West Indies Women’s World Cup hopes take a hit after heavy Pakistan defeat

The West Indies Women’s hopes of qualifying for the ICC Women’s World Cup are hanging precariously after a comprehensive 65-run defeat at the hands of Pakistan in their third match of the World Cup Qualifier tournament on Monday.

This latest setback follows an inconsistent start to their campaign.

They lost by a narrow 11 runs to Scotland before bouncing back with a slender six-run victory over Ireland.

The heavy loss to Pakistan leaves the Caribbean with just one win from their opening three matches.

Pakistan Women, batting first at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, posted a total of 191 all out. Their innings was built around a patient half-century from Sidra Amin, who scored 54, with contributions from Muneeba Ali (33) and Sidra Nawaz (23).

The West Indies bowlers toiled hard to restrict the scoring, with Hayley Matthews (2-30), Afy Fletcher (2-39), and Karishma Ramharack (2-55) each picking up two wickets.

Young spinner Ashmini Munisar continued to impress, finishing with figures of 1-29 from her full quota of 10 overs.

However, the West Indies’ chase got off to a disastrous start when captain Hayley Matthews was trapped leg-before-wicket by Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana on the very first ball of the innings. This early blow set the tone for a chase that never gained momentum.

Despite brief periods of resistance from the middle order, with Aaliyah Alleyne scoring 22, Shabika Gajnabi contributing 21, and Stafanie Taylor adding 17, the West Indies batting lineup ultimately collapsed.

They were eventually bowled out for just 126 in 39.2 overs. Fatima Sana led the Pakistan bowling attack effectively, claiming 3 wickets for just 16 runs.

She received good support from Rameen Shamim (2-26) and Nashra Sandhu (2-31), who maintained pressure throughout the innings.

Run outs proved to be a significant issue for the West Indies once again, with Zaida James and Shemaine Campbelle among those falling victim to poor judgment and costing their team crucial wickets.

The batting side never recovered from their early setbacks, and by the halfway stage of their innings, they had lost seven wickets with less than 100 runs on the board.

This result leaves the West Indies in a precarious position in the qualification race.

With only one win from three matches and a net run rate that could prove crucial in a tight group, their path to the World Cup has become significantly more challenging.

For Pakistan, this victory represents a vital boost to their own qualification aspirations.

FULL SCORECARD:https://www.icc-cricket.com/tournaments/womens-cwc-qualifier-2025/matches/258346/pakistan-vs-west-indies