Diana Baig Biography: Whenever AB de Villiers hits a century, trivia makes rounds on the social media platforms. It highlights how AB de Villiers has sports in his veins, and if not cricket, he could have excelled in a plethora of other sports. Diana Baig has a similar story. A sportsman by her nature, she is also a very good footballer. Good enough to make it to the Pakistani national women’s football team, to put that into perspective.
Baig grew up in Hunza Valley, whereas alongside her neighbours, she used to regularly play both cricket and football. With time, she became equally good in both sports. While she would pick many wickets on one day, she would score majestic goals in the very next day. Belonging to the Ismaili sect of Shia Islam, she never had any family restriction on her sporting career.
Back in 2010 when the Gilgit-Baltistan women’s team was still very new, they needed a new captain. Given her leadership abilities, Baig was called upon for the role. Two years later, she found herself playing regularly for Pakistan A women’s team.
Her football career, though, wasn’t as organized and predetermined. Though she was a good footballer, Baig never thought of choosing it as her primary career. It was when her friend told that the Gilgit-Baltistan women’s football team is running out of players, that she decided to give it a go. She excelled in the trails, and four years later, found herself representing Pakistan in the SAFF Championship in Bahrain.
Early Life & Major Teams
Baig was born on October 15, 1995 in Gilgit, Northern Areas. She juggled between football, cricket and studies since a very young age. Baig later joined Lahore College for Women University, the place where majority of her training took place. Baig often credits the place for her growth as a cricketer. In an interview with Dawn, she said “It(her growth) is because of this college, this ground, because regular practice is very important.”
Besides the Pakistan national side, she has played for Higher Education Commission Women, Islamabad Women, Federal Capital Women, PCB Dynamites, PCB Orioles, Saif Sports Saga Women, Islamabad Under-19s Women, Islamabad Under-21s Women and PCB Challengers.
Domestic Career
Baig’s first professional T20 match was at the T20 Pentangular Women’s Tournament 2011. Playing for PCB Orioles, she remained not out on 2 against PCB Dolphins. She didn’t get a chance to bowl. On her professional List A debut at the Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah Women Cricket Championship Seniors 2014, she bowled 5 overs and conceded 18 runs. She also took the wicket of Sonia Shabbir.
International Career
Baig got her first chance in international cricket three years after she was selected for the Pakistan A team. Against Bangladesh at Karachi, Baig bowled 4 overs and conceded 18 runs. Neither could she take a wicket, nor could she open her score-sheet.
On her T20I debut a month later against West Indies at St. George’s, Baig conceded 22 runs in 4 overs and also took the wicket of Stacy-Ann King. She has played in the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup and the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20.
Stats & Quotes
Baig has picked up 23 ODI wickets in as many matches, and has also scored 53 runs. She has picked up 13 wickets in 18 T20Is, and has scored 25 runs. Few years ago during an interview with Dawn, she revealed how she manages to play both cricket and football simultaneously, whilst studying for exams.
“It becomes very hard. I try to start from football. I play football in the morning, then our cricket training starts around 11 or 12 noon and continues until 3:00 pm or 4:00 pm. I start studying during the night, continuing until late,” she said.
