The West Indies Women’s cricket team suffered a disappointing five-wicket defeat to hosts Pakistan in their final warm-up match ahead of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier. The match, held earlier today at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, proved to be a challenging encounter for the Windies, who were unable to recover from a difficult start.

Opting to bat first, the West Indies found themselves in a precarious position at 36 for 5, with their top-order struggling against the Pakistani bowling attack. Despite the early setbacks, middle-order batter Shabika Gajnabi stood firm, anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 68 runs from 77 balls. Alongside her, Jannillea Glasgow provided valuable support with a solid 41 off 50 deliveries, helping the team to reach a total of 188 for 8 from their allotted 50 overs.

Pakistan’s bowling attack was, led by Sadia Iqbal, was relentless throughout. Iqbal claimed 3 wickets for 21 runs, as she helped restrict the Windies. Stafanie Taylor and Cherry-Ann Fraser also chipped in with 17 runs each, but the Windies were unable to break free from the stranglehold Pakistan had on the game.

In reply, Pakistan chased down the target comfortably, making 192 for 5 with 23 balls to spare. Vice-captain Muneeba Ali played a pivotal role in the chase, anchoring the innings with a composed 87 runs off 113 balls. She was aided by Natalia Parvaiz, who contributed a brisk 53 runs off just 60 deliveries. The pair added 93 runs for the sixth wicket after Pakistan were reduced from 99 for 2 to 99 for 5 in the span of six deliveries, including the crucial loss of skipper Fatima Sana for a first-ball duck.

Gull Feroza also played a useful cameo, scoring 28 runs, as Pakistan secured their second victory in as many warm-up matches. Their dominant performance against the West Indies followed a commanding win over Thailand last week.

Pakistan will now shift their focus to their tournament opener against Ireland on April 9, while the West Indies, who have now suffered two losses in their warm-up matches, will look to regroup ahead of their clash with Scotland on the same day.

West Indies Women and Pakistan Women are among the eight teams vying for a spot in the World Cup, alongside already-qualified sides Australia, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka.