In Match 16 of the Women’s World Cup 2025, we will see a clash of two teams with contrasting tales in the tournament as England face off against Pakistan in Colombo. England under Nat Sciver-Brunt has won 3 out of 3 games and a win will take them back to the top of the table ahead of Australia while for Pakistan they have lost all 3 games with batting letting them down in all three games.
The stage is set as both teams will want to look for points which also includes Pakistan under Fatima Sana. They will want to cause a major upset but for that they have to bowl and field well which they are doing but more importantly have to bat well as well. Whenever a score of 200+ is put up against Pakistan, they tend to struggle and lose in the end. It has got to do with lack of skills and maybe the mindset as well they have. The stage is set for a proper David vs Goliath battle but anything can happen and England shouldn’t dare taking Pakistan likely.
Overview
So, two teams with contrasting tales are set to square off at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. England who are unbeaten take on Pakistan who are winless and this will be Match 16 of the tournament as we get to the business end of the tournament. First things first, there is rain forecast for this fixture as well. Tuesday’s fixture between New Zealand and Sri Lanka was washed out, and the conditions in Colombo are expected to remain overcast with rain predicted later in the evening.
Pakistan have failed to win a single game so far, and a defeat in this fixture will all but end their campaign. The Women in Green have been outplayed in all departments across their three matches so far against Bangladesh, India and Australia. They had their moments against India and Australia after being completely outplayed by Bangladesh, but failed to capitalize on them and are now staring at an early exit.
In the last game, Pakistan had the defending champions Australia in trouble at 76/7. However, they let the game slip away as Beth Mooney smashed a century to take the Aussies past the 200-run mark. The batting, as has been the case throughout the tournament, let Pakistan down once again as they were bundled out for a mere 114 runs. Sidra Ameen (35), Fatima Sana (11), Rameen Shamim (15) and Nashra Sandhu (11) were the only batters to reach double figures in an otherwise sorry looking scorecard for Pakistan.
On the other hand, England are coming off a win over Sri Lanka, and another victory later today will take them to the top of the points table. Batting first in Colombo, their captain Nat Sciver-Brunt led from the front with a majestic century. It wasn’t an easy wicket to bat on after Sciver-Brunt’s 114, the next best score was 32 by Tammy Beaumont. Heather Knight (29), Sophia Dunkley (18), and Charlie Dean (19) all got starts but couldn’t kick on to get a big one. England eventually posted 253/9 in their 50 overs.
In reply, Sophie Ecclestone ran through the Sri Lankan batting line-up, finishing with magical figures of 4 for 17 in 10 overs. Sciver-Brunt and Dean chipped in with a couple of wickets each, while Linsey Smith and Alice Capsey picked up one apiece as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 164.
The head-to-head record between these two sides heavily favours England. Pakistan and England have faced each other in 15 games with England winning 13 and two matches ended in No Result. To put things into perspective, England have won three matches in this year’s World Cup while Pakistan have managed just three wins across World Cups. That is the gulf between the two sides.
The stage is set and it remains to be seen whether Women in Green Pakistan can upset the apple cards and upset England.
Head-T0-Head
These two teams have met each other on 15 occasions with England winning on 13 occasion while Pakistan have registered 0 victories. Two matches have ended as a no result between the two teams. It’s 10-0 to England in the last 10 matches.
Pitch & Weather Report
The pitch in Colombo offers a balanced surface which is flat in nature but deteriorates as the match progresses. The surface starts favouring spinners as the game progresses. The black soil wicket provides consistent bounce early but becomes slower and grippier assisting turn and variable bounce in the middle overs. Pacers get minimal seam or swing, especially under day-night conditions, making it a spinner’s paradise for subcontinental clashes.
According to the weather forecast, the match day is likely to see a bit of rainfall. However, one doesn’t expect the complete match to get washed out. Spin will be a crucial factor. Fast bowlers can get good swing.
Predicted/Probable Playing XI of both sides.
Here, we will predict the possible playing XIs of both sides.
England XI: Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones (wk), Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell.
Pakistan XI: Muneeba Ali, Sadaf Shamas, Sidra Ameen, Eyman Fatima, Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana (c), Sidra Nawaz (wk), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal.
Key Players to watch out for in this clash.
Nat Sciver–Brunt: The England captain is having a dream run in World Cups and will be expected to shoulder the responsibility once again. Under tough challenging conditions, Nat stood tall and played a blinder with the bat and took England to a safe total from which their bowlers and spinners took over. She also chipped in with the ball picking up 2 wickets as she provides tremendous balance to the side. It is expected that she will lead from the front once again in Colombo.
Sophie Ecclestone: England’s number one bowler Sophie Ecclestone has been on song this tournament taking regular wickets. Against Sri Lanka at the same venue, she picked up 4/17 in 10 overs to run through and strangulate Sri Lanka and show her class. She can do the job in the middle overs and if required is a handy batter to come in Number 9 as she can play some lusty blows with England batting deep. Sophie will have a role to play in Colombo for sure.
Sidra Ameen: Sidra Ameen is Pakistan’s in-form and best batter in the side. She is the only one fighting and getting some runs in a struggling batting line-up. Ameen bats at 3 and can hold the innings together so that others can bat around her. She needs support from the others which she is lacking. But she too may have to play a single solo act in order to do well. She is key for Pakistan as far as batting is concerned.
Sadia Iqbal: Pakistan have a plethora of spinners to choose from and play in these Colombo conditions. Sadia Iqbal is one of them and will be expected to do well for her side. She is Pakistan’s best bowler in the spin department and will want to lead from the front. She bowls in the powerplay overs and then also in the middle overs as well. She will have a big role to play to contain England and did her job against England in England back in 2024.
Key Stats/Records to watch out for in this clash
- Amy Jones is 9 runs short of completing 2500 ODI runs.
- Heather Knight needs 2 fours to reach 400 ODI fours.
- Sophia Dunkley requires 1 run to complete 1000 ODI runs.
- Sophie Ecclestone who has 134 wickets is 2 wickets away from becoming England Women’s second-highest wicket-taker in ODIs.
- Sidra Ameen needs 10 fours to reach 250 ODI fours.
- Aliya Riaz is 4 fours away from completing 150 ODI fours.
- Sidra Nawaz requires 33 runs to reach 500 ODI runs.
Predicted/Possible Outcome of the Match
For starters, let’s hope we get a game in and not a washout like the previous game held at the same venue played yesterday. As far as winning the game is concerned, it goes without saying that looking at current form and everything, England will start as overwhelming favourites to win this game. It will take a monumental effort from Pakistan to upstage England and for that they need to bowl well and bat out of their skins to win this.
Let’s see how this game goes and whether we have a winner or a washout by the end of tonight. England with the upper hand for sure.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: 3 Reasons For India’s Nerve-Wreckening Loss To Australia