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KARACHI: Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal, the number one bowler in T20I rankings, has her eyes set on delivering for the team rather than chasing personal milestones in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
Speaking to the media in Karachi on Monday, the left-arm spinner, who recently reclaimed the number one spot in ICC T20I bowling rankings, said she doesn’t view retaining the top ranking as a challenge.
“It’s a matter of pride to become the number one bowler in ICC T20I rankings. Rankings keep fluctuating, so I don’t consider it a challenge,” she said.
“When you play a World Cup, the competition is bigger. My effort is to not only keep my ranking but also help Pakistan improve its standing.”
Sadia Iqbal has recently taken up the added responsibility of bowling with the new ball, something she admits is tough for a spinner but believes in putting in extra effort to deliver.
“It’s never easy to bowl with the new ball, especially as a left-arm spinner. But when the team puts trust in you, the responsibility increases. That’s why I train specifically for it,” she explained.
She also highlighted how she tailors her training to meet the demands of different formats.
“ODIs and T20Is are different formats, so I prepare for them individually. My goal is to adjust to match situations and deliver for the team,” she concluded.
Pakistan’s women’s team will next play a three-match T20I series against Ireland in Dublin on August 7, 10, and 11, before heading into the World Cup.
As per the ICC schedule, Pakistan will kick off their World Cup campaign against Bangladesh on October 2 in Colombo.
The much-anticipated clash against India will take place on October 5, followed by their final group-stage fixture versus Sri Lanka on October 24.
Due to the ‘fusion formula’, which avoids bilateral travel between Pakistan and India for ICC events, all of Pakistan’s matches will be played in Colombo.
The semi-finals are scheduled for October 29 and 30 in Guwahati/Colombo and Bengaluru, respectively, while the final is set for November 2 in Bengaluru, unless Pakistan qualify, in which case the final will be shifted to Colombo.
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