Pakistan’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup campaign began on a forgettable note as they crashed to a powerful Bangladesh side, leaving captain Fatima Sana and her team under pressure to regroup quickly ahead of Sunday’s high-voltage clash with India in Colombo.
Bangladesh struck early through 20-year-old Marufa Akter, whose devastating opening spell dismantled Pakistan’s top order and earned her the Player of the Match award. For Pakistan, however, the defeat exposed frailties that they can ill afford against their arch-rivals.
Captain Fatima Sana admitted her side must learn quickly from their mistakes. “Definitely,” she said after the match. “All the batters will sit together with our coach and make better plans. Obviously the way we got out today – on the first ball, second ball – we’ll spend more time discussing this. We’ll try to play the cricket we’ve been playing in the past.
“There are many girls who are playing such high-pressure matches for the first time, so we are facing some of those issues too, but we are trying our best to give our level best in the matches ahead,” Sana added.
While praising Marufa’s impact, Sana also pointed to her own side’s culpability. “Nothing was happening on the pitch in those early wickets, that was purely our batters’ mistakes, and hopefully they will minimise those mistakes,” she said.
“I think the pitch does support the fast bowlers, so Marufa got some help and, as you saw, every pacer got help from the pitch. That was the main thing. Hopefully we’ll execute our plans better in the next matches.”
Meanwhile, Marufa was still pinching herself post-game, having spent so much time before the World Cup visualising how she can impact games for Bangladesh.
“I’m so excited in this World Cup because this World Cup is my life in first time,” said the 20-year-old.
“And two months ago, I always thinking, when I’m sleeping, always I’m thinking, first match, I do better. Always, and I’m the match-winner,” she added.
Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana Joty lauded the young pacer’s composure. “Marufa is very young and mature,” she said.
“She knows her role very well, and is very confident. How she delivered was incredible. We wanted to start with a win. It gives a momentum we can take into the rest of the tournament.”
For Pakistan, though, the opening defeat has made the upcoming clash with India even more significant, with little room left for error in their campaign. Hosts India, on the other hand, began their campaign with a comfortable 59-run victory in the tournament opener against co-hosts Sri Lanka in Guwahati.