Pakistan batter Omaima Sohail on Friday expressed optimism about the team’s chances of reaching the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025.
The Green Shirts have played four games during the current tournament, losing three in a row and having the fourth game abandoned due to rain.
Pakistan began their Women’s World Cup campaign with a seven-wicket loss to Bangladesh.
The national team was defeated by arch-rivals India by 88 runs in the second game, while Australia triumphed over them by 107 runs in the third.
Pakistan’s match against England was suspended, leaving them with a single point and placing them at the bottom of the standings.
The Green Shirts will now have to win their three remaining matches against New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka, respectively, in addition to hoping that certain results favor them to achieve a miraculous entry to the semi-finals.
Ahead of their must-win match against former champions New Zealand, Omaima said they were chasing the chance to qualify for the semi-finals by winning their remaining matches.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference at the R Premadasa Stadium, the opening batsman maintained that the team was “not relaxed” and would want to win all the remaining games.
“We are not relaxed at all. We have the opportunity to go [to the] semi-finals if we win the games, like three games,” said Omaima.
“So maybe the stage is open, so maybe we win all three games, so we have a chance in the semi-finals.”
Omaima, who scored an unbeaten 19 off as many deliveries in the run chase against England, emphasized the need for the batsmen to step up ahead of the crucial game, while sharing that he was working on playing the new ball.
“I think the main challenge is to open, play the new ball. If you saw the games, they are coming together and the field is [helping] sewing. “I’m trying to play the new ball and work on it,” he said.
