Pakistan arrives at the 2025 ODI World Cup on a high, having won the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers at home with five wins out of five matches. It’s a remarkable turnaround from the 2022 World Cup, when they finished last with just one win out of seven matches. Now, under the leadership of Fatima Sana, the team will be looking to carry that momentum into similar conditions and make a strong comeback. Their campaign gets underway against Bangladesh on 2 October at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, where they will be playing all their games.
SWOT Analysis:
Strengths
Buoyed by win in Qualifiers
In the recent past, Pakistan’s batting has gained much-needed stability, especially in the top order. Sidra Amin has emerged as a dependable batter at a key position of no.3. She has shouldered the responsibility of binding the innings together, while Muneeba Ali and Aliya Riaz have offered crucial support from the other end. In fact, in every game of the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers 2025, at least one of these three managed to reach a fifty, giving Pakistan a solid and confident start, alongside a platform for middle order batters to build the innings, something that the team has lacked considerably.
The bowling department also pulled up its socks during the same rounds. Skipper Fatima Sana led the attack with twelve wickets, backed effectively by Nashra Sandhu who picked ten wickets, Sadia Iqbal who scalped nine, and Diana Baig who returned with seven wickets. With invaluable experience of having played three World Cups, Nashra brings tactical awareness, making her ideally suited to lead a spin-heavy line, in conditions that Pakistan are very well aware of.
Fresh approach by Fatima Sana
Another major strength for Pakistan is the fresh breath of air that is being induced in the camp by skipper Fatima Sana. Since making her debut, she has taken 63 wickets in 48 innings, maintaining an average of 29.34 and an economy of 5.46. Her influence has added a new spark to the team, a change that was clearly visible in the Qualifiers, where she ended as Pakistan’s top wicket-taker with 12 dismissals. Alongside bowling, she can also make an impact with the bat in the middle overs, making her a genuine all-round threat.
Weaknesses
The biggest weakness for Pakistan going ahead in this tournament has to be inconsistency. During the all-important 2022-25 ICC Championship cycle, they managed only eight wins from 24 matches, finishing in ninth place, highlighting their difficulties against top-tier teams. The baton of captaincy has been shifted from Bismah Maroof to Nida Dar and now Fatima Sana, which has also not done the team management’s confidence a world of good- adding to the team’s instability. In addition, fielding has often been a weak link, with dropped chances and misfields proving costly at crucial moments.
Opportunities
Pakistan have rewarded players for their performance in the World Cup, with only two players, Gull Feroza and Najiha Alvi, not being part of the winning squad at the ICC World Cup Qualifier in April. The selectors have largely retained the group that performed impressively on home soil. Players like Nashra Sandhu and Sadia Iqbal now have a chance to carry their strong form from the qualifiers into the World Cup and make a real impact for the team. There are six players in the squad who will play their first World Cup.
Threats
Pakistan’s biggest threat lies in their struggle against top-ranked sides. With a tough World Cup ahead, facing heavyweights like defending champions Australia, a well-rounded Indian side, classic English side, and an ever-talismanic New Zealand group, the team’s reliance on a small core of players could be a huge vulnerability. Maintaining consistency and handling pressure against these stronger opponents will be crucial if they are to make a mark at the world stage.
Pakistan’s Squad for Women’s World Cup 2025:
Fatima Sana (C), Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (VC), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Eyman Fatima, Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz, Syeda Aroob Shah
Travelling Reserves:
Gull Feroza, Najiha Alvi, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani, Waheeda Akhtar
Pakistan’s fixtures for Women’s World Cup 2025:
2 October 2025: vs Bangladesh – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
5 October 2025: vs India – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
8 October 2025: vs Australia – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
15 October 2025: vs England – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
18 October 2025: vs New Zealand – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
21 October 2025: vs South Africa – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
24 October 2025: vs Sri Lanka – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
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