Javeria Khan and Sana Mir bag top honours at PCB Awards

From the women’s side, Diana Baig and Javeria Khan won two awards, while Sana Mir and Sidra Nawaz also bagged an award each.

In the category for domestic cricketers, Khan won the award for Best Batter in Domestic Cricket following her impressive performance in the Departmental T20 League. She represented Zarai Tarakiat Bank Limited (ZTBL) in the tournament and played a vital part in their winning campaign, finishing as the second highest run-scorer, having amassed 172 runs in six innings at an average of 86.00. Her highest score was of 56.

Claiming the award for Best Bowler in Domestic Cricket was her teammate in ZTBL and the Pakistan Team, Diana Baig. In the domestic T20 competition, Baig equalled the record for the most wickets taken, claiming nine scalps in six matches, at an average of 15.78. Her economy rate was of 6.76 runs an over and her best bowling figures were 3-23.

Rounding up the awards in the domestic category was Sidra Ameen, also representing ZTBL, who was named Best Wicket-keeper in Domestic Cricket. She had a total of 16 dismissals in the tournament -seven more than the next best- with five catches and 11 stumpings.

Diana Baig was also named the Emerging Player of the Year following her incredible performance in the international arena. At just the age of 22, the seamer is a pivotal part of Pakistan’s bowling attack. Debuting in October 2015, Baig has gone on to represent Pakistan in 12 One Day International’s (ODI) and 8 T20 International’s since. Her best bowling figures in an ODI are 3-41 and in T20I’s is 2-18.

The biggest awards of the night though went to Javeria Khan, who was named T20 Player of the Year and Sana Mir, who was named ODI Player of the Year.

Khan has played 75 T20I’s for Pakistan and has scored 1210 runs since then at an average of 19.83 and a strike-rate of 87.23. Also a handy off-spinner, Khan has taken 11 wickets in the 14 matches she has bowled, at an average of 20.18 and an economy rate of 5.55. Not traditionally a hard-hitter of the ball, Khan’s consistency with the bat and her ability to remain calm under pressure situations has helped her to guide her team to the win many times, which is why she has been given this award.

Former captain Sana Mir was named ODI Player of the Year and deservedly so. Mir currently occupies the fifth spot in the ICC ODI bowler’s rankings and has the ability to bamboozle any batting line-up with her wily off-spin. Having made her debut 13 years ago in 2005, Mir has been an important part of the team ever since and continues to impress. Her most recent success came in Pakistan’s series against New Zealand last year, where for the first team Pakistan’s women team defeated the White Ferns’. She tore through their batting line-up, claiming four wickets and was adjudged the Player of the Match for her performance. Also a useful batter, she can be relied on to anchor the innings and add some runs down the order.