In preparation for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, South Africa and Pakistan’s women’s cricket teams engaged in a practice match on Monday in Pakistan before travelling to the UAE for the official matches.
South Africa beat Pakistan by 10 runs in the latter’s home country.
In this gripping match opener, Green Shirts won the toss and chose to field first.
South Africa vs Pakistan: Match Highlights
South Africa, led by opening batter Laura Wolvaardt, scored 132/4 in 20 overs.
Tazmin Brits managed to stay till the end. She scored 56 runs from 63 balls, including five boundaries.
Chloe Tryon scored 15 runs in 7 balls, including two big sixes to finish the innings.
For Pakistan, Sadia Iqbal took three wickets, while Nida Dar dismissed Marizanne Kapp after she scored 14 runs from 14 balls with two boundaries.
Pakistan’s batting got off to a poor start.
Gull Feroza was caught in the first over by Chloe Tryon off Marizanne Kapp’s bowling.
Muneeba Ali, Sadaf Shamas, and Sidra Amin all struggled to score more than 10 runs. Kapp also bowled out Sidra Amin in the third over.
South Africa’s bowlers kept Pakistan under pressure.
Tumi Sekhukhune took the wicket of Nida Dar, who made 16 runs off 26 balls. Seshnie Naidu also got Sadaf Shamas out with a catch by Sune Luus in the 8th over.
Despite Pakistan’s poor performance, Aliya Riaz fought back with 52 runs in 39 balls, while captain Fatima Sana added 37 runs from 24 balls.
However, their efforts were insufficient, and South Africa won the match.
Pakistan’s Challenging Transition
The upcoming T20 World Cup is pivotal for Pakistan Women’s cricket, as they face a challenging transition under new captain Fatima Sana.
At just 22, she inherits a team that has struggled with inconsistency over the last few years.
Pakistan’s revolving captaincy, from Bismah Maroof to Nida Dar, and now to Sana, reflects the team’s ongoing attempts to find stability.
With only one victory in each of the last three T20 World Cups, Pakistan will approach this tournament with cautious optimism.
The tournament has a little more than two weeks left, so competition is tough.
Competing in a tough group that includes cricket powerhouses Australia and India, as well as the recently upcoming Sri Lanka, the path to the semi-finals looks steep.
Pakistan’s recent form suggests that its primary focus may be on improving overall performance rather than making an immediate impact.
The South African women’s cricket team, on the other hand, entered the series with momentum and higher expectations.
The Proteas were last year’s World Cup runners-up. They are enthusiastically training in preparation for the ICC T20 women’s World Cup in the UAE.
Pakistan is set to compete against Sri Lanka on the first day of the tournament on 3rd October 2024. The Green Shirts vs India T20 World Cup match is scheduled to be held on the 4th day of the tournament on the 6th of October.
Bangladesh is set to compete against Scotland on the same day.
Both matches will be held at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE.
The ICC recently launched its TVC for the match series. Get full details here: ICC Women’s T20 World Cup TVC Launched
To get the latest information, revised schedule, groups and venue details on the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, read ICC T20 Women’s World Cup Schedule.
