Pakistan Women's first-ever home series against South Africa to kick-start 2023-24 season

Pakistan women's cricket team's first-ever home series against South Africa will kick-start their hectic 2023-24 international cricket season. From September 1 to September 14, South Africa will play three T20Is and three ICC Women's Championship 2022-25 ODIs in Karachi. Pakistan currently leads the points table with five wins in nine One-Day Internationals (ODIs), whereas South Africa have only played one of three ODI series and have six points.

Pakistan hosted South Africa in Sharjah in the inaugural ICC Women's Championship 2014-16, in which the African side won the series 2-1. Pakistan toured South Africa in the 2017-20 season, with the series concluding in a 1-1 tie. South Africa will be the fourth prominent national women's team to visit Pakistan in recent times. West Indies women played three T20Is in Karachi in January 2019, while Sri Lanka and Ireland played ODIs and T20Is in Karachi and Lahore, respectively, in May and November 2022.  

Pakistan’s home series against South Africa is one of five ICC Women's Championship series in which they will compete during the 2023-24 season. Pakistan will visit Bangladesh in October, followed by a New Zealand tour in November 2023. Pakistan will host the West Indies in April 2024, ahead of their tour to England in May. Notably, over the next 12 months, Pakistan will play 15 ICC Women's Championship ODIs and 17 T20Is. The number of T20Is might rise, as the team prepares to compete in the 19th Asian Games in China, in September next year.  

The next 12 months will be incredibly busy for the Pakistan women’s cricket team: Dar

Pakistan captain Nida Dar has stated that the next 12 months would be extremely busy for the team and that she is excited and looking forward to the upcoming assignments. She also stated that these matches will help them to acquire experience and exposure, as well as close the gap with the front-runners. 

"The next 12 months will be incredibly busy for the Pakistan women’s cricket team and I look forward to the upcoming assignments with excitement and anticipation. These matches will contribute significantly in our endeavours to gain experience and exposure, and narrow gap with the front-runners," Dar was quoted as saying by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) website.

She went on to say that she hopes to make the series against South Africa a memorable one. Notably, it will be the all-rounder's first as captain and 100th ODI match. 

"The busy season will start with the home series against South Africa, which will also be my first series as captain. I am hoping to make it a memorable one for myself by not only completing a century of ODIs but also assisting the side to collect valuable ICC Women’s Championship points so that we can finish in the upper half of the draw. However, to achieve this, we will have to play outstandingly well as South Africa is an experienced side that possesses a number of quality players," she added.

South Africa captain, Sune Luus, on the other hand, said that she was excited to be back to play a bilateral series in Pakistan. Luus also said that she was impressed by the warm hospitality she received while playing in Pakistan. Notably, she visited the Asian nation earlier this year for the women’s league exhibition matches.