Sharing Sharjah’s spotlight: Women make their mark on cricket’s big stage

Paul Radley attended the Sharjah Cricket Stadium to witness Sri Lanka's women's team take on Pakistan.

Sana Mir of Pakistan bats against Sri Lanka during the one day international at the Sharjah Cricket Ground on January 9, 2015. Jeffrey E Biteng/The National

Officials at Sharjah Cricket Stadium are proud of the fact their ground has staged more one-day internationals than any other venue.

That much is clear to see from a sign above the sight screen at the northern end, which is about 25 metres wide and reads: Sharjah Cricket Stadium – Guinness World Records.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka have been regular beneficiaries of the city’s hospitality, but Friday provided a first because the fixture involved women.

It felt different, too.

All the bunting that adorned this ground for last year’s Indian Premier League has gone.

So, too, the branding from the Pakistan men’s series against Australia and New Zealand at the end of last year.

It has all been stripped away leaving just the grass and the cricketers to focus on.

In general, there was less fuss, less posturing, fewer impromptu drinks breaks without good reason and fewer stoppages for injuries than is often seen in men’s international cricket.

There were, though, proper and prompt over rates.

When Nida Dar continued to wear her cap while bowling – rarely done but handy if it means keeping long hair out of the eyes – at least the peak was facing in the right direction.

Unlike when Fawad Alam bowled here in a recent one-day international, with his green Pakistan cap on back-to-front like a wannabe skater-boy.

There were fewer sixes, too.

The most striking difference between the men’s and women’s games on this evidence is the lack of power hitting and pace in the bowling.

Against the seam bowlers, the respective wicketkeepers were stood barely a third of the way back to the 30-yard circle.

In the men’s game that measurement would be more like a third of the way back to the boundary.

First thoughts might suggest the 178 for eight that Sri Lanka made – including the game’s solitary six, hit by captain Chamari Athapaththu – would have been below par.

It was competitive, though.

They might well have won the game, too, had they not put down two catches just as the run chase started to get tense.

Pakistan’s five-wicket win was a rare one against a side who have regularly bettered them and Sana Mir, the captain, said they had been inspired by the surroundings.

“We are delighted to be here and part of the history of Sharjah,” Mir said. “In the morning we were discussing Javed Miandad’s last-ball six against India at Sharjah (in 1986).

“We are honoured as players to be playing here because it is a very sacred venue for Pakistani players.”

Victory moved Pakistan to within a point of their counterparts in sixth place in the ICC women’s championship, with two matches left to play in this series.

The top four teams in the championship will qualify for the 2017 World Cup in England, while the bottom four will be pitched into a repechage competition with the next best nations. “We should easily have scored 200-plus with our capabilities,” said Athapaththu, the losing captain.

“Then we dropped some sitters, missed some run-outs and that is why we lost.”

Manvi Dhodhi, the assistant coach of the UAE women’s team and a staff member at Sharjah, said staging a series like this is good for the game here.

“It is great that women’s cricket is getting exposure like this in the UAE,” said Dhodhi, a former national team all-rounder.

“Our cricket is a few levels down from this.”

He said the UAE team play only against Asian Cricket Council sides “rather than ICC tournaments at present, but we are making small steps to improve all the time”.

Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE