ICC Appoints Pakistani Legend Sana Mir as Ambassador for Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Wednesday, 24 April, that Sana Mir, the Pakistani cricket legend who represented her country in 226 international games, 137 of them as captain, will serve as the ambassador for the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier.

Mir will closely monitor the tournament, which will feature 10 teams vying for two spots in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. The teams are divided into two groups of five, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals. The victorious semi-finalists will secure a spot in the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year.

Highlights from the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier warm-up matches include Scotland’s sizzling performance, Sri Lanka stamping their authority, and a Super Over requirement. For more details, visit here.

Mir expressed her delight at being named the ambassador of the tournament, noting that in addition to being a pathway to the T20 World Cup, the Qualifier will also offer a competitive cricket spectacle.

“Aside from the significant qualification opportunity for two teams, the tournament will provide excellent exposure for the Associate Member teams and their players,” Mir said. “The women’s game has become increasingly competitive in recent years, and the 10 nations involved in the Qualifier boast a number of quality players.”

Mir, a veteran of Pakistan cricket, has participated in numerous ICC tournaments for her country, including the qualifying events. Her crowning achievement was in the 2008 ICC Women’s Qualifying Series for the Women’s Cricket World Cup, where Pakistan made it to the finals. Mir was awarded the joint Player of the Series for the tournament.

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The former Pakistan captain aims to share her expertise and experience with the players.

“My goal is to engage with the various teams and players during the Qualifier and provide guidance on how to handle the pressure of these events and what it takes to succeed. Pakistan has a strong record in these events, and I have particularly fond memories of the 2008 edition of the 50 over World Cup qualifier event that I participated in,” she said.

Mir also believes that the gap between the top-ranked teams and Associate Members is narrowing due to ICC Pathway events, and there is potential for an upset in the Qualifier.

“The players are gaining more experience and exposure through their domestic tournaments and the ICC pathway programme. The regional events and the Qualifier are crucial for the further growth of women’s cricket. While Sri Lanka and Ireland are likely favourites to qualify alongside Thailand, teams like Scotland, Netherlands, UAE, Uganda, and Zimbabwe certainly have the potential to cause major upsets and progress to the semi-finals and potentially the final,” she added.

Mir mentioned that she would be keenly following Zimbabwe’s progress, given her mentorship experience with their youth side last year during the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa.

“I am particularly interested in monitoring the progress of some of the Zimbabwe players whom I mentored during the inaugural ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup in South Africa last year,” she said.

While discussing power hitters, she highlighted Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu as a player to watch in the tournament.

“The power game has become increasingly important in women’s cricket, and players like Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu have created a significant legacy with their aggressive style. I am excited to see her unleash some big hits and scores in the tournament,” she said.

Mir added that the teams need to be mindful of the conditions in the UAE, which could favour slower bowlers.

“It will be interesting to see how the teams adapt to the conditions in Abu Dhabi. The pitches in the UAE can favour slow bowlers at times, and the hot weather will also need to be taken into account,” she said.

The tournament commences on Thursday, 25 April in Abu Dhabi. The matches will be held at the Tolerance Oval and Zayed Cricket Stadium.