mir has several accolades under her belt. The cricketer remains the highest wicket-taker in ODIs and the second-highest in T20Is among Pakistani women. Mir was also the first Pakistani woman cricketer to pick up 100 ODI wickets. The former off-spinner has remained a prolific cricket voice off the field as well, amplifying a strong stance on body shaming, prioritizing mental health and helping people affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Mir played international cricket for 15 years, captaining Pakistan for eight of those. She picked up 150 wickets in 121 ODIs and 89 wickets in 106 T20Is, scoring 1630 and 820 runs respectively. Her best year was 2014 in which she collected 21 wickets in 11 ODIs while leading the team to an Asian Games gold medal, a feat she had achieved in 2010 as well, one year after being appointed as captain. In 2018, Mir became the first Pakistani woman to reach the top of the ICC ODI Player Rankings. She was also the first Asian woman cricketer to play 100 T20Is, along with being the first Pakistan woman cricketer to play 100 ODIs. She was also the first Pakistani woman cricketer to win the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Cricketer of the Year award and now is the first Pakistani woman to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. The ICC credited Mir for speaking up for women's rights and pushing women's cricket in Pakistan. In 2019, she was included in the ICC Women's committee as one of the three player representatives and was named the ambassador of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier in 2024. 'Mir knew she was doing the right thing and continued to live by her words, inspiring thousands of girls in not just her country but across the globe,' the ICC said.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Worcestershire cricket festival aims to inspire women and girls
A cricket festival returns to Worcester this weekend, celebrating women and girls in the is Worcestershire Cricket Foundation's annual women's softball festival with teams from across the country competing. This year, it aligns with the Worcestershire Rapids women playing at Worcester's New Road ground for the T20 and girls' performance coach Jess Beach told the BBC it was "amazing to play there as we don't do it too often". "We're really looking forward to showing what we can do," she Beach said it was really important more women and girls were inspired to get into the sport and she had noticed an increase in opportunities in recent years. "When I was young, there weren't many girls playing," she said. "Now you can get so many teams at clubs which is really exciting to see." 'Celebrate women's cricket' T20 Blast is a new tournament for 2025, with 18 county teams from across England and Wales competing. The festival takes place at a ground next to New Road, where the Women's Rapids are set to play the Derbyshire Falcons from 10:30 BST on Sunday. "We've been working hard this week so hopefully we get a good couple of wins," Ms Beach said. The Worcestershire Cricket Foundation said Megafest is "one of the biggest" soft ball festivals in the country."It's a chance to celebrate women's cricket," a spokesperson said there would be a participation event focussed on fun as well as a new second competition festival, where a Megafest champion will be crowned. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Reuters
29-05-2025
- General
- Reuters
Knight out of England's home summer with hamstring injury
LONDON, May 29 (Reuters) - England batter Heather Knight was ruled out of their home summer programme due to a hamstring injury on Thursday but the country's cricket board hoped she would return in time for the 50-overs World Cup in India in September. The former captain's unbeaten 66 helped England seal a 3-0 Twenty20 series sweep against West Indies at Chelmsford on Monday but Knight looked in discomfort towards the end and did not field in the second innings. "An MRI scan has revealed that Heather Knight has suffered a significant tendon injury to her right hamstring and will be ruled out of home international cricket and The Hundred in 2025," the board said in a statement. "She will now undergo further assessment with the England women's medical team to determine the next steps of her management. "Although no return date can be set at this stage, it is hoped Heather will be available for selection for the ICC Women's World Cup in September 2025." The former England captain will miss the one-day series against West Indies and the tour of India in June and July.
Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
England Women's cricketers ‘do not have any fitness standards'
Charlotte Edwards, England's new women's head coach, has claimed there were no fitness standards in place when she took over. Edwards, who replaced Jon Lewis in the wake of the chastening Ashes defeat at the start of the year, said she refers to fitness as the 'F word' in training, but on the eve of her first match explained there was no framework in place. Conversations over fitness and athleticism became the spectre the team could not shake over the winter, after Alex Hartley claimed on-air during the T20 World Cup last autumn that some of her former team-mates were 'not fit enough'. Hartley named no specific players but Sophie Ecclestone refused to speak to the former international-turned pundit for an interview during the 16-0 Ashes humiliation in Australia. Lewis repeatedly denied his side had any fitness shortcomings, although acknowledged during the Ashes that Australia had superior 'athleticism', and instead attributed that to their better weather. 'I think clearly we had to touch on the fitness issue. I think when I came in, I said it's all about individual improvement for the first six months,' Edwards said ahead of her first match in charge against the West Indies, a T20 international at Canterbury on Wednesday. 'So before this World Cup [in India in October] it's about individuals improving as much as they can in that time. I'm not going to set fitness standards, because there haven't been any standards in place. 'So I felt like that would be defeating the object. But hopefully in 12 months' time, the players are very aware that there will be minimum fitness standards come this time next year, which the players will have to adhere to, there has to be more accountability in the area. 'But I've been so impressed with their standards, and the way they've gone about stuff and I couldn't be more impressed in that area.' Ecclestone was left out of Edwards' first squad for the series against the West Indies following a knee injury sustained at the Women's Premier League. It was decided the spinner would play for Lancashire to prepare best for the series against India later in the summer and the World Cup.
