Tour of West Indies: Higher spots up for grabs for Pakistan Women

Team in green can move up to fourth or second place in rankings

KARACHI: Pakistan Women will take on hosts West Indies Women in their first ODI on Friday with a chance to go up to fourth or even second in the rankings, depending on how the women in green fare during the series.

West Indies have a chance to join Australia at the top of the ICC Women’s Championship table if they whitewash Pakistan when they go head-to-head in round four of the ICC Women’s Championship.

A 3-0 series victory would elevate Stafanie Taylor’s side, which currently lies a point clear of England in third position, to the top of the table. A 2-1 win for the hosts would still see them leapfrog second-placed South Africa, and in that scenario Sana Mir’s fifth-ranked team would also move up to fourth.

Read: Women's cricket Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 20 runs in first ODI

In the event of a 3-0 away victory for the tourists, Pakistan would move into second place with 14 points.

Pakistan will play four ODIs against the Caribbean side in St Lucia, with the opening game on Friday being the only clash that will not count towards the ICC Women’s Championship, which is a qualifying tournament for the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup.

The top four sides from the ICC Women’s Championship will gain automatic qualification for the World Cup, which is to be staged in England, while the bottom four sides will get a final chance of qualification through the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier in 2017.

Read: Pakistan seventh in ICC women’s rankings

“We have a good blend of youth and experience and it will be a superb challenge for our younger players, especially in conditions that are wholly different to what we are used to,” said Pakistan skipper Sana.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2015.

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