Earlier this year, Kuwait Cricket Board’s appointee Muthumudalige Pushpakumara (National Coach & Development Manager) along with Husnain Arshad (Head of Women’s Cricket), Ghayour Ahmed (Head Coach) and Tariq Rasool Shah (Development Coach) had selected & shortlisted 7 women’s players for national contracts for the year (2021) based on ICC eligibility, performance, talent, fitness, attitude, discipline and future prospects of continued residency in the State of Kuwait for stability and consistency in the national squad of women’s.
In a historic move, the pathbreaking step of giving national contracts to Women’s players is the first ever following the mens contracts which was initiated last year (2020) by Kuwait Cricket board. KCC Board is hopeful that such a move for women’s cricketers will pave the way for both domestic and international development of Kuwait women’s cricketers as it will give them the much required boost and attract more young girls in the process to join the game as semi professionals at least.
Following are the national Women contracted players for the season 2021:
Category A:
1 Amna Tariq
2 Priyada Murali
3 Mariamma Hyder
4 Siobhan Gomez
5 Khadija Khalil
6 Maryyam Ashraf
Category B:
7 Zeefa Jilani
Board member Awatif Al Qallaf & Director General Sajid Ashraf did the honors for the contracted players at the OCA in the presence of head of women’s cricket Husnain Arshad & National Women’s Coach Ghayour Ahmed.
Apart from the 7 selected women for national contracts, the entire women’s squad will also benefit from match fees for ICC & ACC tournaments as well as bilateral series matches. In addition, there will be other monetary benefits such as winning bonuses for international tournaments / bilateral series as well.
The number of contracted players for women’s will also increase over time based on exceptional performers / talent from domestic cricket and the target is to take the women’s contracted players to as many as 20 by 2023/24 cycle.
Congratulations to all the 7 contracted players and here’s wishing them and the entire national women’s probables squad all the luck for the season 2021 and may they continue to bring glory to the State of Kuwait.