Pakistani pacer, Diana Baig, has urged PCB to expand the pool for women cricketers by creating opportunities for young girls. She also appreciated the revival of the U-19 T2o Championship terming it a proper channel for young talent to rise.
In her recent interview, Diana Baig claimed that the pool for women’s cricket is quite limited which reduces the bench strength. She also told that the lack of backup players causes deep trouble for the team in case of injuries and fitness issues.
Requesting PCB to increase the number of women cricketers, the star pacer said that the senior players will not be able to serve for long. A few year later, the likes of Diana Baig, Bismah Maroof and Aliya Riaz have to retire and there is no replacement currently available for them.
Diana Baig expressed displeasure over the lack of development at the grassroots level of cricket. She said that the cultural barriers limit girls from pursuing a career in the field of cricket and the unorganized domestic system is creating even more hurdles for the young girls.
Star pacer recalled the discovery of Fatima Sana through U-19 Championship years back as she emphasized the importance of the tournament. Diana Baig said that it is never too late to get on the right path, hence revival of U-19 Championship is encouraging.
Sharing her views about Women’s PSL, Diana Baig said that the league is a great initiative, however the success of any league depends upon the participation by local players. Young and exciting talent is vital for the success of WPSL.
Diana Baig pressed that PCB must pave ways for young girls to come up and along with the quality of women’s cricket, the quantity should also be increased so that more options are available for the national team. She appreciated PCB’s decision to conduct trials before U-19 Championship and also recommended PCB to dig for talent in rural areas like Balochistan.
Diana Baig herself hails from Gilgit Baltistan and she represented Pakistan in both football and cricket. Being a ‘born-athlete’, she wants more girls to take up sports as a profession.
