Toss Australia opt to field vs Pakistan
Excited by their first and only visit in the group stage to Dubai, Australia captain Alyssa Healy chose to bowl against Pakistan. Australia included extra firepower in the seam bowling department. Tayla Vlaeminck was included in the XI and will play her first T20 World Cup match since the 2018 tournament, and only the second of her career. Grace Harris was left out to make room for the extra bowler.
That gave Australia five seamers and three spinners in their arsenal as they took on a bereaved and injury-affected Pakistan team. Regular captain Fatima Sana is unavailable for this game after she returned to Karachi following the death of her father while Diana Baig remains on the bench after she pulled up with a leg injury in the opening game. Pakistan also left out opener Gull Feroza after scores of 2 and 0 in two matches. Sadaf Shamas and Iram Javed will make their first appearances in the tournament.
Australia have won both their opening matches and will take a massive step towards the semi-finals if they keep their record against Pakistan intact. Pakistan have never beaten Australia in a T20I and must win this match to maintain a realistic chance of staying in the mix for the knockouts.
Australia: 1 Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), 2 Beth Mooney, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Ashleigh Gardner, 5 Phoebe Litchfield, 6 Tahlia McGrath, 7 Georgia Wareham, 8 Annabel Sutherland, 9 Sophie Molineux, 10 Megan Schutt, 11 Tayla Vlaeminck.
Pakistan: 1 Muneeba Ali (capt & wk), 2 Sidra Amin, 3 Nida Dar, 4 Sadaf Shamas, 5 Aliya Riaz, 6 Tuba Hassan, 7 Nashra Sandhu, 8 Sadia Iqbal, 9 Aroob Shah, 10 Omaima Sohail, 11 Iram Javed.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s correspondent for South Africa and women’s cricket
Source: ESPN Crickinfo
