Karachi, Jan 1 (IANS) Pakistan women’s cricket team skipper Bismah Maroof believes that her team’s victory over the West Indies in the Women’s ODI World Cup was a highlight from 2022.
Pakistan women’s side featured in 32 internationals (13 ODIs and 19 T20Is) and participated in the Women’s ODI World Cup, Women’s T20 event at Birmingham Commonwealth Games and the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, besides hosting Sri Lanka and Ireland at home for white-ball games.
In that match from the ODI World Cup at Seddon Park, Hamilton, veteran off-spin all-rounder Nida Dar picked up four wickets as Pakistan ended their 13-year-long wait for a World Cup victory with an eight-wicket win over West Indies in a rain-curtailed 20-overs per side match.
“The highlight of our World Cup campaign (in 2022) was the victory over the West Indies, which was our first in 13 years in the pinnacle event. We also won five of the six ODIs against Sri Lanka and Ireland at home to move up to second in the ICC Women’s Championship, while we defeated India in Sylhet for the first time since 2014 though we missed out on the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup final after losing to Sri Lanka by one-run in the semi-final,” said Bismah in a special edition of the PCB Podcast.
In the start of the ODI World Cup in New Zealand, Bismah made heads turn when she marked her international cricket comeback ahead of her team’s tournament opener against India at Mount Maunganui with her daughter Fatima cradled in one arm.
In the same picture, one of her team-mates was pushing the baby’s cradle. She even did a baby-rocking celebration after reaching her half-century in a match against Australia. Pakistan women’s team will kickstart 2023 with three ODIs against Australia on January 16, 18 and 21.
It will be followed by three T20Is against the world champions on January 24, 26 and 29. The team will then travel to South Africa from Melbourne to feature in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023.
In the marquee event, Pakistan are placed in Group 2 alongside England, India, Ireland and West Indies. Pakistan will play their opening match against arch-rivals India on February 12 at Newlands, Cape Town, before facing Ireland at the same venue on February 15.
–IANS
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