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Drop-outs are seldom respected in any society. Spending one’s childhood, as a girl, on the streets, on the grounds, attracting the quizzed and questioning gaze and not worrying much about the complexion oppugns the very concept of our ‘conservative’ society. Confused individuals – defying the culture and its norms – running after unattainable goals, with limited backing, do not usually survive to tell the tale.
Unless, getting off a plane, you have a gold medal around your neck.
Never the one to give up on her dreams, Sana Mir, captain of Pakistan’s victorious women’s cricket team, planned to join the army, the airforce or the cricket team just to wear the uniform and a chance to represent her nation.
While the first two choices fell astray to poor timing, her intent on the streets, and the courage and confidence gained through shattered windows and scolding aplenty, ensured her crusade to make a name produced a bang.
“Everyone knew I was a bit different, never the type to sit at home and play with dolls,” said Mir.
“Even when my cousins were getting their mehndi done before Eid, I would be out playing cricket. And when I finally joined the Pakistan cricket squad, everyone thought that was the right place for me.”
Despite the elation that accompanied her inclusion in the squad, Mir’s road to glory included dropping out of university – despite being an above-average student – and opting, instead, for less greener, and less plausible, pastures: women’s cricket.
“It was a difficult choice to make, especially considering the image of women in sport at that time and the fact that I belonged to an army family.
“I didn’t even have anywhere to go at that time. I just needed practice, needed matches, time and outlet.”
The oozing determination was part courtesy Imran Khan’s efforts in 1992 with Mir praying for a chance to emulate the pathan’s feat and the podium stance. While the longing for a cup remains, the thirst for success, of a first-place finish, has been quenched for now. The route includes pooling in to buy cement as the street’s potholes became too dangerous for batting, taking up spin just to be able to play past sunset with a plastic ball, and surviving a stress fracture and the dreaded words of doctors.
With an incident-filled half decade behind her, the future, it seems, may offer much of the same.
“It’s really difficult to plan but I know that I want to pass on whatever I’ve learnt to the youngsters. Due to our culture, you play till you’re 28 and then you start your second life [get married]. We have an improved side, better facilities and a greater interest. I don’t know how long I’ll play for but when I leave, I want to leave a good team behind.”
World Cup qualification, second-round appearance in the mega event, Pakistan’s first away win, propelling the team to sixth in rankings and the Asian Games gold, Mir will leave a trail of unmatched achievements that will propel her into the ‘second life’ much satisfied.
© Faras Ghani 2010
Published in The Express Tribune, Nov 24 2010
For a nation deemed oppressive to women, blamed of confining them to the indoors and forcing them to act out their trade with utensils and needles, the sight of eleven girls hopping around in track suits and not shalwar kamiz, and with heads covered in caps and not dupattas would certainly rob Pakistan of the unwanted titles.
While the men’s team makes headways into uncharted territories amid a spate of turmoil, their female counterparts continue to flux opposition off the field – despite its mediocrity on it. And as opponents are left dumbfounded by Pakistan’s mere participation in the events, the nation itself sits in oblivion.
“There is no dearth of interested individuals in the country,” said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Women’s Wing Chairperson Shirin Javed. “We have girls coming from Quetta, from Gilgit, from remote villages that we didn’t even know existed and with names we can’t even pronounce. They are barred from leaving their houses apart from going for training and matches.”
Arguments, conflicts and scandals have played their part in ensuring the interest in the sector develops, and grows, for the wrong reasons. However, from the days of girls playing alongside boys on roadsides, on makeshift pitches and on rented grounds, the interest has only increased.
“Times have changed,” added Javed. “No longer are the parents worried. We have girls playing in track suits. We have parents dropping their daughter for training on a bicycle. A kitchen is not the only place girls belong to now.”
Words of one, not realised and echoed by the rest, however. Critics are after their heads, labelling them budget-wasters, hopeless performers, sinners even. The marriage factor is their primary aid. Playing with boys, their bodies open to scrutiny by the onlookers, and an inferior win-loss ratio, the secondary.
“We get critics almost every day but it’s part of our duty as female cricketers to ignore those,” said Nain Abidi, a Karachi-based player forming the backbone of Pakistan’s batting line-up. “It hurts, especially after we’ve achieved so much for the country. People just don’t want to see us play.
“But I’ll still encourage individuals to come forward despite the criticism, the glare, and the condemnation. Sport, apart from physical benefits, teaches us punctuality, respect, responsibility and, in our case, how to convert negative thoughts into positive actions.”
For some, cricket is a respite before the inevitable wedding ceremonies. Some even leave everything behind – despite the limited freedom – their studies, their jobs and perhaps their future. Only to pursue dreams alien to our culture, albeit temporary, and to emulate their male counterparts. All the while aiming to go one better.
“You’re spending so much on the men’s team,” said Abidi. “They play all year round, unlike us. And look how many trophies they’re bringing us. We’re also doing our fair share. We should be treated as equals and people should realise that cricket is not just a gentleman’s game.”
© Faras Ghani 2010.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24, 2010
Captain Sana Mir has rested high hopes in the newcomers to end Pakistan’s dismal international run as the team left for South Africa for the Women’s Cricket Challenge following a two-week camp in Muridke.
Pakistan, ranked sixth in the world, lost all three matches in the 2010 World Twenty20 in the West Indies – the team’s last international assignment – and will play five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and at least two Twenty20s without several key players including former captain Urooj Mumtaz and strike-bowler Qanita Jalil.
“Obviously we’ll miss the experienced individuals but we’re hopeful that the new faces, who haven’t experienced winning or losing yet, can provide us with a change in fortunes,” Mir told The Express Tribune. “The lack of exposure can actually be a good thing since our opponents are oblivious to their style and potential and we can capitalise on that.”
With the tournament comprising teams ranked fifth to 10th in the world, every match will carry points hence rewarding performing teams with an improved place in the table. Mir, aware of the Pakistan’s lack of experience and limitations, has set the team an aim of not falling below eighth when they leave South Africa.
“Right now, I won’t go big with statements and aims. If we can finish on eighth after the tournament, I’ll be really satisfied. Losing constantly can get really frustrating, especially when you’ve performed as an individual but as a player, the only thing that sport teaches us is to stand up again. And that’s what I’m telling the team.”
Pakistan will play its first match of the tour against Ireland on Wednesday.
© Faras Ghani 2010
Published in The Express Tribune, October 4, 2010
Pakistan women’s cricket coach Mansoor Rana has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to ensure the players remain involved in the sport all year round in order to improve their performance on the international level.
The squad is currently assembled in Muridke for a training camp before it flies out to South Africa for a six-nation One-Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 tournament from October 6. This will be Pakistan’s first involvement on the international circuit since a poor 2010 World Twenty20 in the West Indies earlier this year and Rana is not expecting miracles from them.
“We’re underdogs in world cricket and I’ve told the players to use that to their advantage,” Rana told The Express Tribune at the training camp. “We have the potential to do well but we need to play more matches, get more exposure and spend enough time playing in the middle to do that.”
The absence of a full domestic season and the reluctance of foreign teams to visit Pakistan, according to the coach, has not only hampered the team’s chances of improving on their number-six ranking but also the individuals unable to make a name for themselves.
“They need to spend time in the middle as 30 runs in the middle is equal to spending ten days in the nets. We assemble for short camps and then jet off for foreign tournaments. You can’t expect miracles from the team then.
“We also need to be playing quality opposition regularly. Just holding camps is a complete waste of money if there’s no structure to follow.”
Pakistan, missing several key players due to personal commitments, will be departing on October 4 and will take on Ireland in the first match.
© Faras Ghani 2010
Published in The Express Tribune, September 27, 2010
The Pakistani and Sri Lankan governments should just declare Friday a public holiday. Not only are the two nations squaring up against each other in the men’s ICC World Twenty20, their women counterparts will also set off their World Cup campaign 170 miles away in Taunton, hoping to match proceedings at Lord’s.
Both women outfits go into the match having suffered back-to-back losses in the warm-ups against South Africa and West Indies. Sana Mir, Pakistan’s captain, however, is hoping the experience gained by throwing away a winning position in the losses will help the girls register a convincing win on Friday.
“Obviously victories in the warm-up matches would’ve boosted our confidence but the important thing is to realise what we did wrong and work hard on overcoming that when it matters the most,” Sana told Dawn on Thursday. “Our morale is still very high and the team’s looking forward to winning tomorrow’s match convincingly.”
While a win remains a possibility, a convincing margin looks far-fetched given Pakistan’s performance with the bat recently. Chasing 115 against West Indies in a rain-shortened match, Pakistan lost regular wickets and could only muster up 88 with only two players reaching double figures. Similarly, against South Africa, they crumbled from 43 for no loss to 90 allout, chasing a meagre 127 for victory. While restricting the opposition to low total seems no problem, batting, by the looks of things, remains a cause for concern.
“We have been poor with the bat but we have worked hard on it and know how to handle it well now. Our collapse against South Africa was very disappointing but we are getting used to conditions and our opponents well and working hard to overcome our lapses in concentration.”
While Pakistan women have yet to play their Sri Lankan counterparts in the shortest format of the game, the girls in green will take heart from the last time these two sides met: A group match in the Women’s World Cup that Pakistan won by 57 runs.
“We have been playing a lot over the last three years and although we’ve only won once, we have come close to beating them on numerous occasions. We will take our win against them in Australia into the match but we fully realise they will come back at us strongly as well with revenge in mind so we can’t solely rely on that win alone.”
The team, much like their male counterparts in the warm-up matches, have shuffled the batting order around, looking for the best eleven. While Sana himself came at number three against Sri Lanka, her demotion to number ten against West Indies was all part of the plan to try out as many players as possible.
“We have taken our time getting used to conditions and we’re finally there. We performed well in Ireland and we wanted to gauge our best eleven hence the shuffling batting order. It was only a temporary move and I’ll be seen in the middle order come tomorrow.”
As the team heads off to watch India play England, the two other sides in Pakistan’s group, Sana emphasised on the importance of learning from other teams and ensuring they know their opponents. It will all help when we are pitted against them in the days to come, according to Sana.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 12, 2009
