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Urooj Mumtaz to head PCB's all-women selection panel

Urooj Mumtaz poses with the 2009 Women's World Cup trophy Getty Images

A new PCB women's selection committee chaired by Urooj Mumtaz will also include former players Asmavia Iqbal and Marina Iqbal, the PCB announced.

Asmavia was already part of the what is now an all-women committee. Jalaluddin and Akhtar Sarfraz, who were the other two members, have now been replaced by Marina and Mumtaz.

The committee's first task will be the announcement of a side that tours South Africa for the ICC Women's Championship in May. Wasim Khan thanked the outgoing Jalaluddin and Akhtar Sarfraz for their services, and announced a new vision for women's cricket going forward.

"Women's cricket will be an important priority moving forward and this has been reflected in the selection of such a relevant and dynamic committee," he said. "Their appointments will go a long way towards accelerating the progress of our senior women's team.

"The new selection committee comprises players who, until very recently, have been involved in white ball cricket. This syncs very nicely with the PCB's vision of providing an environment where women's cricket not only thrives but where we are able to increase our pool of players so that it can sustainably grow and flourish. Attracting women with the relevant skill sets and a passion for the women's game was critical when forming this new Committee.

"Offering merit based opportunities to exceptionally talented women who can help drive and influence the game spells a new and exciting era at the PCB. Urooj is part of the PCB Cricket Committee, so her relevance to the modern game will further benefit the direction we are aiming to take the women and girls' cricket."

Urooj Mumtaz said: "I would like to thank the PCB for believing in me and my abilities for this new role as the Chair of the women's selection committee.

"As we move into a new era of women's cricket, we need to have the ability to adapt to the modern day game. Keeping that in mind, we aim to inspire and produce players with the skills and talent to compete consistently at the top international level, and also encourage the younger generation to take up this great game and become the ambassadors of Pakistan. As we move forward, I am confident the performance of the team will also improve steadily."