LAHORE (Kashmir English): Pakistan has officially announced its team for this year’s ICC Women’s World Cup with a special focus on youngsters, which could be a turning point for the team.
Fatima Sana, aged only 23, will remain the team captain. The assignment is her first ODI World Cup as captain and ushers in a new era for women’s cricket in the nation. The all-rounder had earlier captained Pakistan in the qualifiers, guiding them to the main stage in a historic fashion.
The 15-strong team, which was named by the Women’s National Selection Committee, is both continuity and revolutionary change. The emerging stars like 20-year-old Eyman Fatima have been called up, while six players, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, and Syeda Aroob Shah, are ready for their debut on the world’s largest ODI stage.
Two alterations from the team that played against the Qualifier are Eyman and Sadaf Shamas, replacing Gull Feroza and Najiha Alvi. Both are on the five-player reserve list with Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani, and Waheeda Akhtar.
The tournament, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka between September 30 and November 2, will witness Pakistan playing all its games at Colombo’s R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium. If the team qualifies for the semi-final (October 29) or the final (November 2), those games will also be played in Colombo.
Before departing for Sri Lanka, the team will make its preparation at full throttle in Lahore. The team will go into a 14-day training camp from August 29, before Pakistan welcomes South Africa for a three-game ODI series at Gaddafi Stadium from September 16 to 22, serving as the ultimate test ahead of the international tournament.
The group stage fixture of the Women’s ODI World Cup has already sparked enthusiasm, with Pakistan facing arch-rivals India on October 5. The other big-name battles involve Australia (October 8) and England (October 15), and Pakistan will also tussle with Bangladesh (October 2), New Zealand (October 18), South Africa (October 21), and hosts Sri Lanka (October 24).
With momentum behind them, 2025 might be the year when Pakistan’s Women’s ODI side makes its presence felt on an international platform
