The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2025 is set to commence on April 9, featuring six teams: hosts Pakistan, Ireland, Scotland, West Indies, Thailand, and Bangladesh. These teams will compete against each other for a chance to secure the two remaining spots in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, scheduled to take place in India later this year. Notably, Pakistan has consistently navigated the qualifier route in previous four editions, successfully booking their spot in the tournament. They will be looking to replicate this feat once again.
Pakistan has a history of performing well in the Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers. In 2008, they finished second and qualified for the World Cup alongside South Africa. They repeated this feat in 2011, finishing second behind the West Indies.
In 2017, Pakistan qualified for the World Cup again, this time alongside India, South Africa, and Sri Lanka, as the top four teams from the Super Six stage earned spots. Although the 2021 Qualifier was cancelled due to COVID-19, Pakistan progressed to the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup based on their ODI rankings, along with Bangladesh and the West Indies.
This time around, Pakistan has the advantage of playing on home soil, but they will need to finish in the top two spots to secure their spot in the tournament. Former Pakistan Captain, Sana Mir feels that Pakistan will be counting on their experienced players to step up and show the way to qualification.
The 39-year-old boasts an impressive record, with over 150 ODI wickets and 1630 runs in ODIs. In 2018, she made history by becoming the first Pakistani woman cricketer to rank number one in the ICC ODI bowling rankings. Her impressive career also includes being named Player of the Tournament in the 2008 Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier, and leading Pakistan to two consecutive Women’s Cricket gold medals at the Asian Games in 2010 and 2014. She retired from International Cricket in 2020.
Pakistan will be led by the 23-year-old bowling all-rounder Fatima Sana who has an excellent record in ODIs with 51 wickets and 482 runs. The squad also marks the return of key pacer Diana Baig from injury, along with experienced players like opener Sidra Amin, slow left-arm orthodox bowler Nasra Sindhu, all-rounder Aliya Riaz and wicket-keeper batter Muneeba Ali.
Reflecting on the same, Sana Mir, said, “There is Sidra Ameen at the top, Muneeba (Ali) has good experience, Aliya (Riaz) is in the middle with Fatima Sana and Diana (Baig) is back in good rhythm with the ball.” She also added that consistent batting is key in the ODI format and urged the younger players to rise to the occasion and deliver when it counts.
Pakistan’s qualifying campaign kicks off on April 9 with a match against Ireland at the Gaddafi Stadium. They will then face a packed schedule, taking on Scotland, West Indies, Thailand and Bangladesh in a span of just eight days.
Sana Mir anticipates a tightly contested tournament, given the recent progress shown by several teams and believes there are no weak sides at the Qualifier. “It will be a tough competition. West Indies have done brilliantly in the last couple of years, especially under Hayley Matthews,” she said.
She also highlighted Bangladesh’s notable performances in the ODI format, including a win over India and strong outings against South Africa and Ireland. Turning to Pakistan, Mir pointed out the many changes within the side and praised Fatima Sana’s leadership, saying she has done well since becoming captain, but cautioned that the competition won’t be easy.
Mir also highlighted the improvements in teams like Ireland and Scotland, pointing to their growing international exposure, and commended Thailand’s relentless work ethic and potential. “You can never write Thailand off with the work ethic they have,” she added.
With so many evolving teams in the mix, Mir concluded, “With all these things put together, it will be a close tournament. West Indies are perhaps favourites but the rest are quite neck-and-neck.”
Pakistan’s track record at previous ICC Women’s Cricket World Cups has been disappointing, with early exits and bottom-table finishes. This time, they will be aiming to not only clear the qualifiers but also deliver a much-improved showing on the global stage.
(Quotes sourced from ICC)
Loves all things female cricket