Nida Dar appointed Pakistan women's team captain; Mark Coles returns as head coach

Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Nida Dar on Thursday (April 6) was appointed as the new captain of the Pakistan women's cricket team across all formats, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced in a release.

Dar, 36, has played 99 ODIs and 130 T20Is for the Pakistan women's team since May 2010. With 126 wickets from 130 T20I matches at an economy rate of 5.47, Nida Dar is currently the leading wicket-taker in the women's T20Is.

Nida Dar will take over the captaincy reign from Bismah Maroof after the latter quit the post following Pakistan's group stage exit from the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup in February.

The experienced all-rounder also stood in as Pakistan's captain in their final group stage match against England in Cape Town.

The 36-year-old expressed her gratitude to the country's national board for trusting her in the leadership role. She also applauded Maroof's passion and commitment and hoped to continue the former captain's legacy.

"It is a huge responsibility, and I am excited to lead the team in the upcoming events. I want to thank the PCB for entrusting me with this responsibility and will do my best to take the team forward.

"I also want to thank Bismah Maroof for her services as the captain of the team. She has done a fantastic job, and I hope to continue her legacy and lead the team with the same passion and commitment. The upcoming season of women's cricket is going to be a tough one. But we are fortunate to have some young exciting talent in our pool of players, which I am confident will significantly improve during the course and also help the side to produce strong performances."

Dar further talked about her objective to see the Women in Green gradually rising the ranks in ICC Women's Championship.

"As a captain, my objective remains to inspire and mentor these young players to become quality cricketers. I will be extremely satisfied and content if we first break and then cement our place in the upper half of the ICC Women's Championship before slowly working our way into the top-three."

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Mark Coles comes back as head coach of Pakistan women

The PCB also confirmed Mark Coles as Pakistan women's team head coach. Former Pakistan cricketer Saleem Jaffer was named chairman of the women's selection committee. The selection panel also includes Marina Iqbal, Asmavia Iqbal and Mohtashim Rasheed.

Meanwhile, Coles will return as the head coach after the New Zealander held the same role from 2017 to 2019, when he resigned over family reasons. The 54-year-old coach will arrive in Pakistan in May on the basis of a two-year deal and will work alongside the current coaching setup.

Taufeeq Umar (batting coach), Jaffar (bowling coach) and Mohtashim Rasheed (fielding coach) are part of the Pakistan women's team coaching unit at the moment.

Reacting to his appointment as women's team head coach, Coles said:

"I am grateful to the PCB for giving me yet another opportunity to work with the talented Pakistan Women's team. It has been a privilege to work with such a talented group of players and I look forward to the exciting times ahead as we aim to improve our previous performances and achievements."

He added:

"We have a lot of potential in the team, and I look forward to helping the players give their best and achieve success on the international stage."

According to the ICC's official website, Pakistan have a busy schedule coming up with several bilateral series lined up.

Between August 2023 and July 2024, the Pakistan women’s team will play five bilateral cricket series comprising a total of 15 ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 ODIs.