Still searching for a sense of direction in the ICC Women’s World Cup, Pakistan will take on a rampant Australian team at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday, hoping to spark a turnaround against the tournament’s most complete team.
Fatima Sana’s charges have had a tough start to the campaign, suffering tough defeats against Bangladesh and India. Their batting has faltered, their bowling has lacked consistency and their fielding has not reached international standard, a combination that has left them at the bottom of the eight-team table with little margin for error.
But ahead of their clash with the defending champions, Pakistan’s veteran batter Sidra Amin struck a note of quiet defiance.
“I think tomorrow is a big game for us as a team,” he said at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“We are a good batting team, but as batsmen, we have to spend more time on the wicket so we can execute our plans and assess the conditions really well.”
One of the few bright spots in Pakistan’s dismal campaign, Sidra notched up a fighting half-century against India and has been a stable presence at the top of the order. He admitted that the team’s batting collapses have often been self-inflicted.
“If we look at the big picture, we have bowled between five and seven overs, that’s about 42 balls,” he said. “If we approach things this way, the number of points and the pressure will reduce. As batsmen, we need to take more responsibility, stay on the wicket longer and play maximum number of overs.”
Pakistan’s inability to post a competitive total has been their undoing in both matches so far. They mustered just 160 against Bangladesh and folded for 180 against India, failing to reach their full quota of overs on both occasions. With the middle-order batsmen struggling for flow and the lower-order batsmen offering little resistance, the team’s over-reliance on Sidra, Fatima and Muneeba Ali has become evident.
Even their bowling, traditionally Pakistan’s strength, has been inconsistent. The new ball pair of Fatima and Diana Baig have lacked pace, with the spinners struggling to control the conditions that should ideally suit them. Pakistan conceded 18 extras against Bangladesh, a reflection of their disciplinary problems, although Diana’s four-wicket haul against India hinted at some improvement.
“Discussions are ongoing,” Sidra said when asked about the team’s approach. “Our coach has guided us individually. He can tell us what to do, but as players, what matters is how we approach things. Everyone knows that our team is strong in bowling, and our spinners and attacking bowlers could cause problems for two or three of their batsmen, which could help us in this game.”
However, even familiarity with the conditions (with Pakistan playing all their matches in Colombo) may not be enough against an Australian team that looked far superior.
“Yes, we have an advantage in that sense,” Sidra admitted. “But how the team uses that advantage is very important. They are a very well-prepared team. I heard that when they train for Asian conditions, they even set up indoor facilities at 35-40 degrees to simulate the heat. That’s the kind of preparation they do.”
Australia, led by Alyssa Healy, enters the contest as firm favorites. Their campaign so far has been near perfect, marked by powerful displays of batting and disciplined bowling. They remain the only team to have posted a total of over 300 in the tournament, a feat they achieved in their emphatic 89-run win over New Zealand in Indore, where Ashleigh Gardner’s century proved decisive.
While some of their big names, including Healy and Beth Mooney, are yet to reach their peak, Australia’s depth has made them nearly invincible. Annabel Sutherland’s pace and Sophie Molineux’s guile have been particularly effective on subcontinental surfaces, while the team’s balance allows them to dominate all phases of the game.
Their only setback came off the field when their previous match against Sri Lanka was washed out, denying them the chance to top the standings. If anything, though, the breakup has left them fresher and more focused.
All-rounder Ellyse Perry, speaking to reporters on the eve of the match, acknowledged both the challenge and the respect her team has for its opponents. “Oh yes, [Fatima Sana] He’s an incredible player,” Perry said. “I think he’s a real talisman for the Pakistan team. He plays with a lot of passion and energy; He is also incredibly talented. “It’s always nice when we get the chance to play against her.”
On the conditions, Perry added: “We obviously had to take a look at the conditions the other night with the India-Pakistan game. It probably hasn’t changed much from how we thought the other day when we were expecting to play. But we’ve had a chance to prepare pretty well.”
