Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 warm-up match, Pakistan vs Bangladesh: Preview, prediction, squads

Pakistan Women will play Bangladesh Women at Allan Border Field, Brisbane, in the last of the warm-up matches in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup. Their first respective warm-up matches, against India and Thailand, also at Brisbane, were washed out entirely due to rain. However, with rain staying away during the match between India and West Indies, there may be some cricket this time.

Since the last edition of the tournament, Pakistan played two hard-fought series, against West Indies at home and in South Africa. They lost both (1-2 and 2-3 respectively), albeit in hard-fought series. They then swept Bangladesh 3-0 at home before being thrashed 0-3 by England in Malaysia.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, have a 10-3 record since the last T20 World Cup, but all 10 of their wins (including all 5 in the Qualifier in Scotland) have come against major nations. They lost all 3 matches against major sides – in Pakistan, as mentioned above.

Everything, even history, points at a Pakistan win.

Head to head

Pakistan have beaten Bangladesh 14 times and lost just once – in the 2018 Twenty20 Asia Cup. Other than a solitary match in Ireland, all their encounters have been on Asian soil.

Key players

Nida Dar: Dar can hit big, bowl accurate off-spin, and field brilliantly – as a result of which he became the first Pakistani to play in the WBBL, for Sydney Thunder, this season. Dar, arguably the finest T20 player of the side, is thus the best prepared of them as well.

Fargana Hoque: The most famous batter of the side, Fargana is a mere 51 away from becoming the first in their history to reach the 1,000-run mark. In fact, so ahead is Fargana of her teammates that nobody else has even 750.

Squads

Pakistan Women: Bismah Maroof (c), Sidra Nawaz (wk), Muneeba Ali, Anam Amin, Aiman Anwer, Diana Baig, Nida Dar, Sadia Iqbal, Iram Javed, Javeria Khan, Ayesha Naseem, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Syeda Aroob Shah, Umaima Sohail.

Bangladesh Women: Salma Khatun (c), Rumana Ahmed (vc), Shamima Sultana (wk), Jahanara Alam, Murshida Khatun, Ayasha Rahman, Nigar Sultana, Sanjida Islam, Khadija Tul Kubra, Panna Ghosh, Fargana Hoque, Nahida Akter, Fahima Khatun, Ritu Moni, Sobhana Mostary.

Prediction

Pakistan to win comfortably.