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KARACHI: Bismah Maroof-led Pakistan departed for New Zealand to play in the ICC Women’s World Cup late on Tuesday after all players tested negative for coronavirus.
“We’ll take the match against India as just another match and will try to build momentum and take it forward from there,” said the Pakistan skipper in a press conference hours before their departure.
The team is scheduled to reach Auckland via Dubai before it flies to Christchurch in a chartered flight before starting the quarantine period.
Pakistan open their World Cup campaign against arch-rivals India in Tauranga on March 6 and Bismah said the team will look to build momentum from the opening fixture and try to carry it forward throughout the tournament.
Pakistan, who are ranked eighth in the ICC women’s One-day International rankings, will be up against some strong sides, including England and Australia, in the eight-team event.
Bismah said while the team has a history of struggling against top sides, this time is is well prepared to deal with the threat they pose.
“We’ve studied the teams well and analysed their strengths and weaknesses,” she said. “Each match will have its own pressure since it’s the World Cup.”
The 30-year-old, who is making a comeback after two years of maternity break, believed the team’s preparation is good enough for it to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.
“We have worked hard in the training camp. The effort is to reach the semi-final of the event,” she said.
The skipper, however, admitted that success will highly depend on how quickly the players adjust to the conditions in New Zealand.
“Conditions in New Zealand are different, but we will try to adjust accordingly,” she said.
During Bismah’s absence, Javeria Khan led the side as the stand-in captain. Bismah said the veteran batter’s presence will help her make better decisions.
Bismah said Pakistan’s pool of players is limited, especially in the bowling and wicket-keeping department.
While she hoped this will change in the future, she was confident the group of players selected for the World Cup have the ability to do well.