Karachi:  The newly-appointed seven-member women’s national selection committee has named a 17-player Pakistan women’s squad for this month’s tour to England.

Nida Dar will continue to lead the side, which will feature in three T20Is from 11-19 May and three ODIs from 23-29 May.

The ODIs are part of ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 and this will be Pakistan’s eighth and final series in the current event cycle.

Pakistan are currently sitting in fifth position with 16 points in the 10-team ICC Women Championship 2022-25 standings. The top five teams from this championship, along with hosts India, will directly qualify for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.

In addition to the six white-ball international matches, the tourists will also play two warm-up games (T20 and One-Day) against ECB Development XI on 9 and 21 May. For their first England tour since 2016, the national side will leave on Sunday, 5 May.

Pakistan women squad: Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda Akhtar

Player support personnel: Nahida Khan (manager), Mauhtashim Rasheed (interim head coach), Saleem Jaffar (bowling coach), Taufeeq Umar (batting coach), Hanif Malik (fielding coach), Syed Nazir Ahmed (media manager), Rabia Siddiq (physiotherapist), Zubair Ahmed (analyst) and Hina Munawar (chief security officer)

Tour schedule:

9 May – T20 warm-up game v ECB Development XI, Uptonsteel County Ground (11.00am local time)

11 May – 1st T20I, Birmingham (2.30pm local time)

17 May – 2nd T20I, Northampton (6.30pm local time)

19 May – 3rd T20I, Leeds (1.00pm local time)

21 May – One-Day warm-up game v ECB Development XI, Northampton (11.00am local time)

23 May – 1st ODI, Derby (1.00pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)

26 May – 2nd ODI, Taunton (11.00am local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)

29 May – 3rd ODI, Chelmsford (1.00pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)

Islamabad: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir met chief of general staff (CGS) of the UK Army General Sir Patrick Sanders, the military’s media affairs wing said on Wednesday.

The two discussed measures to further enhance bilateral defence relations.

In the meeting, which was also attended by CGS-designate of the UK Army General Sir Roland Walker, both sides “discussed matters of professional interest and measures to further elevate bilateral defence relations”, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

The army chief thanked Gen Sanders for his services in enhancing bilateral military ties and felicitated Gen Walker on his nomination as the UK Army’s next CGS, the statement added.

Karachi: Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi visited the headquarters of Pakistan Coastal Guards in Karachi today. Mohsin Naqvi saw the items to be seized during the anti-smuggling operation at the headquarters of the Pakistan Coastal Guards.

Minister Naqvi also inspected the bus and van seized during the anti-smuggling operation.

DG Pakistan Coast Guards Brigadier Ghulam Abbas briefed about the seized items and the routes used for smuggling. Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was also shown the hidden parts of the smuggled items inside the bus. Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi visited the monitoring room of Pakistan Coast Guards and observed the surveillance system of the coastal areas through CCTV cameras.

Mohsin Naqvi appreciated the performance of Pakistan Coast Guard regarding anti-smuggling operations.

 Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi ordered the Pakistan Coast Guard to conduct intensive anti-smuggling operations and announced the upgrade of the Pakistan Coast Guard, saying that the Pakistan Coast Guard would be upgraded on modern lines. Coastal guards have an important role to play in anti-smuggling drives.

Pakistan Coast Guards have to play a more active role to stop smuggling from the coastal areas. He said that despite less resources, the performance of the Coast Guards is excellent.

Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi held an important meeting at the headquarters of the Pakistan Coast Guard.

The meeting was attended by the federal interior secretary, senior officials and officers of the Pakistan Coast Guards. Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi said that anti-smuggling operation is essential for the stability of the economy. Pakistan Coast Guards is doing excellent work for anti-smuggling.

A lot of expectations are attached to this force.

At present, smuggling is destroying our economy. Earlier there was a belief and today this belief has become even stronger that only the Pakistan Coastal Guards can effectively stop smuggling. He said that Pakistan Coast Guards is directly related to the strength of the economy.

The hard work of Pakistan Coast Guard will give stability to Pakistan's economy.The Pakistan Coast Guard is doing a commendable job despite limited resources. The requirements of Pakistan Coast Guards will be met. This is our right and duty. In sh Allah, the entire force will carry forward the anti-smuggling operation with full force.

The interior minister was briefed on the professional affairs of the Pakistan Coast Guards. In which the responsibilities of the Coast Guards and the efforts made to prevent all kinds of smuggling, especially anti-drugs, were mentioned.

Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi will be briefed about the professional training of Pakistan Coast Guards and steps taken to prevent smuggling. Details of drugs, alcohol and other general items were explained.

Appreciating the professional performance of the institution, the high determination, courage and efforts of the jawans, especially in the field of counter-narcotics, the Interior Minister said that Pakistan Coast Guards is the only force performing its duties simultaneously on land and sea, which has an important role not only in peace time but also in any difficult and war situation. Therefore, the government will provide all possible support and necessary resources to make the Pakistan Coast Guards more active and strong.

The federal interior secretary and officials of the Pakistan Coast Guard were also present on the occasion.