Muneeba Ali Leads Pakistan to Winning Start in Women’s Asia Cup

Pakistan opener Muneeba Ali praised her team’s belief after Pakistan overcame a difficult batting display against Thailand.

Pakistan secured a 35-run victory in their Women’s Asia Cup opener at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday night.

Captain Fatima Sana won the toss and chose to bat first. However, Pakistan quickly slipped to 23-3 during the powerplay.

Muneeba then steadied the innings. The wicket-keeper batter scored 54 from 52 balls and gave Pakistan a platform to recover.

Muneeba Builds Pakistan’s Recovery

Pakistan suffered an even worse start at 6-2 after two overs. Thailand bowler Thipatcha Phuttawong delivered a double-wicket maiden.

However, Muneeba and Sadaf Shamas began rebuilding the innings. The pair added 54 runs to calm Pakistan’s early concerns.

Shamas eventually fell for 20 from 20 balls. Fatima also departed for a duck in the same over.

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Despite the setbacks, Muneeba continued to attack with patience. She reached her half-century in the 15th over.

Pakistan lost several wickets late in the innings. However, Muneeba’s knock and Tuba Hassan’s 12 not out from four balls pushed Pakistan to 119-9.

Muneeba said Pakistan initially wanted to score at least 140. However, the team believed 120 or 130-plus could still challenge Thailand.

“When wickets kept falling in the powerplay, we knew if we got a good partnership and kept on scoring runs, it would put the bowlers under pressure,” Muneeba said.

She also highlighted the team’s improved mindset. In the past, early wickets often caused Pakistan to lose control of matches.

This time, however, the players kept believing in their chances.

Pakistan’s Spin Attack Stuns Thailand

Pakistan’s bowlers then produced a disciplined performance.

Thailand struggled from the beginning of their chase. Sadia Iqbal claimed two wickets during a double-wicket maiden.

As a result, Thailand also reached 6-2 after two overs. Pakistan then tightened the pressure with its spin attack.

Thailand managed only 37 runs across the next 11 overs. The slow scoring rate placed the chasing side under increasing pressure.

By the 13th over, Thailand had reached 42-4. The team then needed almost 12 runs per over to win.

Nashra Sandhu played a key role after the powerplay. She conceded only six runs across four overs and took one crucial wicket.

Sandhu dismissed Natthakan Chantham with a flighted delivery. The ball turned sharply and struck the off stump.

“I knew there was bounce and turn in the pitch,” Sandhu said. “I just had to bowl at the right spots. The pitch did the rest.”

Tuba Hassan Makes an All-Round Impact

Tuba Hassan also played an important role in Pakistan’s victory.

She scored 12 unbeaten runs from just four balls. Then, she returned with the ball and claimed two wickets for 17 runs.

Tuba also produced a superb fielding moment. She completed a direct hit to run Naomi Hamilton out.

“My plan was simple; bowl wicket-to-wicket and vary the pace as much as possible,” Tuba said.

She also pointed to the difficult conditions in Dubai. The high humidity made the ball harder to control.

Therefore, Tuba said Pakistan needed to learn from the experience. The team must reduce mistakes in its upcoming matches.

Pakistan Turn Attention to India

Pakistan’s victory comes after a difficult period for their batting unit.

The team struggled during the Women’s T20 World Cup in June. Pakistan managed only one win in the group stage.

They suffered heavy defeats against India and Australia. Bangladesh also stopped Pakistan’s chase after the side slipped to 100-8 while chasing 124.

The following bilateral series against Sri Lanka showed some improvement. Muneeba and Shawal Zulfiqar formed a new opening partnership.

However, Sri Lanka chased targets of more than 170 in the first two matches. The results exposed some of Pakistan’s continuing batting problems.

Muneeba said the team had worked on those issues during training camps.

“We have been working on those issues in camps,” she said. “We want to make sure we don’t repeat the same mistakes.”

Meanwhile, Thailand’s defeat ended their Asia Cup campaign. They had earlier beaten Hong Kong but suffered a heavy loss against India.

Pakistan now have their first points on the board. However, a much bigger challenge awaits.

Pakistan will face arch-rivals India on Saturday. The crucial match could prove important for their progress in the tournament.