Pakistan will look to create consistency and work on their batting ahead of the big event
Firdose Moonda15-Sep-2024Pakistan’s problems: Inconsistency from a team in transition
Pakistan are on their third captain in the last 18 months since last year’s T20 World Cup and their latest, Fatima Sana, will take the reins for the first time in this series. The 22-year-old bowler takes over from Nida Dar, who succeeded Bismah Mahroof, and has the job of creating consistency, especially at major tournaments.Pakistan have only won one match each in the last three T20 World Cups and will go into this tournament with tempered expectations of what would represent success. In a group that includes two tournament favourites – Australia and India – and the in-form Sri Lanka, getting to the semi-finals will take some doing, especially given their recent form.Related
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Since last year’s T20 World Cup, Pakistan have played 23 T20Is, won nine and lost 14 but among their victories have been series wins over South Africa (at home) and New Zealand (away). They’ll fancy themselves against New Zealand in the group stage, and other wins will be a bonus.Pakistan would also like to see an improved commitment to professionalisation from their board. In its 2022 women’s report, global player body FICA (now called WCA) said “fundamental changes are required to create a recognised pathway for female cricketers in Pakistan to make a viable living out of playing professional cricket,” and as recently as this week, that was evident. Players did not receive daily allowances at their training camp which has left some players low on morale ahead of an important event.Muneeba Ali is Pakistan’s leading run-scorer this year•Asian Cricket CouncilPakistan’s focus in this series should be on run-scoring, which is an area they have underperformed. Muneeba Ali is their highest run-scorer in T20Is this year with 280 runs from 12 matches. Their bowlers have enjoyed the bulk of the success with left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal collecting 18 wickets at 14.33 in T20Is this year.South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt said she “expects Pakistan to bowl a lot of spin so we are prepared for that,” both in the series and when they get to the UAE. South Africa’s stunning slide at home South Africa’s long-running search for an ICC trophy came the closest it ever had last February when the women’s team became their first senior side to qualify for a World Cup final, and that too at home. But a perfect opportunity to build on their success was squandered. There were delays in appointing a new coach and they will travel to this World Cup with an interim appointee Dillon du Preez on the back of a string of poor results.Since reaching the 2023 final, South Africa have played 18 matches in the format, won five and lost 10 with three no-results. They have not won one out of the six series they’ve played and lost series to Pakistan, Australia (both away) and Sri Lanka (at home) as well as a match to Bangladesh for the first time in a T20I.None of that will matter to a fan base desperate for a major trophy and ever-expected after both the men’s and women’s sides reached the last T20 World Cup final. South African supporters will need to be reminded that women’s cricket has grown especially strong in India since the last T20 World Cup, and with Australia and England always a step ahead, their team will have to find something or someone special to challenge for the trophy.Marizanne Kapp and Laura Wolvaardt are crucial players in SA’s top order•Getty ImagesHappily for South Africa, their new all-format captain Wolvaardt is among the best players on the global stage and leads with bat and on the field. She is their leading run-scorer in T20Is this year, followed by No. 3 Marizanne Kapp and her opening partner Tazmin Brits. All three of them have more runs than Pakistan’s Muneeba this year. While that speaks to the strength of the top order, it also points to problems lower down, especially as former captain Sune Luus has struggled. In the last 18 months, she averages under 20 with the bat, which makes South Africa extra reliant on allrounders Nadine de Klerk and Chloe Tryon for middle-order firepower.Both those players have the additional concern of their bowling attack, which has been underwhelming since Shabnim Ismail’s retirement. De Klerk is South Africa’s highest wicket-taker with eight wickets in nine matches this year and South Africa will be expecting more from the likes of Ayabonga Khaka, Tumi Sekhukhune and young Ayanda Hlubi at the World Cup.Their spin contingent features a newcomer, 18-year old Seshnie Naidu, who could make her debut against Pakistan in this series, as she prepares for the big time. “It will be awesome for her to get a game and a taste of international cricket. I’ve faced her a bit in the nets and she has good control for such a young legspinner,” Wolvaardt said.Advantage Pakistan? Mostly, Wolvaardt wants to use the series as a barometer for whether South Africa have progressed since being blanked 3-nil by Pakistan a year ago in Karachi. “It will be a great judge to see if the work we have done behind the scenes is working,” Wolvaardt said.In that series, South Africa scored 150 batting first twice and failed to defend it and then could not chase 151 in the third match. “We’ve been talking a lot about finding that extra 10 to 20 runs,” Wolvaardt said.It’s unclear whether those runs will be needed at Multan Stadium, which will host a T20I for the first time. Wolvaardt described the experience of being the first international T20 side to play at the ground as “special.”