Muneeba Ali Leads Pakistan to 35-Run Victory Over Thailand in Women’s Asia Cup

Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail

Pakistan made a winning start to their Women’s Asia Cup campaign with a 35-run victory over Thailand in Dubai, overcoming another difficult batting performance through a strong bowling display.

Opener Muneeba Ali played a crucial role with the bat, scoring 54 from 52 deliveries after Pakistan lost three wickets for just 23 runs during the powerplay.

Her steady innings helped Pakistan recover from a difficult start and post 119-9 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Muneeba Credits Team’s Belief

Pakistan’s batting came under early pressure after Thailand’s Thipatcha Phuttawong claimed two wickets in a double-wicket maiden, leaving Pakistan at 6-2 after two overs.

Muneeba then joined Sadaf Shamas to rebuild the innings. The pair added 54 runs before Shamas was dismissed for 20 from 20 balls.

Captain Fatima Sana was also dismissed for a duck in the same over, leaving Pakistan in further trouble.

Muneeba remained at the crease and reached her half-century in the 15th over. A late loss of wickets restricted Pakistan’s scoring, but Muneeba’s contribution and Tuba Hassan’s unbeaten 12 from just four balls lifted the total to 119-9.

Muneeba said the team had initially hoped to score around 140 but believed a total above 120 could still give their bowling attack a chance on the pitch.

“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 after the match.

She added that the team’s belief was an important difference compared with previous matches in which early wickets had led to further collapses.

Pakistan’s Batting Remains a Concern

Pakistan’s inconsistent batting has been a major issue in recent T20 cricket.

During the Women’s T20 World Cup in June, Pakistan managed only one victory in the group stage, against the Netherlands. They also suffered heavy defeats against India and Australia, losing by 64 and 113 runs respectively.

A difficult chase against Bangladesh saw Pakistan reduced to 100-8 while attempting to reach a target of 124.

The team showed some improvement during the subsequent bilateral series against Sri Lanka, particularly after Muneeba and Shawal Zulfiqar formed a new opening partnership. However, Sri Lanka successfully chased targets of around 170 in the first two matches to win the series.

Muneeba said the team had worked on its batting problems during training camps and was looking for different approaches to avoid repeating previous mistakes.

Pakistan Bowlers Put Thailand Under Pressure

Pakistan’s bowlers produced an impressive response after the modest total.

Thailand finished their 20 overs at 84-8, with Pakistan’s spin attack controlling the scoring throughout the innings.

Sadia Iqbal struck twice during another double-wicket maiden, leaving Thailand at 6-2 after two overs—the same position Pakistan had found themselves in earlier.

Pakistan then maintained pressure for the next 11 overs, conceding only 37 runs through disciplined bowling.

Thailand reached 42-4 after 13 overs and needed nearly 12 runs per over to win, but the required scoring rate proved too difficult to maintain.

Nashra Sandhu and Tuba Hassan Shine

Veteran spinner Nashra Sandhu played a key role after being introduced following the powerplay.

She conceded only six runs in her four overs and dismissed Natthakan Chantham with a well-flighted delivery that turned and struck the off stump.

Nashra said she focused on bowling in the right areas because the pitch offered both bounce and turn.

Tuba Hassan also made a valuable contribution in all three departments.

After scoring an unbeaten 12 from four balls, she took 2-17 in her four overs. She also completed an accurate direct hit to run out Thailand’s Naomi Hamilton.

Tuba said her bowling plan was to attack the stumps and regularly change her pace, while also learning from the difficult playing conditions in Dubai.

The high humidity made it harder to control the ball, according to Tuba, who said the team would use the experience to reduce mistakes in future matches.

Thailand’s Asia Cup Campaign Ends

The defeat brought Thailand’s Women’s Asia Cup campaign to an end.

They had already played two group matches, beating Hong Kong before suffering a heavy defeat against India.

Pakistan, meanwhile, now have their first points of the tournament and will turn their attention to their highly anticipated clash with arch-rivals India on Saturday.

The match will provide Pakistan with another major test as they look to build momentum in the competition and improve their batting consistency.