Pakistan Secures Spot in ICC Women's Cricket World Cup After Victory Over Thailand

Pakistan Advances to ICC Women's Cricket World Cup

Lahore [Pakistan], April 17: Pakistan has officially qualified for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup set to take place in India, following their triumph against Thailand in the qualifiers held in Lahore on Thursday.

This victory marks the fourth consecutive win for the host nation in the qualifying tournament, according to the ICC.

The upcoming tournament will see teams including Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, England, and Pakistan, with one additional spot still to be determined in the ongoing ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

Fatima Sana's team kicked off their campaign with a spirited 38-run victory over Ireland. They followed this with a successful chase against Scotland, winning by six wickets in a match affected by rain. Their most impressive performance came against the West Indies, led by Hayley Matthews, where they secured a 65-run win in a low-scoring match.

In their latest match, Pakistan defeated Thailand by 87 runs, clinching one of the two available qualifying spots. Fatima Sana contributed significantly with the bat, scoring 62 runs off 59 balls, including six fours and a six, while Sidra Amin added 80 runs from 105 balls, hitting nine fours. This helped Pakistan set a total of 205/6 in their allotted 50 overs. Fatima also excelled with the ball, taking 3 wickets for 39 runs, as no Thai batter managed to score more than 20 runs.

Thailand was dismissed for 118 runs in 34.4 overs, with Rameen Shamim and Nashra Sandhu also delivering outstanding bowling performances, taking 3 wickets each for 18 and 19 runs, respectively. Fatima's all-round display earned her the 'Player of the Match' title.

Pakistan will face Bangladesh in their final qualifier match on Saturday, April 19, with a chance to top the tournament if they secure another victory.