Pakistan Women’s Team Faces Defeat Against Bangladesh in Warm-Up Match

DUBAI: The Pakistan women’s cricket team faced another setback in their preparations for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, suffering a 24-run defeat against Bangladesh in a warm-up match held at the ICC Academy Ground on Monday night. This loss marks Pakistan's second consecutive defeat in the lead-up to the tournament, following their earlier loss to Scotland.

In the match against Bangladesh, the Pakistani bowlers initially seemed to be in control. Bangladesh opted to bat first and found themselves at 94-5 after 16 overs. The innings started promisingly for Bangladesh, but they stumbled after the early dismissal of opener Shathi Rani. This led to a slowdown in their scoring rate. However, Shorna Akter's explosive performance, where she scored a quickfire 28 runs, helped Bangladesh recover and set a competitive total of 140-7.

Pakistan's bowlers made a concerted effort, employing eight different bowlers to apply pressure on the Bangladeshi batting lineup. Sadia Iqbal was particularly effective, claiming two crucial wickets, while Omaima Sohail, Tuba Hassan, Diana Baig, and Nida Dar also contributed significantly to restrict Bangladesh's scoring. Despite their efforts, Shorna Akter's late innings propelled Bangladesh to a fighting total.

Chasing 140 runs, Pakistan struggled to build meaningful partnerships. The batting lineup faltered, losing wickets at regular intervals, which prevented them from gaining any momentum in the game. Although Omaima Sohail managed to hold the innings together for a while, she was dismissed by Rabeya Khan after scoring 33 runs. With Pakistan at 115-8 and only two overs remaining, the task became increasingly daunting.

Ultimately, Bangladesh's disciplined bowling attack proved too much for Pakistan, who could not recover from the early setbacks. The match concluded with Pakistan being bowled out for just 117 runs in 18.4 overs, handing Bangladesh a convincing victory. Marufa Akter was instrumental with the ball for Bangladesh, taking 2 wickets for just 15 runs.

As the Women’s T20 World Cup approaches, these warm-up matches are crucial for teams to fine-tune their strategies and build confidence. For Pakistan, the need to regroup and address their batting woes is evident. With the tournament on the horizon, the team must learn from these defeats and work on their weaknesses to ensure they are competitive on the world stage. The upcoming matches will be vital for Pakistan to regain their form and boost their morale ahead of the World Cup.