Seven Kuwait players receive their national annual contracts for 2021

Seven Kuwait players - including captain Amna Tariq - received their annual contracts for the year 2021, Kuwait Cricket announced. Earlier in April this year, the board awarded national contracts for the first time when they named these seven players in the contract. They were selected 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’, according to the governing body.



These seven players are divided into two categories as Amna Tariq, Priyada Murali, Mariamma Hyder, Siobhan Gomez, Khadija Khalil, and Maryyam Ashraf will be a part of category A, while the 14-year-old batter Zeefa Jilani in category B is the seventh player in the list. This list of players has been shortlisted by appointees of Kuwait Cricket including, the national coach Muthumudalige Pushpakumara and head of women’s cricket Husnain Arshad along with head coach Ghayour Ahmed and development coach Tariq Rasool Shah.



All the contracted players and other squad members will receive match fees for all the international matches including ICC events. They will also be provided with winning bonuses in all events including bi-lateral tournaments.



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“The 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 semi-professionally and professionally join the game," the governing body in a statement during the announcement in April.



Kuwait cricket expects the number of contracted players to increase over time, based on exceptional performers and talent from domestic cricket as they want to grow the pool of contracted players to 20 by 2023-24.



Contracted players:



Category A: Amna Tariq, Priyada Murali, Mariamma Hyder, Siobhan Gomez, Khadija Khalil, Maryyam Ashraf



Categoary B: Zeefa Jilani