PCB is looking to expand the pool of women cricketers in Pakistan © Getty Images
The PCB has roped in Tania Mallick, a member of the Pakistan Olympics Association, to head their women’s cricket wing. The position was vacant since May this year after Urooj Mumtaz – who was holding multiple jobs in PCB – relinquished the main role, allowing PCB to hire a full-time head.
Tania, 52, an alumnus of Lahore University of Management Sciences and a former badminton player, represented Pakistan at the Seoul Asian Games 1986. She became the national champion in the 1987-88 season. She has been vice-president of the Punjab Olympic Association since 2010, is currently vice-president of the Punjab Squash Association, and is also serving as a member of the Pakistan Olympic Association’s Education and Women’s Commissions.
The PCB has taken over three months to find a candidate for the post, with the first lot of candidates who applied not making much of an impression in the initial interviews. The board had to invite more candidates to come forward, and extended the deadline to do so, having begun their search for a replacement immediately after Mumtaz left.
Mumtaz wasn’t working on a full-time basis, with the former captain holding multiple positions, including that of the chief selector of the women’s team apart from having a place in PCB’s cricket committee. She was also a commentator on PCB’s panel. The multiple roles she held began to come under increasing scrutiny, especially with the board’s new ethics code looking to clamp down on any potential conflicts of interest.
The PCB women’s wing functions independently under the PCB. Previously, the department was headed by a general manager before it was revamped, creating a full-time role. Before Mumtaz, Shahid Aslam – who is the Pakistan team’s assistant coach – had a stint to oversee women’s cricket. The women’s wing is more structured than ever, with PCB and looking to expand the pool of women cricketers in the country.
The PCB has also been offering hefty salaries across the board for the country’s top women cricketers, as well as more lucrative financial incentives for domestic cricket. They have also launched a parental support policy for all contracted cricketers. The women’s cricket selection committee is headed by Mumtaz, and till recently had fellow former cricketers Asmavia Iqbal and Marina Iqbal as it’s members, until Marina gave up the post to focus on her commentary career.
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo