The Pakistan women’s team is gearing up to participate in the upcoming Women’s World Cup Qualifiers. Having finished 9th in the ODI Championship cycle 2022-2024, they are now set to host the qualifiers. This will be the second ICC event hosted by Pakistan this year, following the Champions Trophy held earlier in February-March.
A total of six teams will compete in the qualifiers: hosts Pakistan, West Indies, Ireland, Scotland, Bangladesh, and Thailand. The tournament will follow a round-robin format and will run from April 9 to April 19. Matches will be held at the Gaddafi Stadium and the LCCA Ground.
Pakistan hasn’t played an ODI series since 2024. During the Championship cycle, their home record was underwhelming, losing four of their last five matches on home soil.
However, the team participated in two preparatory camps earlier this year—one in February and the other in March. They also played two recent warm-up matches against Thailand and West Indies, winning both. These performances have boosted confidence, and the Women in Green will be hopeful of replicating that form in the qualifiers to secure their place in the 2025 ODI World Cup in India.
Squad for Qualifiers:
Fatima Sana (captain), Muneeba Ali (vice-captain), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Najiha Alvi (wicketkeeper), Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wicketkeeper), and Syeda Aroob Shah.
Reserve players:
Ghulam Fatima, Waheeda Akhtar, and Umm-e-Hani
Probable Playing XI:
Shawaal Zulfiqar
Gull Feroza
Muneeba Ali
Sidra Amin
Fatima Sana (captain)
Aliya Riaz / Natalia Parvaiz
Najiha Alvi (wk)
Syeda Aroob Shah
Nashra Sandhu
Sadia Iqbal
Diana Baig
Key Players:
Sidra Amin:
Sidra will be a key figure in Pakistan’s batting lineup. Since 2022, she has scored 1,169 runs in 31 innings at an average of 43.30 and a strike rate of 72.16, making her Pakistan’s top run-scorer during that period.
Sadia Iqbal:
Sadia is currently the second-highest ranked bowler in ODIs and boasts the best powerplay average (16.6) since 2022. She also picked up 4 wickets in the recent warm-up matches against Thailand and West Indies.
Fatima Sana:
Fatima, the skipper, is expected to be the X-factor. Her sharp captaincy, aggressive bowling, and clean hitting make her a vital asset in pressure situations. In 2023, she scored an unbeaten 90 against New Zealand, proving her capability with the bat as well. She continues to shine with both ball and bat.
Fixtures:
Pakistan’s fixtures (Day matches begin at 9:30 AM, Day/Night matches at 2:00 PM local time):
- vs Ireland – 9 April, Gaddafi Stadium (Day)
- vs Scotland – 11 April, LCCA (Day)
- vs West Indies – 14 April, Gaddafi Stadium (Day/Night)
- vs Thailand – 17 April, Gaddafi Stadium (Day/Night)
- vs Bangladesh – 19 April, LCCA (Day)
Although they haven’t played an ODI since last year, Pakistan will be hungry and hopeful to qualify for the World Cup. Their campaign begins with a match against Ireland on April 9.
