First phase of women's skills camp concludes at the NCA

Lahore: The first phase of the women's skills camp concluded on Sunday at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. 20 players from Lahore and adjoining areas featured in the five-day camp from July 5 to July 9.

The camp proved to be a remarkable platform for skill development, focusing on fitness enhancement and refining cricket techniques. The event was organised under the supervision of Pakistan women's team support staff, led by Head Coach Mark Coles.

Throughout the duration of the camp, the players received comprehensive training and guidance from the skilled coaching staff. Various aspects of the game which include batting, bowling, fielding, and strategic game play, were addressed to enhance the players' overall performance.

Head Coach Mark Coles expressed his satisfaction with the progress made during the camp. He said, “It was truly inspiring to witness the talent and determination displayed by these cricketers. They have showcased tremendous potential, and I am confident that their hard work and commitment will help the coaching staff as well as the selectors to identify future talent in women’s cricket.”

18-year-old Shawaal Zulfiqar, who represented Pakistan in ICC U19 Women’s World Cup in January this year and recently in ACC Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023 said: “The camp really helped us to improve our skills and fitness. The facilities here at the National Cricket Academy were really impressive which helped us in our training.

“It was great to train alongside senior players in the camp as it helped us to understand the requirements of the game at the international level.

“I have represented Pakistan women at the age-group level and now my focus is to work hard and represent the national team in future.”

Meanwhile, the upcoming second phase of the women's skills camp is set to take place in Karachi’s Hanif Muhammad High Performance Centre from 13 to 17 July. Like Lahore, this phase will see 20 players including Pakistan’s captain Nida Dar, who featured in the first phase of the skills camp in Lahore.

The following is the list of invited players:

Karachi (13-17 July) - Anoosha Nasir, Eyman Fatima, Fatima Sana, Gull Rukh, Humna Bilal, Huraina Sajjad, Khadija Chishti, Lubna Behram, Maham Manzoor, Maham Tariq, Masooma Zahra, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Najiha Alvi, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Saima Malik, Syeda Aroob Shah, Yusra Amir and Zaib-un-Nisa

Coaching staff – Mark Coles (head coach), Taufeeq Umar (batting coach), Saleem Jaffer (bowling coach), Mauhtashim Rashid (fielding coach) and Dr Rabia Siddiq (physiotherapist).