Shawaal Zulfiqar, Pakistan’s 19-year-old batter, returns to the squad for the Women’s ODI World Cup Qualifiers after recovering from a shoulder injury. She sustained the injury during Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand in December 2023 and has not played competitive cricket since. Pakistan Women have also been inactive since their group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup in the UAE in October, with their last ODI series being against England in May 2024.
Zulfiqar has played one ODI and seven T20Is. She made her mark with a notable 41-run knock during the New Zealand tour, helping Pakistan register their first-ever T20I win against New Zealand in women’s cricket.
Squad and Preparation
The 15-player squad will be led by Fatima Sana, with Muneeba Ali serving as vice-captain. The players are currently participating in a training camp, where they are engaged in warm-up games to regain match fitness after a long break. According to a PCB statement, the selection committee assessed the players’ form and fitness during the second phase of the preparation camp before finalizing the squad.
Qualifier Details
The ODI World Cup Qualifiers will be held in Lahore from April 9 to 19, featuring six teams: Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand, West Indies, and Pakistan. The top two teams will qualify for the ODI World Cup in India later this year. If Pakistan qualifies, they will play their matches in the UAE or Sri Lanka under the ICC agreement, which ensures neutral venues for India-Pakistan matches until 2027.
Pakistan Squad for ODI World Cup Qualifiers
- Main Squad: Fatima Sana (capt), Muneeba Ali (vice-capt), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Syeda Aroob Shah.
- Reserves: Ghulam Fatima, Waheeda Akhtar, Umm-e-Hani.
Qualified Teams for ODI World Cup 2025
Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and hosts India have already secured their spots.
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