Still searching for a sense of direction in the ICC Women’s World Cup, Pakistan will take on a rampant Australian side at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday, hoping to spark a turnaround against the tournament’s most complete outfit.
Fatima Sana’s charges have endured a tough start to their campaign, slumping to heavy defeats against Bangladesh and India. Their batting has wavered, their bowling has lacked consistency, and their fielding has been short of international standard — a combination that has left them bottom of the eight-team table with little margin for error.
But ahead of their clash with the defending champions, Pakistan’s senior batter Sidra Amin struck a note of quiet defiance.
“I think tomorrow is a big game for us as a team,” she said at the pre-match press conference.
Sidra, one of the few bright spots in Pakistan’s otherwise bleak campaign, scored a fighting half-century against India and has been a steadying presence at the top of the order. She admitted that the team’s batting collapses have often been self-inflicted.
“If we look at the bigger picture, we’ve been leaving around five to seven overs — that’s about 42 balls,” she pointed out. “If we tackle things this way, the number of dot balls and the pressure will reduce. As batters, we need to take more responsibility, stay longer on the wicket, and play the maximum number of overs.”
Pakistan’s inability to post a competitive total has been their undoing in both matches so far. They mustered only 160 against Bangladesh and folded for 180 against India, failing to bat their full quota of overs on both occasions. With middle-order batters struggling for fluency and the lower order offering little resistance, the team’s overreliance on Sidra, Fatima, and Muneeba Ali has become glaring.
Even their bowling, traditionally Pakistan’s strength, has been inconsistent. The new-ball pairing of Fatima and Diana Baig has lacked rhythm, and the spinners have struggled for control in conditions that should ideally suit them. Pakistan conceded 18 extras against Bangladesh — a reflection of their discipline woes — though Diana’s four-wicket haul against India hinted at some improvement.
