The 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup started with a big upset as Sri Lanka defeated the hosts South Africa in the opening match. As Sri Lanka managed to score 129 runs in their 20 overs for the loss of four wickets, their bowlers did a tremendous job to restrict the hosts to 126 for 9 to win the thrilling World Cup opener by three runs.
Pakistan, who are yet to get their campaign underway, haven’t been able to qualify for the semi-finals in all the previous editions of the Women’s T20 World Cup since 2009.
The Women in Green will be looking to change their fortunes in the ongoing tournament in South Africa under the leadership of Bismah Maroof as they haven’t been able to make it to the knock out stages of the event ever.
For Pakistan to perform better in the current edition, the performance of every player will be crucial, but there are certain players who will be key to Pakistan’s chances in the ongoing event. So, let’s have a look at the top-three players to watch out for from Pakistan in the Women’s T20 World Cup.
Ayesha Naseem
Ayesha made her debut for Pakistan at the age of 15 as a promising youngster. She has played a crucial role for her team as a middle-order batter and as a finisher. The 18-year-old is known for her ability to strike the ball well and make a big impact in just a few deliveries.
Ayesha has appeared in 28 T20Is for Pakistan scoring 320 runs from 25 innings at an impressive strike rate of 122.60. She can play a crucial role for Pakistan in the World Cup with her power hitting caliber and can take down top bowling attacks.
Javeria Khan
Javeria Khan is one of the senior players in the team with an experience of over 100 ODIs and T20Is. The 34-year-old has scored 2004 runs in 110 T20Is averaging 22.02 with ten half-centuries and her highest score being 74* off 52 balls against Ireland in 2018. Javeria also has good numbers in 116 ODIs that she has played thus far with 2885 runs at an average of 28.56. She was the leading run-scorer for Pakistan in the previous edition with 82 runs in four matches. As an opener, Javeria is a dependable batter for Pakistan and her experience would be crucial for the team to perform well in the tournament.
Nida Dar
Nida Dar is the kind of player who can take crucial wickets as a bowler, and can make quick runs as a batter coming down the order. The 36-year-old has appeared in 99 ODIs and 126 T20Is for Pakistan taking 212 wickets and scoring 3151 runs across both formats.
She is the second-highest wicket-taker in women’s T20Is with 121 wickets, just four wickets short of Anisa Mohammed (125 wickets) of the West Indies. She was awarded ICC Women’s Player of the Month for October 2022. Nida dar was the main anchor for Pakistan in their famous victory against India in the 2022 Women’s Asia Cup, where she remained unbeaten on 56 off 37 balls and took two wickets conceding 23 runs as Pakistan defeated India by 13 runs.
