Pakistan all-rounder Kainat Imtiaz has praised Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to organize exhibition matches in the latest edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL).
In an exclusive interview with Dr Jio DigitalThe all-rounder said that playing with foreign players helped the young cricketers get exposed to international standards.
During PSL 8, three exhibition matches for women were held in which international women cricketers also participated. It was a trial run for the premier women’s league, which is expected to launch in September this year.
Imtiaz also expressed hope that the upcoming Women’s PSL will further aid the development of players, the impact of which will be visible in the years to come.
About her cricket journey, Kainat shares: “I was a ball picker in the Women’s Asia Cup 2005 held in Pakistan. On that occasion, I was very impressed by the game and the humble personality of former Indian women’s cricketer Jhulan Goswami.
“At that time I decided that I would be a fast bowler. However, later I started batting as well.”
Imtiaz who made his cricket debut in 2010 further praised the efforts of women trying to make a name for themselves in cricket and said: “Women have to work really hard to make it to the national team. They train in extreme heat and spend their whole days just playing, eating and sleep.”
Meanwhile, when asked about his first match for Pakistan and how he felt at that moment, he said: “My hands and feet got cold with nervousness about how my performance would be.
“Because I was informed that I would be playing just an hour before the match started, I had less time to think. However, my debut was declared the best debut till last year.”
“My best cricket moment was the day I played the World Cup for the first time in 2017,” he added.
Asked why female cricketers are less popular than male cricketers, he pointed to the lack of coverage of women’s sports.
“When I meet someone who doesn’t know I play cricket for Pakistan, they get excited but also say they haven’t seen you play on TV.
“We need more live coverage of matches,” he concluded.
