Lahore, Pakistan – Pakistan Women’s cricket team captain Fatima stated Monday that her team’s primary focus is preparation for the upcoming Women’s World Cup, despite beginning a three-match One Day International (ODI) series against South Africa in Lahore on Tuesday.
The World Cup, scheduled to be held later this month under a hybrid model across India and Sri Lanka, will see Pakistan play all it’s fixtures in Colombo due to political tensions preventing travel between India and Pakistan.
Fatima emphasized the ODI series’ importance as a preparation tool, saying, ”The specific aim is to prepare for the World Cup and execute our plans in this series.” She added, “A series like this is very beneficial for the team ahead of the World cup. It gives the players a good prospect to put into practice all the preparation they have done in recent times.”
The Pakistani skipper also highlighted a team focus on strengthening the batting lineup, noting, “We worked a lot on batting during the camp.” Pakistan traditionally relies on its bowling attack.
The ODI series will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium on September 16, 19, and 22, with all matches starting at 3:30 pm local time. Fatima will captain Pakistan’s 15-member squad, while Laura Wolvaardt will lead South Africa.
The series follows a two-week pre-series camp held in Lahore, featuring practice sessions and scenario-based matches. The Pakistan squad includes one uncapped player, Eyman fatima, who debuted in T20I against Ireland in Dublin in August.
Fans in pakistan can watch the matches on A Sports, with live-streaming available on Tamasha. International broadcasts include Cricbuzz and Sportainment (Middle-East and North Africa), super Sports (Africa), Sports Central (Global outside Pakistan), and Willow TV (North America).
Historically, South Africa has held the advantage in ODI matches against Pakistan, with 28 wins to Pakistan’s fewer.Though, Pakistan defeated South Africa by eight wickets in their last meeting during the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 series in Karachi on September 14, 2023.
The eight-team World Cup is set to run from September 30 to November 2 in India and Sri Lanka.
