Pakistan is hosting the qualifying tournament for the upcoming Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 beginning on the 9th of April (Wednesday) . While six teams have already qualified for the main event, two spots are remaining that will be determined by the qualifiers.
Pakistan vs Ireland, first match
Pakistan began their campaign with the first match against Ireland, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Coming to bat first, they bundled out at a score of 217 in 49 overs. While Sidra Amin played a 51-run knock of 112 balls, Aliya Riaz smashed 52 off 58 balls. However, the other batters struggled with openers Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza scoring 32 and 4 runs, respectively. And the batting order collapsed after Aliya’s wicket in the 42nd over. With a strong batting line-up, Ireland will seek to chase the target and clinch their first win.
The World Cup qualifier in Pakistan
The qualifiers are scheduled for the next 10 days in Pakistan. The teams which are competing are Bangladesh, Ireland, Pakistan, West Indies, Scotland, and Thailand. Each team will face each other once in a round-robin format. The team that wins will be given two points. However, there will be no knockout rounds between these six teams. The top two teams on the points table after the qualifiers, will make it to the Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India.
Pakistan’s WC chances after the match against Ireland
It will be interesting to see whether the hosts, Pakistan benefit from familiar conditions or whether their current poor form (winless in ODIs since November 2023) makes them lose the momentum in the first game against Ireland. As each team will play a total of five matches, each point awarded on the win will be crucial. If Pakistan win the first game, they will get one step closer to the qualification. On the other hand, if they lose, they will get to play against four other teams and fight for the points. However, this also means they will have to beat West Indies and Bangladesh who are currently the favourites.
Where will be the World Cup played if Pakistan qualifies?
If Team Pakistan qualifies, a hybrid ICC model will come into the picture. This means Pakistan’s World Cup matches will be played outside India, most likely in Sri Lanka or the UAE.
