In a highly anticipated series, Ireland Women are set to host Pakistan Women for a three-match T20I series, commencing on August 6. All matches will be held at the Clontarf Cricket Club Stadium in Dublin, a venue that promises to be a stage for a competitive contest between the two closely-ranked teams. This series serves as a vital preparation for both sides as they look ahead to the T20 World Cup in similar England conditions next year.
Pakistan’s quest for revenge and redemption
The Pakistan team, currently ranked eighth in the ICC Women’s T20 team rankings, will be eager to turn the tables on their opponents. Although they hold a favorable head-to-head record of 15-14 against Ireland, it was the Irish side that won their most recent series 2-1 when they toured Pakistan. This series will present an opportunity for Fatima Sana‘s team to settle the score. Pakistan’s most recent T20I performance was in the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2024, where they had a disappointing outing, losing three of their four group-stage matches. The team will be looking to their key players, including captain Fatima, batter Muneeba Ali, and the world’s number one ranked T20I bowler, Sadia Iqbal, to find form and build momentum for the upcoming busy season.
IRE-W vs PAK-W: Pakistan’s best playing XI for the T20I series against Ireland
1. Muneeba Ali (wk)
- Role: Explosive opening batter and wicketkeeper, a crucial player for setting the tone at the top of the order and providing quick runs during the powerplay.
- Importance: Her ability to score fast and aggressively is vital for Pakistan, a team that has at times struggled with scoring rates in T20Is. Her recent historic century against Ireland in a T20 World Cup match proves she can dominate this opposition.
- Strength: Muneeba’s main strength is her fearless left-handed batting, which can disrupt the opposition’s bowling plans, and her reliable work behind the stumps adds a layer of security to the team’s fielding.
2. Sidra Amin
- Role: A steady and dependable opening partner who can anchor the innings and play the role of the accumulator, allowing the other batters to play with more freedom.
- Importance: Her partnership with Muneeba will be key to giving Pakistan a solid start and ensuring they don’t lose early wickets. Her experience and calmness are essential in stabilizing the innings.
- Strength: Sidra’s primary strength lies in her ability to build an innings, rotate the strike effectively, and play the longer game, which is crucial for a team that relies on a mix of aggression and stability.
3. Shawaal Zulfiqar
- Role: A promising young top-order batter who can provide stability and firepower in the middle overs, a crucial position in T20 cricket for maintaining momentum.
- Importance: As a non-traveling reserve who has been brought into the squad, her inclusion in the playing XI would provide a fresh and dynamic option. She could prove to be the linchpin of the middle order, acting as the bridge between the openers and the finishers.
- Strength: Shawaal’s strength is her ability to read the game and adapt to different match situations, which will be vital on Irish pitches that might offer a challenge to the batters.
4. Eyman Fatima
- Role: An uncapped young batter with a reputation for being an aggressive and fearless hitter, making her a potentially game-changing player in the middle order.
- Importance: Her inclusion in the squad is based on a fantastic domestic season where she scored runs at a very high strike rate. Her youthful exuberance and ability to accelerate the scoring will be crucial for Pakistan to post competitive totals, especially on grounds where boundaries are more accessible.
- Strength: Eyman’s primary strength is her attacking intent and ability to find the boundaries with ease, a quality that Pakistan needs to boost their scoring rate in T20Is.
5. Gull Feroza
- Role: A wicketkeeper-batter who can add depth to the batting lineup and provide an alternative option to Muneeba Ali with the gloves if needed.
- Importance: With two wicketkeepers in the squad, Gull Feroza provides flexibility. If Muneeba Ali is to focus solely on her batting, Feroza could take over the keeping duties, or she could be used as a specialist batter in the lower-middle order to bolster the team’s firepower.
- Strength: Her strength is her versatility and adaptability to different roles, which is a valuable asset for the team’s tactical flexibility.
Also READ: Freya Sargent makes comeback in Ireland’s T20I squad for Pakistan series led by Gaby Lewis
6. Aliya Riaz
- Role: A powerful all-rounder and a key finisher for the team, capable of hitting big shots down the order and providing a few overs with her medium-fast bowling.
- Importance: Her role as a finisher is vital for giving the team a strong total or chasing down a difficult target. Her bowling is a valuable asset, especially in conditions that might assist pace and seam.
- Strength: Aliya’s biggest strength is her clean hitting and ability to perform under pressure in the death overs, making her an indispensable part of Pakistan’s T20 side.
7. Fatima Sana (c)
- Role: The team’s captain and a bowling all-rounder, she will lead the pace attack and is also more than capable with the bat in the lower-middle order.
- Importance: As captain, she will be responsible for leading the team from the front with both her performance and her leadership. Her pace bowling will be a key weapon on the seam-friendly pitches in Ireland.
- Strength: Her main strength lies in her ability to strike with the new ball, control the flow of runs in the middle overs, and contribute with the bat, making her a true all-format player.
8. Natalia Pervaiz
- Role: A versatile all-rounder who can bat and bowl medium-pace, providing crucial balance to the team and depth in both departments.
- Importance: Her all-round skills give the captain flexibility with bowling options and add depth to the batting lineup, ensuring the team is not overly reliant on a few key players.
- Strength: Natalia’s strength is her ability to contribute with both bat and ball, which makes her a valuable asset in T20 cricket where all-rounders are highly sought after.
9. Nashra Sandhu
- Role: The team’s primary left-arm orthodox spinner, a crucial bowler for controlling the middle overs and taking key wickets.
- Importance: In a format where spinners often dominate, her ability to bowl with control and flight will be a significant factor. She will be tasked with building pressure on the Irish batters and preventing them from scoring freely.
- Strength: Nashra’s main strength is her exceptional accuracy and ability to deceive batters with her flight, which allows her to both contain runs and create wicket-taking opportunities.
10. Sadia Iqbal
- Role: The world’s number one ranked T20I bowler and a left-arm orthodox spinner, making her a non-negotiable inclusion in the playing XI.
- Importance: As the highest-ranked bowler in the world, she is the team’s most potent weapon with the ball. Her ability to take wickets and bowl tight overs is instrumental to the team’s success.
- Strength: Sadia’s biggest strength is her consistency, clever variations, and pinpoint accuracy, which makes her a difficult bowler for any opposition to face, especially in the middle of an innings.
11. Rameen Shamim
- Role: An experienced off-spinner who can provide a different dimension to the spin attack and is also a handy lower-order batter.
- Importance: Her experience will be crucial in a series that is expected to be a close contest. She will be relied upon to bowl tight lines and give the captain a solid, reliable option in the spin department.
- Strength: Rameen’s strength lies in her off-spin, which provides a different challenge to the batters, and her ability to contribute with the bat in a pinch.
Also READ: Pakistan announces 15-member squad for Women’s T20I series against Ireland
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.