Multan (Web Desk): Multan sultans will become the first T20 franchise in Pakistan Super League (PSL) history to hire a female general manager (GM).
In a post on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Mutan Sultan's announced Hijab, 28, as the GM for the franchise.
She becomes the only woman to be appointed as the chief of any T20 format franchise globally.
Multan Sultans shared the news with fans by calling this step as milestone in cricket management.
We are delighted to introduce a significant milestone in the world of cricket management. We proudly announce Ms. Hijab Zahid (@hijaaaaab) as the newly appointed General Manager of Multan Sultans, marking a historic moment as the first female General Manager in the history of any… pic.twitter.com/Ev12BncbDU
— Multan Sultans (@MultanSultans) August 28, 2023
Hijab Zahid, currently the director of Grassroots Cricket, will replace Haider Azhar as the GM of Multan Sultans.
According to media reports, Hijab holds a Master's degree in Project Management from the University of Hertfordshire and previously worked as media manager for Islamabad United.
Multan Sultans is going through a lot of management changes this year. Alamgir Tareen, who was the sole owner of the franchise, passed away last month after which his nephew Ali Tareen, who co-owned the franchise with Alamgir till 2021, took full control.
Ali Tareen also took on X, announcing Hijab as Mulatn Sultans’ GM. He stated that “Multan Sultans have made Hijab Zahid the first woman GM of South Asia in men's cricket”.
Tareen added that we are also committed to hire three women coaches before the start of PSL. He also showed his intention to establish gender equality in the franchise.
We at the @MultanSultans are privileged to have @hijaaaaab as our new GM. A fantastic professional with a Masters in Project Management, who brings with her a wealth of experience. A trailblazer, Hijab is in fact South Asia’s first woman GM in men’s cricket. First of many IA! ???????? pic.twitter.com/FAlXrUudWL
— Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) August 28, 2023
Talking to media, Hijab said “It’s a lot harder to assert authority as a woman.” “It’s culturally harder for men to take directions from a woman. We have people in this industry who haven’t interacted with women in their lives through no fault of their own, especially in this power dynamic.”
An honour to join such a great franchise. Looking forward to advancing the fantastic Multan Sultans legacy & heritage, and to great cricket ahead. Onwards and upwards ???? ????????♀️ ???? https://t.co/VcMNslImTV
— Hijab Zahid (@hijaaaaab) August 28, 2023
"Women are placed in such positions in the corporate world, but in the world of sports, it is very rare," Hijab said, adding that this initiative of Multan Sultans will pave the way for many women to show the essence of leadership in the world of sports.
