Nida Dar becomes first Pakistani woman to be signed by Big Bash league team

All-rounder Nida Dar on Wednesday became the first-ever Pakistani woman cricketer to be signed by a Big Bash League franchise. 

She will be in action for Sydney Thunders during this season’s Women Big Bash League (WBBL).

Dar is one of the most successful all-rounders of the Pakistan Women team, with 88 wickets and 1,086 runs in 96 T0Is for Pakistan. She has also played 71 ODIs since her international debut in 2010.

Dar, 32, confirmed that she has been signed by Sydney Thunders and will leave on October 5th for her dream stint as Pakistan’s first-ever woman in the Big Bash League.

Earlier this year, the former batting coach of Pakistan Women team, Andy Richards had predicted that Nida could earn a league contract with any Big Bash teams.

“The secret of playing in WBBL is to make sure that you have got at least two or three skills and Nida Dar has that. She fields really well, she bowls really well and she bats really well. She bowls okay with the left hand as well and she is reasonably fit. Javeria Khan is another one and she is learning really, really well to hit the ball over cover,” he told Geo in January 2019.

The 2019 edition of Women Big Bash League will kick off from October 18, with Sydney Thunders taking on the Sixers in the opening match.

The stint, experts believe, is bound to help Dar improve her cricketing skills.