In a crucial ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Qualifier clash at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, Pakistan were bowled out for a below-par 191 against the West Indies in their third group-stage encounter. Electing to bat first in their first day-night fixture of the tournament, the home side struggled to gain momentum on a pitch that offered spin and variable bounce from the very first ball.
The innings got off to a shaky start when debutant Gull Feroza fell early, edging behind to West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews with the score on just six. Matthews immediately made use of the conditions, generating sharp turn and creating constant pressure on the Pakistani batters.
Pakistan crawled to 27/1 at the end of the powerplay. Muneeba Ali briefly broke the shackles by driving a boundary straight down the ground off Jannillea Glasgow, sparking a slight uptick in scoring. Pakistan’s 50 came up in the 16th over. However, momentum was short-lived as leg-spinner Afy Fletcher trapped Muneeba LBW, ending her stay at the crease.
Veteran batter Sidra Amin anchored the innings with a patient 54, using the sweep and reverse sweep effectively against the turning ball. She found some support in Aliya Riaz, who had been in good form with back-to-back fifties in the tournament. Though Matthews returned to the attack in search of Aliya’s wicket, the right-hander handled the pressure well before a mix-up led to her being run out for 20.
Sidra reached her 10th ODI half-century in 86 balls, but the innings failed to accelerate. Omaima Sohail briefly showed intent with a powerful boundary off Fletcher but was soon dismissed trying to go big again, caught by Matthews at cover.
From there, the innings unraveled quickly. Sidra was finally dismissed by spinner Ashmini Munisar, and Pakistan’s lower order collapsed under pressure. Wickets tumbled in quick succession, with the hosts eventually bowled out on the second-last ball of the innings for just 191.
Earlier, Pakistan entered the match unchanged from their rain-affected win over Scotland, where they chased down the target with key contributions from Muneeba (71*), Aliya (68*), and skipper Fatima Sana (4 wickets). West Indies also came off a close victory against Ireland and carried that momentum into this game with disciplined bowling and sharp fielding.
The qualifier features six teams—Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, and Thailand—competing in a round-robin format to secure two spots in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 in India. Due to political tensions, Pakistan’s matches in India during the main event will be played at a neutral venue under a “fusion” hosting model.
