Pakistan set Ireland a 218 target in the first ODI of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Qualifiers on Wednesday.
Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand, West Indies, and hosts Pakistan will play a single-league round-robin style at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium and LCCA ground from April 9 to 19.
The competition will determine the two qualifiers for the 2025 Women’s World Cup in India later this year.
After a good start, the hosts were bowled out in the last over and fell to three down for 153.
Pakistan’s Aliya Riaz top scored for the hosts, hitting 52 off 58 deliveries with four boundaries and a six.
Pakistan’s other half-centurion, Sidra Amin, scored 50 off 110 balls and three boundaries.
Jane Maguire was Ireland’s best bowler, taking three wickets and conceding 33 runs in 10 overs. Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali, and Sidra Nawaz were her victims.
Gull makes her ODI debut after playing T20 internationals for Pakistan.
With ICC rankings of 10th and 11th, both teams appear equally strong. West Indies, Bangladesh, Scotland, and Thailand also compete.
Pakistan leads Ireland in ODIs, winning 15 and losing six.
The Irish women won all six ODIs against Pakistan from 1997 to 2003, with one game abandoned. Pakistan has a perfect record against them since 2008. Lahore hosted the last bilateral series in 2022, which the hosts easily won.
Pakistan, which is hosting an ICC women’s event for the first time, are in strong shape to finish in the top two of the qualifying event to advance to the World Cup main event after winning their warm-ups against Thailand and West Indies.
On Tuesday, Lahore’s temperature reached 41 degrees Celsius, which may make it difficult for the six teams to perform well. Wednesday is expected to be overcast.
Pakistan, playing in the Qualifier for the fourth time, qualified for the World Cup three times.
