FIXTURES:
Pakistan is placed in Group B along with Rwanda, England, & Zimbabwe.
SQUAD:
Their squad only features 1 player who has represented the senior team and that is the captain - Syeda Aroob Shah (7 caps)
RECENT FORM:
Being a full-member nation, Pakistan directly qualified for the inaugural ICC U-19 Women's T20 World Cup. With this tournament in sight, Pakistan launched its inaugural Women's U-19 tournament in August 2022 comprising 6 teams. The pathway to Pakistan's senior team till then had been vague, with two senior-level tournaments, but no U-19 domestic competition. Pakistan enters the competition on the back of 1 win and 1 loss in the warm-ups.
PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR:
Syeda Aroob Shah: A lot rides upon the Pakistan skipper with the ball. It was her bowling display that proved to be massive in restricting Ireland to a below-par total in the warm-ups. The wrist spin all-rounder has international experience with Pakistan's senior side. Wrist spinners are match-winners in T20s and she would be vital once the PP is done.
Eyman Fatima: Wicket-keeper Eyman Fatima has done really well for Central Punjab U-19s. She was yet again amongst the runs against Ireland with 58* (43) as all the other Pakistan batters struggled. In the next game, history repeated as she topped the charts for Pakistan with 45 (46). She's the best batter in the side by a comfortable margin and one should not be surprised if she goes big!
Rida Aslam: A rare variety in cricket is here. It's a variety that you very very very rarely get to see in women's cricket & there are only 8-9 known names in women's cricket who are known to be of those type. That is - Left-arm wrist spin! The Central Punjab U-19 spinner is going to bamboozle batters with a variety that pretty much no one is used to facing.
Anosha Nasir: The left-arm orthodox spinner has good action and she spins the ball well. As the tournament progresses, some of the venues will see the pitch getting drier and Anosha will start becoming a bigger threat.
PREDICTIONS:
Pakistan looks certain to make it through to the Super 6s from this group and a finish in the top 3 is well within their grasp. Their strength is their bowling & that is what they would look to bank upon primarily.