Australian women cricketers pose by the poolside of the team hotel in Bhubaneswar before leaving for Mumbai for the Super Six stages of the World Cup. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Feb. 6: Odisha girl Roshan Ara Parveen will be the cynosure of all eyes when India takes on Pakistan in the ICC Women’s World Cup play-off at Barabati Stadium tomorrow.

She is part of the Indian team led by Mithali Raj that arrived here today for the match. Set to play an international match on her home ground for the first time, Parveen (20) burst on the national women’s cricket scene last year. Coming from Balangir, the right-arm off spinner is the second girl from Odisha after Madhuri Mehta, also from Balangir, to represent the country.

Though she got an opportunity to play one of three Group-A games of the World Cup in Mumbai, people of Odisha expect that she would be included in the playing XI for the Cuttack match tomorrow. Arun Nayak, her coach, remains optimistic. “Since the Mumbai pitch was not spin-friendly, she did not get any wickets there. But things would hopefully be different in Barabati as she is familiar with the conditions,” said Nayak.

Though India-Pakistan clashes routinely draw crowds, this time round, the OCA is being less than hopeful as both the sides have been knocked out of the tournament and security arrangements for matches in Cuttack are extra tight.

“Restrictions such as a virtual ban on carrying mobile phones into the stadium have been a disincentive. We will be more than happy if 500 to 1,000 spectators turn up in the stands. As for complimentary passes, there is hardly any demand which goes to show the lack of enthusiasm on the part of the people,” said OCA secretary, Ashirbad Behera added.

While the Australian and New Zealand teams left Bhubaneswar for Mumbai last evening, the South African squad is staying back in the city for the Super Six league matches with West Indies, England and Sri Lanka.

The Indian team members remained confined to their hotel rooms and missed net practice but the South African girls were seen shopping at a posh mall in Jaydev Vihar area.

“I bought some T-shirts while most of my colleagues purchased gadgets such as hard discs, mobile phones and pen drives,“ said all-rounder Yolandi Potgieter.

Former Indian skipper, Anjum Chopra, who is technical advisor to South Africa, was spotted enjoying a cup of piping hot coffee at the mall.

The Australian team, currently the leaders of group B, went on a shopping spree before leaving Bhubaneswar yesterday. Their purchases included chiefly kurtis, leggings and dupattas. “They had a great time dancing by the hotel poolside to the tunes of local Odia music,” said a source.