Pakistan’s Muneeba Ali hopes Pakistan can get a consolatory win against Australia

Pakistan have two games still left in the T20 World Cup, but only pride left to play for as they crashed out of the competition following the Bangladesh defeat, their third in the World Cup so far. Currently placed fifth in the points table, Pakistan will next face the table-toppers Australia at Headingley. Australia are yet to lose a game, having won all three matches.

Can Pakistan get off the mark against Australia?

This will be the first time the two teams will clash after their match in the Women’s ODI World Cup last year. While Australia convincingly won the game by 107 runs, Pakistan had them pinned against the wall at one point.

The side were eight down for just 115 runs, but a Beth Mooney century steered them to a 221-run total and took the game away from Pakistan’s grasp. Recalling that game, Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter Muneeba Ali says her side will build on the confidence from that game and try to do one better against their mammoth opponents.

"In the last World Cup we managed to take early wickets of the Australian side, but those were different conditions, different surfaces," Ali said on Monday.

"We’re here with different surfaces, different demands and a different format, so we will try … we have confidence from that match that we can do good things against them."

Better decisions with bat and ball

Pakistan have never defeated Australia in the 14 instances the two teams have played each other in WT20Is. Just as they lost the plot against Australia in the ODI World Cup, the side have become accustomed to losing the plot after early dominance. 

Batting collapses have had an omnipresence in Pakistan’s camp this World Cup. Against Bangladesh in their last game, they lost seven wickets for 35 runs as they failed to chase a meagre 124-run target.

Muneeba says her team’s only chance of ending up as the better side is to make better decisions across departments.

"We will try to make positive decisions from our batting and bowling so that we can be able to close the match as the winning side."

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