Thailand team arrives in Pakistan for the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup qualifier

LAHORE: The Thailand women’s cricket team touched down in Pakistan in early hours of Friday, to compete in the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup qualifier.

The 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup qualifier is scheduled to commence from April 9.

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The Thailand team is aiming to qualify for their first-ever Women’s Cricket World Cup.

The qualifiers will take place in Lahore, with the first match featuring hosts, Pakistan, against Ireland at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium. The tournament is critical for the six participating trans as they vie for a chance to join Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the hosts, in the main event.

The successful pair from the qualifiers will compete in the eight-team World Cup, where Australia will be looking to defend the title.

Alongside Thailand, the other teams in the qualifiers includes the 2013 runners-up, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and Scotland.

Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh and Ireland were the bottom four ranked sides from the 2022-2025 ICC Women’s Championship, and thus, need to qualify for the main event.

Meanwhile, Scotland and Thailand earned their spots as the next-best ranked teams at the ICC Women’s ODI Team Rankings.

The tournament will be held at two venues, the Gaddafi Stadium and the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA). Gaddafi Stadium recently hosted matches during the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, including a semi-final, while the LCCA will be hosting international women’s cricket for the first time.

2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup qualifier

The format of the world cup qualifier consists of a round-robin structure, where each team will face each other once.

Each victory will earn a team two points. After 15 matches, the top two teams will progress to the Women’s Cricket World Cup.

Pakistan’s first match will be against Ireland on April 9, followed by West Indies facing Scotland on the same day.

Thailand will commence their campaign on April 10 against Bangladesh, as they look to make history.

The squads for the participating teams include Naruemol Chaiwai captaining Thailand. The Thai team also features players such as Natthakan Chantham, and Chanida Sutthiruang, eager to showcase their skills on the international stage.

Meanwhile Bangladesh will be led by Nigar Sultana Joty, with key players like Nahida Akter and Ritu Moni. Ireland’s Gaby Lewis will captain a squid that includes promising talent such as Laura Delany and Amy Hunter.

Scotland’s Kathryn Bryce will lead her team, which includes Sarah Bryce and Abtaha Maqsood. The West Indies side is captained by Hayley Matthews, looking to leverage their experience and skills to secure a spot in the upcoming world cup.

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Meanwhile, Pakistan women’s team is being led by Fatima Sana. The Pakistan women’s squad boasts a mix of youth and experience, including Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal, Syeda Aroob Shah, Rameen Shamim, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Nawaz, Omaima Sohail and Aliya Riaz among other.