KARACHI: Fast approaching the twilight of her career, Nida Dar is not relenting. Her sense of purpose is so strong, that carrying the Pakistan women’s cricket team on her shoulders — a team which is almost always subject to criticism — doesn’t ever seem to tire her.

At 35, the all-rounder’s rescue efforts continue to drag the team out of danger and so has been the case in the ongoing Women’s T20 Asia Cup.

Into the competition’s semi-finals now, Pakistan are once again dreaming of winning a major trophy, which has eluded them most of the times. Nida wants to win it to inspire girls back home, who aspire to play the sport for the country.

Only Sri Lanka stand in Pakistan’s way to the final. If they make it, they are most likely to face arch-rivals India, who will play Thailand in the second semi-final.

Having stunned a strong Indian side in the tournament’s league round, Pakistan are believing they can do it again in the potential blockbuster final.

“The confidence that helped us beat them [India] in the previous match; we will try to repeat it,” Nida told Dawn on Monday. “Bringing the Asia Cup Trophy home will pave the path for many girls and personally, it will be a milestone.”

Following a disappointing campaign in the Commonwealth Games earlier this year, Pakistan’s woes were glaring when they were stunned by Thailand three matches into the Asia Cup.

It was from a point as low as that that Pakistan bounced back to beat India and reignite their trophy hopes. Nida was in the midst of it all.

Along with her contemporary and Pakistan skipper Bismah Maroof, Nida notched up a crucial partnership to help the team post a competitive total before bagging two big India wickets to help Pakistan over the line.

Against India, Pakistan looked like a totally different unit than how they did in the Thailand drubbing, and according to Nida, her team-mates’ emotions were key in the big game.

“India is a strong team and the emotions that we feel playing against them are different to when we are playing other teams but the intent that we showed, we need to show it in all matches,” said the veteran.

“We performed very well in all three departments that day and we believed that we can do anything.”

Pakistan do rely on the experience of the likes Nida, Bismah and Aliya Riaz, but the influx of young, emerging players has become a regular occurring, especially since the turn of the year.

The explosive Ayesha Naseem, 18, and 21-year-old leg-spinner Tuba Hassan have impressed since debuting earlier this year. Young opener Muneeba Ali, on the other hand, is only getting better. Backing them constantly, Nida believes, is a role that the seniors take seriously.

“Ayesha, Tuba and Muneeba are all match winners and the type of players that we need,” she said.

“The energy and spark they bring into the team boosts us as well and the more they push us, the higher we will have to raise the level of our performances.

“Bismah, myself and Aliya are assigned definite roles to help Pakistan win and we try to build on whatever the youngsters can chip in with and at the same time we are also grooming them according to their roles.”

In an attempt to unearth more talented players, the Pakistan Cricket Board has launched The Women’s League, a franchise T20 competition, of which the inaugural edition is scheduled for February next year.

Nida, the first Pakistan player to feature in Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League, was upbeat about the initiative, observing that it was the type of opportunity that players in her time didn’t have.

“It’s great that they have come in at a time when they are getting all the facilities, which wasn’t the case with us,’ she said of the young players. “The Women’s League will provide a great platform for the girls who are waiting to play for Pakistan professionally.

“There are a lot of regions where the girls don’t get the chance to play, and hopefully that will change now.”

For the change Nida hoped to see, it will take the national women’s team to graduate to the next level, which can happen if Pakistan end up taking the Asia Cup.

Nida was once again crucial, helping Pakistan finish the league round on a high with a win over Sri Lanka on Tuesday after highlighting the importance of smaller goals over bigger dreams a day earlier.

“We are moving forward match-by-match because we tend to perform well when we set smaller goals for ourselves,” she said.

It needs to be seen if Pakistan hold their nerve to achieve the remaining two smaller goals and fulfill the dream which can potentially change the scope of the women’s game in the country. Nida, as always, is ready to take responsibility.

“Being a senior player, I think it’s my responsibility to win matches for Pakistan, because I know that can inspire many girls back home.”

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2022