Pakistan women look to continue winning ways in ODI series

 

Pakistan women look to continue winning ways in ODI series

• Three ICC Women’s Championship matches to be played on 12, 15 and 18 December in Queenstown and Christchurch

• PCB will provide match reports and action pictures

Queenstown, 11 December 2023:

Nida Dar-led Pakistan women’s cricket team will be eying to repeat the heroics of the T20I series, when they take on New Zealand women’s team in the first of the three-match ODI series tomorrow at the John Davies Oval in Queenstown. The second and third ODIs will be played on 15 and 18 December, respectively in Christchurch.

The first ODI will start at 11am local time, while the remaining two matches of the ODI series will begin at 1400 local time.

The ODIs are part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25, where Pakistan are positioned fifth with 14 points from 15 matches played so far in the championship. The hosts are in the sixth spot, earning 12 points from as many games.

In head-to-head, both sides have played 14 ODIs, and on 13 occasions, the hosts have won, while the only win for Pakistan women came in Sharjah in 2017, where captain Sana Mir, for her all-round performance, was named player of the match.

Pakistan players to watch out for (in alphabetical order):

Fatima Sana: Young right-arm pacer Fatima Sana, after returning from injury, took six wickets in the three T20Is against White Ferns and was declared player of the series. She is currently tied on the fourth spot in the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25, taking 16 wickets from 10 matches. She was named PCB’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year in 2020 and also won the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year in 2021.

Nida Dar: Captain and eighth-ranked all-rounder in ICC Women’s ODI rankings, Nida Dar will hope to achieve another milestone as she is just two wickets shy of her 100 ODI wickets. She will become the second Pakistan women’s cricketer to achieve this after former captain Sana Mir ended her career with 151 wickets. Nida has also taken 14 wickets in the ICC Women’s Championship matches. She was declared ICC Player of the Month for October last year.

Sadia Iqbal: Left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal has performed well in the recent times, and her four for 13 in the first ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur last month helped Pakistan to a five-wicket win over the hosts. In the T20I series against White Ferns, Sadia bowled at an economy rate of six. For her recent performances, she has been shortlisted in ICC Player of the Month for November.

Sidra Amin: The right-handed batter is currently leading (15 matches, 747 runs, 2x100s, 4x50s) the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 batting charts. Sidra has fond memories of touring New Zealand in the past, as she remains the only Pakistan women’s team player to score an ODI century in the ICC Women’s World Cup when she scored 104 against Bangladesh in Hamilton last year. For her exceptional performance last year, the 31-year-old batter was named ICC Player of the Month in November.

Former Pakistan Test opening batter Taufeeq Umar, currently working as batting coach with the women’s team, has played four Test matches in New Zealand. He toured with the Pakistan men’s team in 2003 and 2011 and scored two half-centuries in the two Test-match series in 2011.

Talking exclusively to PCB Digital, Taufeeq Umar, said: “Winning the T20I series against New Zealand Women was a historic achievement for us. It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of our players, and I am proud of how our batters took responsibility and delivered under pressure.

“The batters have shown great maturity and adaptability in the T20Is, and we are looking to carry that momentum into the upcoming ODI series. The conditions here pose a unique challenge, and our batters have done exceptionally well so far. They have played with a positive intent and I hope they will carry on with this in the ODIs.

“Facing a strong New Zealand Women’s team in their backyard is always a challenge, but our batters are well-prepared. They have acclimatised to the conditions, and the experience gained in the T20Is will certainly play a crucial role in the ODIs.”

Pakistan squad for ODI series:

Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda Akhtar

Series schedule:
3 Dec – 1st T20I, Dunedin (Pakistan women beat New Zealand women by seven wickets)
5 Dec – 2nd T20I, Dunedin (Pakistan women beat New Zealand women by 10 runs)
9 Dec – 3rd T20I, Queenstown (New Zealand women beat Pakistan women by six runs on DLS)
12 Dec – 1st ODI, Queenstown (11am local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)
15 Dec – 2nd ODI, Christchurch (2pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)
18 Dec – 3rd ODI, Christchurch (2pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)