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KARACHI: Pakistan’s women qualified for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup-2013 and the ICC Women’s T20 Championship-2012 after beating The Netherlands by 193 runs to become one of the final four teams in the ICC World Cup Qualifier at the Osmani Stadium in Fatullah on Tuesday.
Only the four top teams in the 10 featuring in the event were to bag a spot for the World Cup and next year’s T20 Championship and Pakistan, even though they had lost to West Indies in the group matches to finish second in Group ‘B’, advanced to the semi-finals by beating their opponents in the play-offs.
They will now meet South Africa in the semi-finals on November 24.
A win there will improve their world rankings. Pakistan women's cricket team are currently ranked at number eight.
The four top teams in the current event will get the world rankings of fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth. But even if the team loses and cannot make it to the final, they still have the World Cup and T20 Championship to look forward to.
According to the information received here, Pakistan Women won the toss and elected to bat. Captain Sana Mir was unlucky again when she was given out for a leg before wicket at 49 off 77 balls.
She had succumbed to the same fate when given out against the West Indies while batting at 49 on Nov 17, too.
Meanwhile, Nida Dar made 57 off 98 balls, Javeria Khan made 67 off 53 balls that included eight fours as vice captain Bisma remained not out at 66 from 69 balls. At the end of 50 overs, the girls in green had put on 277 for the loss of four wickets.
In reply The Netherlands Women were all out for 84 runs in 37 overs.
Kerry-Anne Tomlinson was their top scorer with 22 off 61 balls.
Bisma Maroof and Nida Dar took three wickets each while giving 13 and 15 runs, respectively, as Sadia Yousuf and Qanita Jalil picked up two each. Bisma’s 66 runs and three wickets earned her the Player of the Match award.
After the match, Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Zaka Ashraf telephoned captain Sana, coach Mohtasim Rashid and manager Shahid Aslam to congratulate them for qualifying for the Women World Cup and the ICC T20 Cup.
In the other play-off for advancement to the next round, Sri Lanka Women beat hosts Bangladesh by six wickets to also make it to the semi-finals where they will face West Indies on Nov 24.
Finally, Japan Women beat Zimbabwe Women by six runs in the ninth place play-off to decline the wooden spoon.
