Women’s T20 World Cup: New Zealand storm in semi-final after thrashing Pakistan
Pakistan suffered a humiliating defeat to New Zealand in a crucial Women’s T20 World Cup clash on October 14 in Dubai, effectively ending India’s chances of progressing in the tournament.
Despite restricting New Zealand to 110 runs, Pakistan’s batting performance was disastrous, as they were bowled out for just 56 runs, marking the second-lowest total in the tournament’s history.
While Pakistan’s bowling attack held its own, their fielding and batting left much to be desired. Numerous dropped catches and the inability of any batter to form a stand against New Zealand’s bowlers sealed Pakistan’s fate. The poor fielding performance, which saw a staggering eight dropped catches, compounded the team’s troubles. Even skipper Fatima Sana, one of Pakistan’s reliable fielders, let multiple chances slip by.
With this victory, New Zealand secured their long-awaited semi-final spot as the second-placed team in Group A alongside Australia in first, while Pakistan and India finished their campaigns in third and fourth places, respectively.
Disastrous fielding by Pakistan
Pakistan’s fielding performance was abysmal, particularly in crucial moments. Even their dependable captain, Fatima Sana, failed to hold onto important catches. The fielding unit dropped eight catches overall, with four of them coming in the final over of New Zealand’s innings.
Had Pakistan capitalised on these opportunities, they might have reduced the target and boosted their confidence heading into their batting innings. Unfortunately, the combination of dropped chances and a lacklustre batting display contributed to their crushing defeat, leaving both Pakistan and India disappointed as they bowed out of the tournament.
Lack of planning with batting
Pakistan’s batters displayed a lack of planning in their approach while chasing New Zealand’s target of 110 runs. Apart from Muneeba Ali’s 15-run knock and Fatima Sana’s 21, none of the other batters managed to reach double figures. While New Zealand’s batting wasn’t remarkable either, Pakistan’s disappointing performance completely overshadowed the Black Caps.
Pakistan’s batting woes were further highlighted by four of their players getting out for a duck, encapsulating the team’s struggles throughout the tournament. The dismal performance reflected the ongoing challenges faced by the batting unit, which contributed significantly to Pakistan’s exit from the Women’s T20 World Cup.