By the time the Pakistan Super League expanded to eight teams, renewed franchise agreements, sold three teams, staged its first live franchise auctions and overhauled its commercial rights cycle, Hijab Zahid found herself at the centre of one of the busiest periods in the league’s history. As Senior Manager of the PSL, she occupies an unusually broad role, coordinating everything from operations and logistics to digital and commercial functions as the league enters a new phase of growth.
“It’s more or less an umbrella role,” Zahid says. “I kind of have to look after everything.” During the season, that means constant “firefighting,” overseeing security, production, branding and match operations to ensure every game runs smoothly. Off-season periods are devoted to planning and closing projects, but the scale of the work has only increased. “I don’t think I’ve taken a single day off between August 2025 and May 2026,” she says. “That was a very, very busy time for us.”
Before joining the PCB, Zahid served as General Manager of Multan Sultans, gaining firsthand experience of running a franchise. “There’s no handbook when you become a general manager of a team,” she says. “You have to make your own mistakes and learn from that.” That experience, she believes, has made her a more effective administrator because she understands the challenges faced by teams from both sides of the relationship.
Her route into cricket was far from conventional. Trained as a computer engineer, she later earned a Master’s degree in Project Management from the University of Hertfordshire and spent several years working in the corporate world. “I always found that I was better with people than with machines,” she says. Project management, she realised, was a skill set that could apply anywhere.
Ironically, she initially imagined a future in broadcasting rather than administration. A PCB talent competition in 2022 led to commentary and presenting opportunities before doors opened elsewhere. “I always envisioned myself being more of a broadcaster,” she says. “Somehow life takes unexpected turns and I ended up managing the league that I dreamed about broadcasting in.”
Being one of the most prominent women in cricket administration in Pakistan brings mixed emotions. “I don’t want to be an exception,” Zahid says. “I hope I’m not the exception, I’m the rule.” She credits mentors and colleagues for trusting her, but also her own approach. “I am a workaholic,” she says. “If I’m working, I’m giving it my 120 percent.” More importantly, she believes women must have seats at the table. “You can’t really understand the female perspective unless you have women sitting where the decisions are being made.”