On April 9, Pakistan’s women’s cricket team started their ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Qualifiers with an impressive victory. In Lahore, they beat Ireland by 38 runs in a closely contested, low-scoring game. Exceptional bowling efforts were seen from Diana Baig and Nashra Sandhu, who claimed four and three wickets respectively. This strong showing led to dismissing the Irish side for only 179 runs.
On a sweltering day, Diana quickly made her mark by claiming the important wicket of opening batswoman Sarah Forbes. Later, she came back to take three additional wickets, asserting her control over Ireland’s lower order. Simultaneously, Nashra maintained the strain by removing vital batters, notably Irish skipper Gaby Lewis. The innings ended with a run-out, highlighting Pakistan’s robust fielding skills.
Initially, Pakistan took their turn at bat but found it difficult to build on a promising beginning. They concluded their innings during the next-to-last over with a total of 217 runs. Aliya Riaz excelled individually, accumulating 52 runs from 58 deliveries. Sidra Amin added significantly as well, making 50 runs in 110 balls. For Ireland, Jane Maguire led the bowling effort by claiming three wickets.
This win puts Pakistan atop the qualifier standings with a net run rate of 0.76. The competition includes six squads like Bangladesh and West Indies, all vying for two berths in the upcoming World Cup hosted in India. With home-field advantage, Pakistan hopes to capitalize on it and qualify for the primary contest.
