LAHORE, Pakistan: Pakistan wrapped up the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Qualifiers at the top of the table with a commanding seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Lahore on Saturday to remain unbeaten in the tournament.
Pakistan had already booked their spot for the ICC Women’s World Cup to be held later this year in India. Pakistan bowlers on Thursday once again stepped up to defend a below-par score of 205 against Thailand.
Playing in their final One-Day International (ODI) encounter of the tournament, Pakistan restricted Bangladesh to a paltry 178-9 in the first innings at the Lahore City Cricket Association ground.
In the second innings, the hosts chased down the target with ease, getting over the line with more than 10 overs to spare.
In the first innings, Pakistan’s bowlers put in yet another memorable performance as Bangladesh could only manage 178-9 on a track that was easier to bat on.
Bangladesh got off to a rocky start when they lost their openers for low scores courtesy of Pakistan captain Fatima Sana and spinner Sadia Iqbal, both continuing their terrific form with the ball throughout the tournament.
Fargana Hoque fell for a seven-ball duck as Fatima got her with a ball that came in after pitching.
Bangladesh were 21-3 at one stage after they lost captain Nigar Sultana to another inducer by Fatima.
Bangladesh veteran bats Ritu Moni and Fahima Khatun were the mainstays for their side, both scoring 40+ scores to rescue them from a precarious situation at one stage in the innings.
Sadia Iqbal was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts, getting three wickets for 28 off her 10 overs with her wily left-arm spin.
After Pakistan lost opener Shawaal Zulfiqar on just the second ball of the innings, Muneeba Ali starred with the bat again for Pakistan, setting up the chase with an innings of 69 runs.
The southpaw opener hit eight sublime boundaries during her stay at the crease and ensured Bangladesh never made inroads into the middle order.
The veteran Sidra Amin chipped in with another substantial innings of 37, following up on her 80 in the last match.
Player of the match in the encounter against Scotland, the big-hitting Aliya Riaz was the batter that took the Green Team home.
She remained unbeaten on 42, hitting the winning runs for the hosts as they ended the tournament with a perfect scoreline of five wins and zero losses.
This was despite the Green Team not having the best of days in the field as they dropped catches allowed Bangladesh to get to a fighting total after they won the toss and elected to bat.
Skipper Fatima Sana had led the way for Pakistan women as they beat Thailand by 87 runs in their fourth encounter of the qualifiers on Thursday.
She was the player of the match after playing a captain’s knock of 62 not out, supported by veteran bat Sidra Amin from the other end. She then picked up three wickets as well in the second innings to help bowl out Thailand for 118 runs.
The Pakistan skipper, speaking after the match, said, “Our main aim was that we want to play the World Cup — and the way our players were supporting each other, with our self-belief getting stronger after the camp, that really helped us achieve this win.”
The six-team ICC event — which includes Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and West Indies alongside hosts Pakistan — featured a single-league round-robin format with the matches taking place at the Gaddafi Stadium and LCCA ground in Lahore.
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The tournament decided the two qualifiers for the 2025 Women’s World Cup to be held later this year in India.
Pakistan, however, will be playing their matches at a neutral venue after a “fusion” model was decided upon following India’s refusal to play their matches in Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year.
Pakistan Playing XI
Shawaal Zulfiqar, Muneeba Ali, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Sidra Nawaz (wicket-keeper), Fatima Sana (captain), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal and Nashra Sandhu.
Bangladesh Playing XI
Fargana Hoque, Dilara Akter (wicket-keeper), Sharmin Akhter, Nigar Sultana (captain), Ritu Moni, Nahida Akter, Fahima Khatun, Shorna Akter, Jannatul Ferdus, Rabeya Khan and Marufa Akter.
