The Pakistan women's national cricket team, also known as Women in Green, represents Pakistan in international cricket. It is organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board, which is a full member of the International Cricket Council.
Pakistan made its Women's One Day International (WODI) debut in early 1997 against New Zealand, and later in the year played in the 1997 World Cup in India. The team's inaugural Test match came against Sri Lanka in April 1998. In its early years, Pakistan was one of the least competitive of the top-level women's teams, and after its inaugural appearance in 1997, did not qualify for another World Cup until the 2009 event in Australia. However, the team has played in all eight editions of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup to date, and has also participated in the Women's Asia Cup and the Asian Games cricket tournament.
The increase in terrorism as a result of the war on terror led to a stagnation of foreign teams touring Pakistan in the late 2000s and early 2010s. However, due to a decrease in terrorism in Pakistan over the past few years, as well as an increase in security, Bangladesh (twice), West Indies, Sri Lanka, Ireland, and South Africa have toured Pakistan since 2015.
Coaching staff Head coach: Vacant Fielding and Batting coach: Hanif Malik Fast Bowling coach: Junaid Khan Spin Bowling coach: Abdur Rahman Selector: Asad Shafiq Manager: Hina Munawar
History
1990s The concept of women's cricket was first introduced in Pakistan by two sisters, Shaiza and Sharmeen Khan, in 1996. In conservative Pakistan, the creation of a Pakistan women's cricket team was even considered illegal and was met with court cases and even death threats. The government refused them permission to play India in 1997 and ruled that women were forbidden from playing sports in public due to religious issues.
However, the team did manage to overcome these objections and represented Pakistan in 1997, playing against New Zealand and Australia. They lost all three One Day International matches on that tour, but they were still invited to take part in the Women's Cricket World Cup later that year in India. They lost all five matches in the tournament and finished last, out of the eleven teams in the competition. The following year, Pakistan toured Sri Lanka and played three One Day International matches, losing all of their matches and played in their first Test match, which they also lost.
2000s In 2000, Pakistan toured Ireland for a five match One Day International series against Ireland. They lost the Test match by an innings inside two days and the One Day International series 4–0, with one match interrupted by rain. Their first international win, in their 19th match, came against the Netherlands in a seven match One Day International series at their home ground in 2001, a series which they won 4–3. This form did not continue into their six One Day International tour of Sri Lanka in January 2002, though, and they again lost all six matches.
In 2003, Pakistan travelled to the Netherlands to take part in the 2003 IWCC Trophy, the inaugural edition of what is now called simply the World Cup Qualifier. They finished fourth in the tournament, winning against Japan and Scotland. However, they missed out on qualification for the 2005 Women's Cricket World Cup. The 2003 IWCC Trophy was marred by a schism between the Pakistan Women's Cricket Control Association and the Pakistan Cricket Board. The IWCC did not recognize the Pakistan Cricket Board as the governing body of women's cricket in Pakistan and court cases were brought in Pakistan. The Pakistan Cricket Board announced that they would not be sending a team to the tournament and that no other team should be allowed to represent the country in the competition. This problem was overcome with the International Cricket Council requirement that women's associations and men's associations be unified under one single governing body.
2004 saw the West Indies tour Pakistan, playing seven One Day International matches and a Test match. The Test match was drawn and West Indies won the One Day International series 5–2, but those two victories for Pakistan were their first against a Test-playing nation.
In 2005, Pakistan Cricket Board established a women's wing to oversee all cricket affairs under the Pakistan Cricket Board's control and to unite all the conflicts between various associations. The first international event was when the Indian under-21 team toured Pakistan, becoming the first Indian women's side to tour the country. This paved the way for Pakistan to host the second Women's Asia Cup in December 2005/January 2006. They lost all their games however, finishing last in the three-team tournament. The tournament featured the first match between the Indian and Pakistani women's cricket teams.
Early in 2007, the Pakistan squad toured South Africa and played in a five match, One Day International series. During that year, Pakistan was announced as the host for the Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier in which eight teams were scheduled to participate. All of the arrangements were almost completed for the tournament to be held in November when the event was postponed due to political instability and was moved to South Africa. Pakistan qualified for the 2009 Women's Cricket World Cup by defeating Ireland, Zimbabwe, Scotland and Netherlands. They qualified for this tournament after defeating Hong Kong in a three match series in Pakistan in September 2006.
In Pakistan, views towards women's cricket have softened considerably since its introduction. Cricket is currently seen as an improvement for women's rights.
In June 2019, the PCB reduced the number of contracted players from 17 to 10, but increased remuneration for the retained players.
2020s In the lead up to the 2024 Women's Twenty20 Asia Cup, former men's international cricketer Mohammad Wasim was appointed head coach of the team. He then initiated several measures to overhaul the team, including more effective workload management practices, a greater use of performance data, and a shift in mindset towards a positive brand of cricket.
World Cup records ODI World Cup
Pakistan have participated in five editions of the Women's Cricket World Cup: in 1997, 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2022. They did not win any of their matches during the 1997 Cricket World Cup and finished in eleventh place.
Pakistan saw their first win in the 2009 World Cup; they advanced to the Super Six round defeating Sri Lanka in group stage match by 57 runs with Nain Abidi scoring 26 runs, and the player of the match Qanita Jalil taking 3 wickets for 33. They qualified for the 5th place playoff match defeating West Indies in the Super Sixes by 4 wickets, but finished at 6th place losing to the same team by 3 wickets.
They were winless in both the 2013 World Cup and the 2017 World Cup, finishing bottom of the group stage tables in both tournaments.
It was not until the 2022 edition that Pakistan was able to earn another victory at the ODI World Cup. This came against the West Indies at Seddon Park, Hamilton, where they beat them by eight wickets in a group stage game, thus ending a 13-year 18-match losing streak. However, they finished bottom of the group stage table, having lost all of their other six matches.
T20I World Cup
Pakistan have participated in all the editions of the ICC Women's World Twenty20. They lost all of their games in 2009 ICC Women's World Twenty20 and 2010 ICC Women's World Twenty20. In the 2012 edition, they registered their solitary win over India. Pakistan defeated them by 1 run with Sana Mir scoring 26 runs and Nida Dar—who was awarded player of the match—taking 3 wickets for 12 runs. Pakistan finished with 7th place playoff in the 2014 ICC Women's World Twenty20; they defeated Sri Lanka by 14 runs in the playoffs. Bismah Maroof scored 62 runs not out and Sania Khan took 3 wickets for 24 runs. Maroof was awarded woman of the match.
Asia Cup
The Pakistan women's cricket team did not participate in the inaugural edition of the women's Asia cup in 2004–05, Sri Lanka and India played a five-match series in Sri Lanka. Pakistan hosted the second edition of the Asia Cup in 2005–06, but they did not win a single game of the tournament. India won the final by 97 runs, against Sri Lanka, played at the National Stadium, Karachi. In the third edition of the women's Asia Cup, once again Pakistan failed to see a victory, and this was the third consecutive occasion that India and Sri Lanka were playing in the final. In the 2008 edition of the Women's Asia Cup, Pakistan registered their only victory against the Bangladeshi women's cricket team who were participating for the first time in Asia Cup.
The 2012 edition was a Twenty20 version of the game that took place in Guangzhou, China, from 24 to 31 October 2012. Pakistan reached into the final of the tournament, and lost to India by 18 runs. Bismah Maroof was awarded woman of the tournament for her all-round performance.
Asian Games
2010 Asian Games
The Pakistan national women's cricket team won a gold medal in the inaugural women's cricket tournament at the 2010 Asian Games that took place in Guangzhou, China. In the final match at the 2010 Asian Games, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh women cricket team by 10 wickets. Bangladeshi women made 92 runs for 9 wickets with their captain Salma Khatun scoring 24; Nida Dar took 3 wickets giving away 16 runs in 4 overs. Pakistan women achieved the target of 93 runs in 15.4 overs without losing wickets: Dar scored 51 from 43 balls and Javeria Khan scored 39 runs from 51 balls, both remained not out. Asif Ali Zardari, the then-president of Pakistan, termed the team's win as a "gift to the nation riding on a series of crises" as 21 million people were affected by flood in 2010.
2014 Asian Games
In the 2014 Asian games, Pakistan women's cricket team again defeated the Bangladesh women's cricket team in the final match by four runs in Incheon, South Korea. In the low scoring match, Pakistan women scored 97 runs in 20 overs for 6 wickets. The match was interrupted by rain. Bangladesh women innings reduced to 7 overs and their revised target was 43 runs per Duckworth–Lewis method; they scored 38 runs for 9 wickets. This was the second consecutive title won by the Pakistan women against the same team in the Asian Games.
2022 Asian Games
Pakistan women's cricket team lost the bronze medal match to Bangladesh by five wickets, finishing fourth in the tournament. Bangladesh chased down Pakistan's target of 65 runs in 18.2 overs to win the bronze medal. This was a disappointing result for Pakistan, who had previously won gold at the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games.
2026 Asian Games
Pakistan women won the bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Games by defeating Bangladesh by 31 runs in the third-place playoff. After being reduced to 67 for 5, captain Fatima Sana smashed 45 off 30 balls to lift Pakistan to 145 for 8. Umm-e-Hani then took 3 for 10 as Bangladesh were restricted to 114 for 7, sealing Pakistan's third Asian Games cricket medal.
Tournament history
A red box around the year indicates tournaments played within Pakistan
ODI World Cup World Cup recordYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 1973 Team did not exist 1978 1982 1988 1993 1997Group Stage11/1150500 2000 Did not participate 2005 2009Super Sixes5/872500 2013Group Stage8/840400 2017Group Stage8/870700 2022 Group Stage8/871600 2025 Group Stage 8/8 7 0 4 0 3Total6/120 Titles3733103
T20 World Cup T20 World Cup recordYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2009Group Stage8/830300 2010Group Stage8/830300 2012Group Stage7/841300 2014Group Stage8/1062400 2016Group Stage6/1042200 2018Group Stage8/1041300 2020Group Stage 7/1041201 2023Group Stage8/1041300 2024Group Stage8/1041300 2026 Group stage11/1251400Total9/90 Titles41103001
Asia Cup