Pakistan started their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign with a surprising victory over Asia Cup winner Sri Lanka. Despite being bowled out on 116 Pakistani bowlers, saved the day by restricting the opponent to 89 runs and securing a remarkable 31-run victory.
As Pakistan advances in the tournament, here are some key players to watch out for.
Nida Dar
Nida Dar comes from a family of cricketers her father played first-class cricket. Following her father’s footsteps she also decided to become a cricketer. She made her T20 debut in the 2010 World Cup. She became the first Pakistani player male or female to take 100 wickets. She is the most capped women’s T20 player in Pakistan.
She was made captain of the Pakistan women’s team in 2023 after the retirement of Bisma Maroof. She led Pakistan to a historic series victory against New Zealand. She was awarded PCB Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2021.
Nida Dar has 143 wickets with an economy of 5.069 in 157 matches. She also has one five-wicket and one four-wicket haul. She has not taken many wickets recently but was economical. Her experience in the UAE will be useful in the UAE conditions in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
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Expectations from Sidra Amin in ICC Women’s T20 World Cup
Sidra Amin, one of Pakistan’s senior batters, is known for her reliability and steady presence at the crease. With 1009 runs at an average of 18.68 in 61 matches, she brings valuable experience to the team. While her performance in previous World Cup campaigns wasn’t particularly standout, her ability to anchor the innings is a key asset for Pakistan.
In the opening match of this World Cup against Sri Lanka, Sidra managed to score only 12 runs. However, her recent form includes a notable performance in the series against South Africa, where her 28-run contribution helped Pakistan secure a crucial victory. Sidra’s experience and composure will be crucial as Pakistan looks to strengthen its batting in the upcoming matches.
In UAE she has scored 80 runs with an average of 16.00 at the strike rate of 97.56 in 6 matches. Just like Nida Dar her experience in UAE and playing multiple ICC tournaments will be useful for women in green in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Nashra Sandhu
Nashra Sandhu made her T20I debut in 2017. She was part of the squad participating in the 2018 women’s T20 World Cup. She has 62 wickets with an economy of 5.43 in 63 matches.
Taking of her recent form her 2 wickets for 15 runs played an important part in Pakistan’s victory against Sri Lanka in which they restricted opponents to 85 and defeated 116 runs. She is the player to look forward to from Pakistan’s perspective in this ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Muneeba Ali
Muneeba Ali made her T20 debut in the 2016 ICC women’s T20 World Cup but it wasn’t until 2021 when she confirmed her place in the team. She has scored 1272 runs at an average of 19.27 at a strike rate of 93.73 in 72 innings. She became the first-ever Pakistani player to score a T20 ton.
She provides a solid start to Pakistan’s innings as the opener. Although she couldn’t impress in the first game against Sri Lanka her track record suggests that she is a reliable resource for women in green and will be helpful in the remainder of the tournament.
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Fatima Sana
Fatima Sana proved herself as a leader and led from the front in the crisis and won man of the match in Pakistan’s match against Sri Lanka. She became the second youngest captain to lead her team to a victory in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. She scored 30 runs which helped Pakistan reach a respectable total and took 2 wickets including Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu’s important wicket.
She started as a bowler and transitioned herself into an all-rounder. She has taken 51 wickets with an economy of 5.57 in 41 matches. With the bat, she has accumulated 1589 runs with an average of 31.14 with a strike rate of 33.5 in 41 games.
Her recent captain’s knock with the bat and bowling performance plus her leadership skills make her the player to watch out for in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
