NEW DELHI: Women&#39;s cricket is set to take a giant leap as the World Cup begins Tuesday, with stars from eight nations aiming to break new ground both on and off the field.&nbsp;The tournament opens in Guwahati with co-hosts India and Sri Lanka ushering in what many believe could be a transformative moment for the women&#39;s game.&nbsp;The 13th edition of the tournament will have Pakistan playing all their matches in Colombo as part of a compromise deal that allows both India and Pakistan to play at neutral venues in multi-nation tournaments.&nbsp;The 50-over showcase boasts an unprecedented total prize purse of $13.88 million, surpassing even the $10 million awarded in the men&#39;s World Cup two years earlier.&nbsp;&quot;You do get the feeling this could be a seismic moment for the women&#39;s game,&quot; England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt said on the International Cricket Council website.&nbsp;&quot;I think we&#39;ll all look back on our careers when we&#39;re retired and mark the World Cup in India as a game-changer.&quot;&nbsp;Sciver-Brunt is seeking a fifth title for England, who were last winners in 2017 and lost in the final in 2022.&nbsp;Defending champions Australia, who have won a record seven Women&#39;s World Cups, enter as favorites but expect stiff competition, said captain Alyssa Healy.&nbsp;&quot;This is going to be the toughest World Cup we&#39;ve ever been a part of,&quot; said Healy.&nbsp;&quot;Australia has a rich history in this format and in World Cups, but I think every single team is going to be tough to beat.&quot;&nbsp;India, twice runners-up but never champions, are hunting an elusive maiden title in front of a cricket-obsessed home audience in the country of 1.4 billion people. Gender parityVictory could bring millions of new fans to the sport, further elevating its prominence.&nbsp;The past decade has seen women&#39;s cricket surge in talent and visibility.&nbsp;Australia&#39;s women&#39;s Big Bash League, launched in 2015, paved the way before a financial windfall arrived with India&#39;s Women&#39;s Premier League (WPL).&nbsp;Staged first in 2023, the WPL delivered the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) roughly $700 million in franchise and media rights alone.&nbsp;India&#39;s cricketing stars, including Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, have become household names, attracting major sponsorships and wide media coverage.&nbsp;A move toward gender parity was championed by ICC chairman Jay Shah, who introduced equal match fees for women and men &mdash; a shift hailed as transformative by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.&nbsp;&quot;You cannot make out whether the boys are playing or girls,&quot; Saikia told AFP.&nbsp;&quot;The top-class skill and the technique will attract eyeballs on television and get the game more fans. Expect packed stadiums at centres across India,&quot; he added.&nbsp;On the pitch, this World Cup could witness a run-fest.&nbsp;Since 2022, participating teams have breached the 300-run mark 34 times, with Australia and India each surpassing 400 once.&nbsp;Young Indian fast bowler Kranti Goud, New Zealand batter Georgia Plimmer, England quick Lauren Bell and South African all-rounder Annerie Dercksen are tipped as players to watch.&nbsp;India are hosting the Women&#39;s ODI World Cup for the fourth time after 1978, 1997 and 2013.&nbsp;The final will be played on November 2 either in Mumbai or Colombo, depending on whether Pakistan go all the way.

Cricket

The tournament opens in Guwahati with co-hosts India and Sri Lanka ushering in what many believe could be a transformative moment for the women's game.

Women's cricket set for 'seismic' breakthrough at World Cup

Web Desk

COLOMBO: The Pakistan women&rsquo;s cricket team, led by captain Fatima Sana, has arrived in Colombo ahead of the ICC Women&rsquo;s Cricket World Cup.&nbsp;The team will begin its training sessions from today, with practice scheduled to start at 2:00 PM local time, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1970571246833451330&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin&sessionId=53886bf0da5a4a048b49a8b0f61fb1acf0afae09&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 792px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1970571246833451330"></iframe></div></div>&nbsp;Pakistan will play its first warm-up match against Sri Lanka on Sept. 25, followed by a second warm-up fixture against South Africa on Sept. 28.&nbsp;The team will open its World Cup campaign on Oct. 2 against Bangladesh, followed by a key match against traditional rivals India on Oct. 5. Speaking at a pre-departure press conference in Lahore, head coach Muhammad Wasim said the recently concluded ODI series against South Africa had been &ldquo;very useful&rdquo; for building momentum ahead of the World Cup. Although Pakistan lost the three-match series 2-1, he stressed that the focus was not solely on results.&nbsp;&ldquo;The matches allowed us to evaluate different aspects of our game. Winning was secondary; our main objective was to get the players ready for World Cup conditions, and we&rsquo;ve achieved that to a large extent,&rdquo; he noted. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1970462743166677501&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin&sessionId=53886bf0da5a4a048b49a8b0f61fb1acf0afae09&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 650px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1970462743166677501"></iframe></div></div>&nbsp;Wasim added that the weather in Sri Lanka, the World Cup host, is similar to Lahore, which he said would help the players adapt quickly and deliver strong performances.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s group-stage fixtures:Vs Bangladesh Oct. 2Vs India Oct. 5Vs Australia on Oct. 8Vs England on Oct. 15Vs New Zealand on Oct. 18Vs South Africa on Oct. 21Vs Sri Lanka on Oct. 24&nbsp;India and Sri Lanka are jointly hosting the ICC Women&rsquo;s Cricket World Cup 2025. Pakistan will play all of its matches in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model agreed between the boards. Under this arrangement, fixtures involving either side are held at neutral venues, ensuring participation without compromising on security or logistics.

PCB, Pakistan women's cricket team, ICC World Cup 2025 

The team begins its training sessions from today, with practice scheduled to start at 2:00 PM local time.

Pakistan women’s team arrives in Colombo for ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Women capped off their three-match ODI series against South Africa with an emphatic six-wicket win at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, showcasing notable improvement and strong individual performances despite narrowly losing the series 2-1.&nbsp;The final belonged to Nashra Sundhu, who claimed career-best figures of 6 for 26. Her performance helped bowl out South Africa for just 115 in 25.5 overs, their second-lowest ODI total against Pakistan. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1970199961255190657&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=7270ddfb79e5d7e7aaeb57775bd93aa572fa794c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 652px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&nbsp;With her match-winning spell, Nashra also completed 100 ODI wickets in just 74 innings, becoming the fastest Pakistani woman to achieve the milestone, and only the third overall after Nida Dar and Sana Mir. Her accuracy and control in the middle overs proved decisive in Pakistan&rsquo;s dominant bowling display.&nbsp;The game also marked a successful return for leg-spinner Syeda Aroob Shah, who picked up 2 for 16, wrapping up the tail in her first ODI appearance in six years.&nbsp;In the run chase, Sidra Amin continued her excellent form, finishing unbeaten on 50 off 94 balls to guide Pakistan to victory in the 31st over. This was her 12th ODI half-century and capped off a superb series in which she scored 293 runs, the most by any player across the three matches.&nbsp;Opener Muneeba Ali contributed a solid 44 off 76 balls, putting together a key 65-run partnership with Sidra that laid the foundation for a comfortable chase. Later, Natalia Parvaiz added a brisk 14 off 10 balls to help maintain the momentum.&nbsp;Despite losing the first two matches, Pakistan Women showed clear progress throughout the series. After a tough opening game, the team narrowed the margin in the second ODI and then bounced back strongly to secure a convincing win in the final fixture, a reflection of their growing depth and resilience.&nbsp;For South Africa, skipper Laura Wolvaardt top-scored with 28, while Nadine de Klerk claimed 2 for 19.&nbsp;Tazmin Brits was named Player of the Series for South Africa, but it was Pakistan&rsquo;s bowlers and Sidra Amin who headlined the final match with their standout performances.&nbsp;Key performers&nbsp;Sidra Amin:Sidra Amin was the star of the series for Pakistan, scoring 293 runs with two centuries and a fifty in the three-match ODI series. She became the first Pakistani woman to hit back-to-back ODI hundreds and now has six career centuries to her name, more than all other Pakistani women cricketers combined, who have scored four.&nbsp;Nashra Sundhu:Nashra Sundhu was the standout with the ball, taking a career-best 6 for 26 in the third match. She also reached a major milestone by claiming her 100th ODI wicket in just 74 innings &ndash; the fastest ever to do so for Pakistan. World Cup campaign begins soonThe team will now depart for Sri Lanka this evening to take part in the ICC Women&rsquo;s World Cup 2025.&nbsp;Fatima Sana-led Pakistan women&rsquo;s team will play two warm-up matches against Sri Lanka and South Africa as part of their final preparations for the World Cup 2025.&nbsp;The team will open its campaign on Oct. 2 against Bangladesh, followed by group-stage fixtures against arch-rival India on Oct. 5 in Colombo. The Greenshirts will also face Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s fixtures:Oct. 2 &ndash; vs BangladeshOct. 5 &ndash; vs IndiaOct. 8 &ndash; vs AustraliaOct. 15 &ndash; vs EnglandOct. 18 &ndash; vs New ZealandOct. 21 &ndash; vs South AfricaOct. 24 &ndash; vs Sri Lanka

Pakistan women cricket team, Nashra Sundhu

Nashra Sundhu takes 6 for 26 and completes 100 wickets, while Sidra Amin scores 293 runs to lead the batting charts.

Articles tagged with "Pakistan Women cricket team"

Women's cricket set for 'seismic' breakthrough at World Cup

Pakistan women’s team arrives in Colombo for ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup

Strong finish for Pakistan women as Nashra, Sidra shine in ODI series