Bismah Maroof, Pakistan’s second-most experienced player in ODIs, has been ruled out of the ongoing Women’s World Cup due to a hand injury. She has been replaced in the squad by allrounder Iram Javed.
Maroof had hurt herself in the field on Tuesday when England thrashed Pakistan by 107 runs. A capable middle-order batsman – 11 fifties at an average of 26 – her loss has come at a difficult time, with her team at the bottom of the points table with no wins in two matches.
Nevertheless, it represented an opportunity for the 25-year old Iram, who has played only seven ODIs since her debut in 2013. She has scored 37 runs and has taken three wickets with her seam bowling. She last played 50-over cricket for Pakistan in November 2016.
The ICC’s event technical committee – comprising Geoff Allardice (ICC, chairman), Campbell Jamieson (ICC representative), Steve Elworthy (Tournament Director), Alan Fordham (host representative), Anjum Chopra and Alison Mitchell (both independent nominees) – has approved the change.
Pakistan squad: Sana Mir (capt), Asmavia Iqbal, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Ghulam Fatima, Iram Javed, Javeria Khan, Kainat Imtiaz, Marina Iqbal, Nahida Khan, Nain Abidi, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Yousuf, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Waheeda Akhtar