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Pakistan spinner Sadia Iqbal aims to shine in ICC women’s World Cup 2025

Sadia says rankings fluctuate, so she does not see it as a challenge

By Atique ur Rehman

July 28, 2025

Pakistan's Sadia Iqbal during a nets session at The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford on May 28, 2024. — AFP

KARACHI: Pakistan women’s cricket team left arm spinner Sadia Iqbal on Monday expressed pride after securing the number one spot in the ICC T20I bowling rankings, while vowing to deliver her best performance in the upcoming ODI World Cup.

Speaking to media in Karachi, Sadia described the achievement as an honour but said she does not see maintaining 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.

The 29-year-old emphasised that her main focus remains on contributing to Pakistan’s overall success rather than individual accolades.

“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,” she stated.

Sadia acknowledged the added responsibility of bowling with the new ball, a role she has been trusted with in recent matches.

“It’s tough for a left-arm spinner to bowl with a new ball. When the team trusts you, the responsibility grows. That’s why I practice more with the new ball,” she explained.

The spinner also revealed that she trains separately for each format to adapt effectively.

“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.

For the unversed, Pakistan women’s cricket team’s upcoming assignment is a three-match away T20I series against Ireland, scheduled to be played at the Clontarf Cricket Club in Dublin on August 7, 10 and 11 respectively.

The green shirts will then participate in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup the following month, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

Pakistan will begin their mega event campaign against Bangladesh on October 2 before taking on arch rivals India on October 5. They will play their last group-stage match against Sri Lanka on October 24.

Notably, the national women’s cricket team will play all of their World Cup matches in Colombo in light of the ‘fusion formula’, adopted ahead of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, which states that both arch rivals will not visit each other for an ICC event for the next three years and will instead play their matches at a neutral venue.

As a result, the first semi-final of the eight-team tournament will be played either in Guwahati or Colombo on October 29, while the subsequent knockout fixture will be played in Bengaluru the following day.

The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 final is scheduled to be played on November 2 in Bengaluru, however, if Pakistan qualify, then it will be held in Colombo.

Pakistan women's cricket team’s upcoming assignments

T20I tour of Ireland