Southampton, June 19 (IANS) Pakistan and Bangladesh will battle to revive their respective 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup campaigns when they face off in a vital Group A clash at The Rose Bowl on Saturday.

Pakistan currently languish at the fifth spot on the points table following consecutive losses, while Bangladesh are at fourth place with one win from two matches. Pakistan, though, can take heart from some aspects of their performance against South Africa in Birmingham.

Captain Fatima Sana orchestrated a brilliant recovery after an early wobble, striking an unbeaten 55 and stitching together a record ninth-wicket partnership of 71 runs alongside Tuba Hassan to post 126. If Pakistan are to get their first win of the World Cup, they will need all of their batters to click well and take charge of run-scoring.

Fatima then claimed 3-16, and became the first captain in tournament’s history to score a half-century and take three scalps in a single match, though the Proteas ultimately scraped home by two wickets.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, began by securing a comfortable six-wicket win over Netherlands, before suffering a heavy nine-wicket defeat against tournament heavyweights and six-time winners Australia.

Young Juairiya Ferdous leads the run-scoring charts for Bangladesh, while Pakistan will again lean heavily on the all-round capabilities of Fatima and the wrist-spin of Tuba on a balanced Southampton pitch.

Squads

Bangladesh: Nigar Sultana Joty (c), Nahida Akter (vc), Sharmin Akter Supta, Sobhana Mostary, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Rabeya Khan, Fahima Khatun, Fariha Islam Trisna, Marufa Akter, Shanjida Akter Maghla, Sultana Khatun, Dilara Akter, Juairiya Ferdous, and Taj Nehar

Pakistan: Fatima Sana (c), Gull Feroza, Ayesha Zafar, Iram Javed, Eyman Fatima, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Parvaiz, Saira Jabeen, Muneeba Ali, Tuba Hassan, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal, Nashra Sandhu, Diana Baig, and Tasmia Rubab

–IANS

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