The dynamic trailblazer throughout her playing days
Urooj Mumtaz Khan may have left the Pakistan women’s cricket team long ago. But there have been things about her that have not let people forget this former national captain who, as an all-rounder, always led her team from the front. She is intelligent, well-educated (she’s a dental surgeon by profession), energetic, dependable, trustworthy, respectful, graceful and poised, though never proud and a good sport on top of that from the very start. A dynamic trailblazer throughout her playing days, she still remains one as she steps into her new role as the first woman chief selector of the new three-person selection committee announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on March 20.
As part of its strategy to further strengthen the women’s game, PCB named a new three-person selection committee to be chaired by the former captain with former players Asmavia Iqbal and Marina Iqbal as the other two members.
About the new selection committee, the board’s managing director Wasim Khan said earlier that they have specially brought in players for it 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.”
From representing the national women’s team with a great deal of success to becoming the Pakistan Cricket Board’s first woman chief selector, Urooj Mumtaz Khan’s sports trajectory is one that budding cricketers can look up to
The new selection committee has been installed after the panel headed by former men’s Test player Jalaluddin and former international Akhtar Sarfraz, completed their respective terms last month.
“Attracting women with the relevant skill sets and a passion for the 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,” says Khan.
Talking about her role as chief selector, Urooj says that, unlike men’s cricket where the selection committee comprises five members, for women’s cricket a three-member committee should suffice. “There is still not as much cricket activity happening for women here at the moment as there is for men,” she points out.
“As chief selector I will be going wherever they hold camp because just looking at score sheets doesn’t help. Someone’s 20 runs may be better than someone’s 50 as that girl may have scored those precious runs in the most difficult of situations. So score sheets don’t tell you about player temperaments,” she adds.
Besides heading the new women’s selection committee she is also part of the PCB Cricket Committee headed by Mohsin Hasan Khan with Wasim Akram and Misbah-ul-Haq as the other members. She is the only woman there but the most relevant person for carrying forward PCB’s vision for women’s cricket.
About the committee she says it is an advisory committee which was formed in November last year. “Based on our observations we make suggestions about the overall cricket structure in the country. Of course I have been brought in specifically to look into women’s cricket issues,” she says.