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October 14, 2024
Australia, still unbeaten, will aim to secure their spot in the semi-finals when they face Pakistan in a Group A match in Dubai on Friday (October 11). In their one-sided rivalry, dating back to the 2012 T20 World Cup, Pakistan has struggled, failing to win in 15 meetings (with 2 no-results) against Australia. Pakistan faces a tough challenge to break Australia’s dominance, especially after their convincing wins over Sri Lanka (by 6 wickets) and New Zealand (by 60 runs) in Sharjah. Though this is Australia’s only group game in Dubai, it offers Pakistan a slight advantage, but not much.
“There’s been a few games to have a look at,” Australia allrounder Annabel Sutherland said on how the team is preparing for a ground they’ve never played in before. “Looks like potentially a little bit better of a wicket, but still quite slow and taking a little bit of spin. But again, like we always do, we’ll have to preview the game and then adjust on the day, given the conditions, which I think we’re doing really well.”
Things have taken a downturn for Pakistan since their 31-run victory over Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka, inspired by Fatima Sana, in the opening round in Sharjah. Daina Baig picked up a calf injury during that match, missed the game against India, and remains uncertain for the upcoming clash against Australia. To add to their challenges, their young captain has returned to Karachi from Dubai due to a family bereavement. In her absence, vice-captain Muneeba Ali will step in to lead the team.
“We are very saddened by the tragedy of the death of Fatima’s father,” the stand-in said. “It is a difficult time for her. Obviously, her departure will make a difference in our combination. The qualities she possesses in batting and bowling are very good and she gives our team a good balance. We’ll miss her as a captain and as a player, but we will try to win the match for her and her father.”
After New Zealand’s heavy loss and India’s 82-run win over Sri Lanka, Pakistan briefly moved up to second in the points table but have now slipped to third. With just two games left, they face tough odds as they try to qualify for their first-ever semi-finals in a T20 World Cup.
When: Friday, October 11 at 6 PM local, 7:30 PM IST
Where: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
What to expect: Despite the potential for dew later in the evening, which hasn’t been a big factor yet, captains still prefer to bat first in Dubai. In five of the six games played here, teams chose to set a total, but only three have successfully defended it. In all three night matches at this venue, captains have opted to bat first.
Australia could look to rest a key player or two ahead of the big group game against India on Sunday, and instead test their bench strength in the conditions in case they end up playing their semifinal in Dubai.
Probable XI: Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy (c & wk), Georgia Wareham, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux, Darcie Brown/Tayla Vlaeminck
Read More: Everything Went Wrong for Pakistan
Pakistan will be going in with at least two changes due to the unavailability of their captain and lead pacer. Should Baig not recover, Syeda Aroob Shah will retain her spot in the XI. On the batting front, Pakistan might look to bolster the stocks with the inclusion of the experienced Iram Javed.
Probable XI: Muneeba Ali (c & wk), Gull Feroza, Sidra Amin, Nida Dar, Aliya Riaz, Omaima Sohail, Iram Javed, Tuba Hassan, Nashra Sandhu, Syeda Aroob Shah, Sadia Iqbal
Australia is on a nine-match winning streak, which began after their loss to South Africa at home in January.
They are also unbeaten in the T20 World Cup since their defeat to India in the 2020 tournament opener.
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“It seems like the Pakistan spin potentially could pose a bit of a threat, but it feels like we’ve had a good opportunity to face a lot of that in the last few weeks particularly at training so I’m sure the girls will be ready.” – Annabel Sutherlandon taking on the Pakistan challenge
“Sadia [Iqbal] has been an important member of our team since the last 1-1.5 years. And the way Nashra [Sandhu] supports us in the middle overs is sometimes overlooked [by others]. We know that they are very important for us and they have broken partnerships for us in difficult matches. We all have an idea and we all value it. And we know that on their day, they can be too good to handle.” – Muneeba Alion Pakistan’s biggest threat
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