The Pakistan women’s cricket team starts their 2025 international season today (Wednesday) with a three-match T20I series against Ireland Women at the Clontarf Cricket Club Ground in Dublin.
This marks the fifth bilateral T20I series between the two nations, with matches scheduled for August 7, 8, and 10, all beginning at 4:00 PM local time.
Since their first-ever T20I meeting in Dublin in 2009, the rivalry has remained competitive.
Both teams have won two bilateral T20I series each, though Pakistan holds a dominant head-to-head record, winning 15 of the 19 encounters to date.
Their last T20I clash came during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023, where Muneeba Ali made history by scoring the first-ever T20I century by a Pakistan women’s cricketer.
That commanding performance led Pakistan to a 70-run victory at Newlands, Cape Town.
The Pakistan squad touched down in Dublin on August 3 after concluding a 17-day skills training camp followed by a five-day pre-tour camp at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre in Karachi.
The touring party includes 20-year-old batter Eyman Fatima, the only uncapped player in the squad.
Sadaf Shamas was ruled out due to a left quadriceps injury and was replaced by Shawaal Zulfiqar.
Pakistan women will look to kickstart a packed international calendar — featuring two white-ball World Cups — with a winning performance when they take on Ireland in the opening fixture of a three-match T20I series at the Clontarf Cricket Club Ground on Wednesday.
This will be the fifth bilateral T20I series between the two sides. The record so far stands even, with both Pakistan and Ireland having won two series each.
However, the overall head-to-head is tilted heavily in Pakistan’s favour, with the visitors winning 15 of the 19 encounters since their first meeting in Dublin in 2009.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana, speaking at a press conference on the eve of the series, sounded confident about her team’s preparation and ambitions.
“We underwent some extensive practice during our camps in Pakistan and we are looking forward to executing our plans in this series,” she said.
“We played here in 2022 and we are well aware of the conditions. The whole Ireland team is a decent one — it’s hard to pick out one player.”
Pakistan last faced Ireland in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023, where opener Muneeba Ali carved her name into history with the first T20I century by a Pakistan player.
