LAHORE - Pakistan maintained their perfect record with a commanding seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in their final match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier (WCWCQ) 2025, played at the LCCA Ground on Saturday.
Chasing a modest 179-run target, player of the match Muneeba Ali led the charge with a composed 69 off 93 balls, featuring eight boundaries. She was well supported by Aliya Riaz, who anchored the innings with an unbeaten 52 from 76 deliveries, including six fours and a six, to steer Pakistan home in 39.4 overs.Earlier, Pakistan’s bowling unit, led by Sadia Iqbal (3-28), captain Fatima Sana (2-45), and Diana Baig (2-45), restricted Bangladesh to 178-9 in their allotted 50 overs.
The chase began shakily for Pakistan as opener Shawaal Zulfiqar fell in the very first over. However, Sidra Amin (33 off 65 balls, 4x4s) joined Muneeba to stabilize the innings with an 80-run second-wicket stand. After Sidra’s dismissal, Muneeba and Aliya added another 74 runs to take the match beyond Bangladesh’s reach. Opting to bat first, Bangladesh were rocked early, slipping to 21-3. Ritu Moni staged a recovery with a gritty 48 off 76 balls, sharing 44-run stands with both Sharmin Akhter (19) and Nahida Akter (24). Lower down the order, Fahima Khatun played a valuable hand with an unbeaten 44 off 53 balls to push the total to 178.
Despite the loss, Bangladesh had reason to celebrate later in the day as they qualified for the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, edging out West Indies on Net Run Rate by a margin of just 0.013.Both Bangladesh and West Indies finished the group stage with three wins, but the Caribbean side needed a miracle in their final game – tochase 167 in 10.1 overs. The ask was steep: they could stretch it to 11 overs only if they leveled the scores and hit a six to seal the win.
As the 10th over ended, West Indies were still 11 runs adrift. With just two balls left, Stafanie Taylor smashed a six – butit came a delivery too early. The heartbreak was palpable as West Indies fell just short, confirming Bangladesh’s qualification for the marquee event.
This will be Bangladesh’s second appearance at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, after their debut in 2022 where they finished second-last.The Nigar Sultana Joty-led side began the Qualifier with a thumping 178-run victory over Thailand. They edged past Ireland by two wickets in a nail-biting contest and followed it up with a win over Scotland to make it three from three. Their only two losses came against West Indies and Pakistan, but crucial performances from key players helped them stay in contention. Skipper Joty, Sharmin Akhter, and Ritu Moni led with the bat, while Fahima Khatun, Jannatul Ferdus, and Rabeya Khan stood out with the ball.
