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Sharmeen Khan Dies Aged 46
I had a number of conversations with the sisters, Shaiza and
Sharmeen Khan, in the middle and late 90s about the situation
regarding women's cricket in Pakistan. Having watched the World Cup
Final at Lord's in 1993 (they had a flat very close by) they decided
to try and form a team in Pakistan.
This proved, as they undoubtedly expected, to be full of
problems, not least the objections of some in their country to women
participating in any sport. They also were firmly rebuffed by the
Pakistan Cricket Board.
This was in a period when international women's cricket was run
by a completely different organisation from the ICC, women's cricket
only coming under the ICC's auspices immediately following the end
of the 2005 World Cup which was the last tournament run by the
totally independent IWCC.
In 1996 that rather more broadminded organisation welcomed
Pakistan under its wing recognising the organisation set up by the
sisters as Pakistan's official Board.
![Sharmeen Khan]](images18/98-Sharmeen%20Khan-MCC.jpg "Sharmeen Khan]")
Sharmeen Khan Representing the MCC in 1998
I heard during the course of several conversations of some of
the trials and tribulations that beset them. For example they once
described to me how they had received death threats after arranging
an overseas tour. The sisters were fortunate to have to hand the
necessary funds from their father who was generous enough to give
them every encouragement. I asked them how they felt, had they
thought of abandoning the tour because of the danger, or had they
decided to crash on anyway? They described to me how they made a
public announcement that the team would be flying out on a
particular day and that they would give a press conference at the
airport. They then flew out the day before. While this was
probably a very sensible precaution, it put both their lives in
considerable danger on their return but they were not to be
thwarted.
One other conversation that comes to mind was them telling me
about a girl who had walked for two days and whose feet were
bleeding when she arrived at a training camp they had planned. It
showed, they contended, that there were girls in Pakistan who would
not let anything stand in their way in their desire to play cricket.
I came to admire these sisters and their friend and batsman
Kiran Baluch hugely. Can there have ever been two such (perhaps I
should say three such) brave and determined individuals in the
history of women's cricket? I think not! Sana Mir and the others who
follow in their footsteps owe them a debt that it is impossible to
repay!
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