Chitral’s Saira Jabeen Included in Pak Women’s T20 Squad for South Africa Tour
Chitral Times Report
Chitral : Pakistan has included talented batter Saira Jabeen, hailing from the Kalash Valley of district Chitral, in the Women’s T20 International squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa. Saira Jabeen belongs to the village of Rumbur in the Kalash Valley and has become the first woman from the region to represent Pakistan in international cricket.
In addition to featuring in various domestic women’s cricket tournaments in Pakistan, Saira Jabeen has also represented Australia’s Parramatta Cricket Club. In an interview, her father, Ingineer Khan, by profession a schoolteacher—shared that due to the lack of proper playing grounds in underdeveloped areas like Rumbur, children used to play cricket along riverbanks and in fields. He said Saira had a strong passion for cricket from a young age and would often play tape-ball cricket with boys after returning from school.
Saira Jabeen initially honed her skills by playing with boys’ teams. She later moved to Peshawar and then Lahore for higher education, where she received formal training at a women’s cricket club. She has completed a BS in Journalism from the University of the Punjab, Lahore, and has been a prominent all-rounder for the university’s women’s cricket team.
According to Engineer Khan, Saira is not only a talented cricketer but has also demonstrated outstanding performance in academics. He expressed hope that in the future, Saira Jabeen will play an active role in promoting sports and education among the youth of Chitral and the Kalash Valley, especially girls.
