Karachi, The Pakistan and West Indies women’s cricket teams are set to begin a pivotal three-game ODI series on Thursday, April 18, as part of the ongoing ICC Women’s Championship. The matches, critical for both teams’ hopes of direct qualification for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, will take place in Karachi.
According to International Cricket Council, the series is especially significant for both teams, with Pakistan currently holding fifth place in the standings, having accrued 16 points from 18 games, while the West Indies lag behind in ninth place with 8 points from 9 games. Both teams come into the series following contrasting performances in their recent outings; Pakistan celebrated a historic win over New Zealand in a thrilling Super Over, marking their first ODI victory against the White Ferns. Conversely, the West Indies struggled in their last ODI series against Australia, despite a strong showing in the preceding T20Is.
The series offers both teams a chance to improve their standings and secure a spot among the top five teams who will gain direct entry to the World Cup, along with the host nation, India. The historical head-to-head record favors the West Indies, with 24 wins to Pakistan’s 10 in their 34 encounters. However, Pakistan’s captain Nida Dar expressed optimism about her team’s prospects, citing rigorous preparations and recent strong performances as reasons for confidence.
Hayley Matthews, the captain of the West Indies, acknowledged the challenges of playing against Pakistan in their home conditions but emphasized her team’s readiness following a training camp in Dubai designed to acclimate the players to the conditions they will face in Karachi.
The series, which also precedes a five-game T20I series between the two nations, will commence with the first ODI on April 18 at 09:30 local time, followed by the second on April 21 and the third on April 23.