In a high-stakes encounter at the Women's T20 World Cup 2024, Pakistan faced off against New Zealand in their final group stage match, needing a victory to keep their semi-final hopes alive. The match had added significance for India as well, as Pakistan’s win would have kept their qualification chances intact. However, Pakistan’s performance fell far below expectations, resulting in one of their worst outings in tournament history, as they succumbed to a 54-run defeat.
Fielding Woes and Missed Opportunities New Zealand posted a modest total of 110/6 in 20 overs, a score that should have been much lower had Pakistan capitalized on their fielding opportunities. In a display that will be remembered for years, Pakistan’s fielders dropped a staggering eight catches, including four by their captain, Fatima Sana. The missed chances allowed New Zealand to stabilize their innings and take advantage of Pakistan’s butterfingers display.
The dropped catches came at crucial stages of the game, with missed opportunities in the early overs and the death overs, as Pakistan allowed the Kiwis to ride their luck. Key moments included drops in overs 4.2, 5.2, and 7.3, which set the tone for the fielding disaster, and more came at the death, with missed catches in overs 19.1, 19.3, and 19.5 allowing New Zealand to push past 100.
You know how many catches where dropped by #Pakistan in today's match #NZWvsPAKW pic.twitter.com/G7EmSqKxWh
— Munaf Patel (@munafpa99881129) October 14, 2024
Despite their fielding struggles, Pakistan’s bowlers did a commendable job restricting New Zealand, but the dropped catches made all the difference. Fatima Sana later admitted her side needed to work on their fielding, saying, “We were good in the bowling, but we need to improve our fielding and batting. We were not up to the mark in batting, and the seniors need to step up.”
A Disastrous Chase Chasing a target of 111, Pakistan’s woes continued with the bat. Their poor shot selection and erratic approach to the chase resulted in a dismal batting performance. Pakistan was bundled out for just 56 runs, their second-lowest total in Women’s T20 World Cup history. The batting collapse saw no Pakistan batter able to take control, as they struggled against a disciplined New Zealand bowling attack.
India Also Knocked Out Pakistan’s defeat not only ended their own chances of advancing in the tournament but also dashed India’s hopes. India’s semi-final qualification depended on Pakistan winning this match, but with Pakistan’s fielding failures and batting collapse, both teams were knocked out of the competition. New Zealand’s win secured their place in the semi-finals for the first time since 2016, with the Kiwis taking advantage of Pakistan’s poor day on the field.
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