Pakistan book Asia Cup semi-final berth

They reach knockouts of the tournament thanks to India’s victory over Nepal

Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals of the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup after India claimed an 82-run win over Nepal at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Tuesday.

India were already in a strong position to qualify in the final four after they posted 178/3 in 20 overs. The bowlers restricted Nepal on 96/9. India had defeated Pakistan and UAE previously too

Head Coach of the Pakistan women’s cricket team, Mohammad Wasim, has expressed optimism about the national team’s performance in the ongoing Asia Cup 2024 during a media conference held today.

Despite a challenging start, Wasim highlighted the team’s improved form and potential for tournament success.

He acknowledged the difficulties faced in the team’s opening match of the tournament.

“We faced difficulties in the first match because we couldn’t execute our plan. However, the team’s performance has significantly improved since then. We are heading in the right direction and are prepared to face tougher opponents in the upcoming matches with the same mindset,” Wasim said. Wasim emphasized the importance of giving players the freedom to exhibit their talent fully.

“If we want to get the best performance from these girls, we must give them the freedom to showcase their talent fully. Bowling is our strong suit, and we are also seeing notable improvements in fielding and batting,” he said.

He also underscored the necessity of modern coaching techniques to stay competitive.

“If you want to play modern cricket, you also need modern coaching. The hard work we put in during the camp is now paying off, and we are focusing on encouraging our girls to bat more aggressively,” he said.

Discussing the playing conditions in Sri Lanka, Wasim noted, “The conditions favor the spinners, and our young bowlers have bowled excellently. Left-arm seamer Tasmia has been a great addition to our bowling lineup, and her performance has been impressive.”

Looking ahead, Wasim reiterated the team’s ambition for the tournament.

“We’ve come here with the mindset of winning the Asia Cup this time. We are confident in our preparations and believe that our team has the capability to achieve this goal,” he concluded.

It is worth noting that the women in Green have advanced to the semifinal round of the ongoing tournament after securing two wins in three matches.

Nida Dar-led Pakistan will play the second semifinal on July 26th in Dambulla, while India will compete in the first semifinal on the same date at the same venue.

Earlier, the Girls in Green had defeated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 10 wickets in a must-win match.

Chasing the target of 104 runs, Pakistan’s opening duo of Gull Feroza and Muneeba Ali showed impeccable performances with the bat as the Green Shirts reached home in just 14.1 overs without losing a single wicket.

Feroza scored 62 off 55 balls with eight fours while Muneeba contributed 37 runs on 30 deliveries with four boundaries.

Pakistan also became the first team to win a match by 10 wickets in the history of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup.

After being asked the bat first, the UAE women did not have a great start as they kept on losing wickets at regular intervals.

Skipper Esha Oza (16 off 26) and Theertha Satish (40 off 36) were the top two scorers for UAE as other than them, only Khushi Sharma (12 off 13) managed to contribute runs in double figures.

For Pakistan, Sadia Iqbal, Nashra Sandhu and Tuba Hassan took two wickets each while skipper Nida Dar managed to get one.