PCB in Talks to Launch Women’s Franchise T20 League

PCB women’s wing head Rafia Haider confirmed plans for a women’s T20 franchise league are under discussion.

The Pakistan Cricket Board is discussing the creation of a franchise-based T20 tournament for women. PCB women’s wing head Rafia Haider stated the board is doing its “homework” and will not rush the process.

This follows the successful launch of similar leagues in India, Australia, and England. The Women’s Premier League in India, for example, has boosted player development and popularity.

A Focus on Development in Women’s Cricket

In an interview, Haider confirmed the plans are active but not final. “It is under discussion but not finalized as yet,” Rafia told Cricbuzz. “Of course it (the tournament) is going to be a huge move whenever it happens so we’ll take everyone on board and do our homework properly before its fruition,” she said.

She outlined steps already taken to develop women’s cricket in Pakistan. This includes dedicating a High-Performance Centre in Karachi for women and providing separate management for the national and U19 teams.

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Regarding Pakistan’s recent World Cup performance, Haider defended the team’s progress. “Although we failed to earn success we came quite close against some of the big teams and couple of matches were abandoned so we cannot say we have failed in the World Cup,” Rafia said.

She identified areas for improvement. “What we feel is that now we need to develop for high pressure/high stakes environment and be consistent because this is one area probably we are lacking behind and we are working on to make sure we have a fitter unit in the coming days,” said Rafia.

She added, “The World Cup result does not show our true potential considering in 2025 we played 15 matches winning six matches with three being washed out.” Haider concluded by affirming the PCB’s support for captain Fatima Sana.