Pakistan’s World Cup Hopes Hang in Balance in Final Series Against England
In a decisive series of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25, Pakistan is set to face England. The outcome of this series will determine Pakistan’s direct qualification to the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
Currently, Pakistan stands at the 5th position with 16 points from 21 games in the ICC Women’s Championship. The top five teams, along with the host nation India, will secure direct qualification to the Women’s World Cup.
Latest ICC Women’s Championship Standings
The teams ranked below the top five will have to earn their place in the World Cup through the Qualifier route. This includes the West Indies and Sri Lanka, currently at 7th and 8th positions respectively, both with 14 points. They still have games in hand and could potentially overtake Pakistan, depending on the outcomes.
England, however, is on the brink of securing their qualification, comfortably sitting at third place with 19 points from 15 matches.
After a disappointing 3-0 defeat in the T20I series against the hosts, Pakistan is eager to bounce back in the upcoming ODI series.
Sidra Ameen, the top run-scorer in the current cycle of the Women’s Championship with 948 runs in 21 matches, expressed confidence in the team’s ability to turn things around in the ODI series.
“Despite the recent T20I series not going our way, we are fully focused and eager to put on a good performance in the upcoming ODIs against England,” Sidra Ameen said. “We believe in our capabilities and are focused on executing our plans well in the upcoming ODI series. The team spirit is high, and we are determined to end the ICC Women’s Championship matches on a positive note.”
Squads:
Pakistan:
Nida Dar (Captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda Akhtar.
England:
Heather Knight (Captain), Alice Capsey, Amy Jones, Charlie Dean, Danielle Wyatt, Kate Cross, Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer, Maia Bouchier, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sarah Glenn, Sophie Ecclestone and Tammy Beaumont.
Schedule:
23 May – 1st ODI, Derby
26 May – 2nd ODI, Taunton
29 May – 3rd ODI, Chelmsford