Amn who has been playing cricket for fourteen years, is now planning to go to Islamabad to study for a Masters’ degree in physical education. She aspires to be a cricket coach for the girls of Balochistan, but due to the ban, she is uncertain if she’d be able to utilize her skills.
“Earlier, the management used to give 5000 PKR to 10000 PKR stipends for each player and good hotels were booked for the players. Talented players were given cash prizes but it all stopped”, says Amn Baloch.
“In 2018 we played well in the Super League in Peshawar, and our team reached the final matches category, neither government of Balochistan nor the ministry of sports, though, our women players are only having grounds in Quetta, still not having coaches and grounds in rest of the districts."
It is very sad that there are four coaches for boys but only one for girls, neither do we have a separate ground. In the Nawab Akber Khan Bugti stadium both boys and girls practice together. “While we started coaching girls in 2008 there were only two girls”, says Aqil Baloch, the coach for women cricketers.
“One of these players were Nahida Khan who is now part of the Pakistan Women Cricket team. And guest cricketers were selected from Lahore and Karachi but in 2012 the number of our own girls rose and we had a complete team”, says Aqil.
Aqil says most families in the province and conservative and girls from far flung areas cannot come because they cannot afford to pay for the means of transport."
This is the reason that many of these brilliant and talented girls leave their category of sports midway,” says Aqil.
"The Lahore and Karachi based women cricket teams are lucky as they are supported by their provincial governments and sponsored by the different companies and industries in these provinces. This is why their morale is high and they train good cricketers,” says Aqil.
“We have enough talent in the form of Nahida Khan, and there are many energetic women cricketers who want to play for the country, but they are getting no encouragement from the authorities,” she adds.
Dr Barakat Shah Kakar, a professor at the University of Balochistan, says: “In a society where women are attacked with acids, it takes courage to pursue your passion [of playing cricket] as a woman.
If a girl breaks all the cultural structures and join sports but still not supported by the government then what will be her future, asks Kakar. “The government lack policies for girls’ sports. We have enough youths but the proper frame of policies can pave the way for their bright future.”
A source from the Sports Ministry seeking anonymity told that the women cricket team in Balochistan do not event get the sports kit from the government. All they get is only a dozen of cricket ball for the whole year.