ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024
Fatima Sana has rejoined the team and will lead Pakistan in their final group match © Getty
Chances of qualifying are many as New Zealand prepares to face Pakistan in the final league match of Group A. Australia, the defending champion, has already booked its place in the semi-finals after winning all four of its matches, but the other place is still available. New Zealand remain the leaders in the race, as a win over Pakistan would be enough for the White Ferns to qualify, while a defeat would be beneficial for India who currently sit in second place due to a better net run rate.
In the midst of all this, there is the exciting prospect of qualifying for Pakistan, which befits their unpredictable nature. If they can beat New Zealand by a margin of more than 53 points or 9.1 points (considering the total of 150 points), they can go past India and New Zealand to reach the semi-finals. Talk about a high-stakes conflict and this ticks all the boxes. However, New Zealand will wonder why they were allowed to reach this position after starting the tournament with a crushing win over India in Dubai. Unfortunately for them, that 58-run win was drowned out by a 60-run defeat to Australia which saw their net run rate plummet.
New Zealand got things right with their impressive win over Sri Lanka, but on the pitches of Sharjah, an increase in run rate is difficult to achieve, although England made a mockery of that factor against Scotland. The White Ferns are an impressive unit and, like their male counterparts, remain a mildly dangerous side. However, they want more from their support spinners as Amelia Kerr has been doing most of the heavy lifting. Georgia Plimmer’s form will be a relief to the batting line-up while Kerr and skipper Sophie Devine pose clear threats to any opposition.
Conditions in Dubai should also suit New Zealand much better than in Sharjah, given the better bounce on the pitches. It is also the place where Pakistan lost both their matches with the only win coming against Sri Lanka in Sharjah. However, they have nothing to lose in this match, as a qualification spot looks realistically out of reach at this stage. In such scenarios, their unpredictability makes them an even greater threat. Batting has been their main concern and even in the win over Lankan, it was skipper Fatima Sana’s knock that saved them from blushing.
Sanaa, who missed the match against Australia due to her father’s sudden death, has returned to the shores of the United Arab Emirates and will return for this confrontation. In recent times, she has easily become Pakistan’s most fluent batsman in this format and it will be interesting to see whether she wants to bat higher up the order or continue to shoulder the responsibility of being just a finisher. Pakistan needs more from their failed opener going forward in this tournament. If they can sort out the batting, bowling in these conditions has the potential to pull a rabbit out of the hat, especially in the spin department. The absence of player Diana Page, who was eliminated from the tournament due to a calf injury, will be a major blow.
When: Monday, October 14 at 6 pm local time | 7:30 PM India time
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
What to expect: The surfaces in Dubai were relatively better to play on due to the better pace and bounce on the surfaces, but spin will continue to play a key role, especially with the pitches likely to be tiring. The toss wasn’t a big factor here as the win split is a marginal 3-2 in favor of chasing teams against teams batting first.
Team news
New Zealand: The White Ferns are expected to keep the same line-up even with uncertainty around Fran Jonas’ finger. Kasparek’s presence also adds depth and firepower to the batting line-up.
Possible XI: Susie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine (c), Maddie Green, Brooke Halliday, Isabella Guise (wk), Leah Tahoe, Lee Kasparek, Rosemary Mair, Aiden Carson.
Pakistan: The return of their captain is a big boost for them and one of Iram Javed and Sadaf Shamas would make way for Sana. With Baig sidelined, Pakistan are likely to keep the same bowling line-up, given the inexperience of their backups.
Possible XI: Muniba Ali (week), Sidra Amin, Sadaf Shamas/Iram Javed, Nida Dar, Alia Riaz, Fatima Sana, Umaima Sohail, Toba Hassan, Sadia Iqbal, Nashra Sandhu, Syeda Aroob Shah.
What did they say:
“We are not up to batting. This is not the way you approach T20 cricket, it is embarrassing and we need to change that and win matches for Pakistan.” – Vice-captain of the Pakistani national team, Muniba Ali, admits that her team is very worried.
“I just wanted to back up my skills lately, and I’ve had good conversations with the coaches and all the players in the team to try to go out and play with my brand.” – New Zealand star Georgia Plimmer talks about the secret of her success.
© Crypaz
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