LAHORE, Pakistan: Pakistan captain Fatima Sana said on Monday that her team’s primary focus was on preparations for the upcoming ICC Women’s World Cup, as they gear up to face South Africa in a three-match one-day international (ODI) series in Lahore.
The World Cup, scheduled later this month under a hybrid model across India and Sri Lanka, will see all of Pakistan’s fixtures staged in Colombo, owing to political tensions between the neighbouring countries. The tournament will run from 30 September to 2 November, featuring eight competing sides.
Pakistan’s immediate build-up begins with the ODI series against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium, with matches set for 16, 19 and 22 September. All games will begin at 3:30pm local time.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Fatima underlined the importance of the series as a stepping stone towards the World Cup. “The specific aim is to prepare for the World Cup and execute our plans in this series,” she said.
“A series like this is very beneficial for the team ahead of the World Cup. It gives the players a good opportunity to put into practice all the preparation they have done in recent times.”
The 22-year-old all-rounder also stressed that Pakistan, traditionally reliant on their bowling strength, were aiming to achieve greater balance by improving their batting displays. “We worked a lot on batting during the camp,” she noted.
Pakistan finalised their 15-member squad following a two-week training camp in Lahore, held at the National Cricket Academy and the Gaddafi Stadium. The squad includes one uncapped player, Eyman Fatima, who made her T20I debut against Ireland in Dublin last month.
South Africa, captained by Laura Wolvaardt, are also using the series as key preparation for the World Cup. The visitors boast a strong record against Pakistan in ODIs, having won the majority of their 28 encounters.
However, Pakistan will take confidence from their last meeting, when they sealed a comprehensive eight-wicket victory in the ICC Women’s Championship fixture in Karachi in September 2023.
For fans in Pakistan, the series will be broadcast live on A Sports, with Tamasha providing streaming across the country. International coverage will be available through Cricbuzz and Sportainment in the Middle East and North Africa, Super Sports in Africa, Sports Central globally outside Pakistan, and Willow TV in North America.
