The chatter in Colombo this week has centred on the surface at the R Premadasa Stadium. It’s slow, the ball holds up, and stroke-making isn’t straightforward. Pakistan opener Sidra Amin, speaking before Saturday’s Women’s World Cup meeting with Australia, reckons that alone might narrow the gulf between the sides.
“We have an edge on this wicket. We’ve played two games here. Australia has not played any. But they have a lot of experienced players who have played cricket in most countries. The way they assess the game is better.”
Pakistan, though, have lost both of those matches – one to Bangladesh, the other to India – so any advantage is marginal at best. Amin knows as much, yet she still leans on the pitch for encouragement. “They have played all over the world. They know the conditions better,” she admitted. “They play the WBBLs and the Hundreds, and come and play in Asian conditions as well. They take preparation very seriously. I’ve heard they prepare for Asian conditions with indoor sessions with the temperature up to 35-40 degrees [Celsius]. So they can train that way as well.”
That difference in preparation is telling. Since the 2022 World Cup, Pakistan have actually contested two more one-dayers than Australia – 34 versus 32 – but the quality of opposition has been starkly different. Australia’s schedule has included 15 fixtures against India and England, arguably the toughest opponents going. Pakistan have faced those two nations only four times, seven if you include Australia themselves. It shows.
Australia’s edge also comes from an enviable domestic pathway, something Ellyse Perry – veteran of two World Cup-winning campaigns – is quick to acknowledge. “I think we’re incredibly lucky,” she said. “We’ve got wonderful support back home in terms of the programmes that we’ve got. We’ve got a full-time domestic structure that breeds great depth in Australian cricket. We’re a cricket nation too that loves playing the game. So we’ve always, throughout history, had wonderful players.”
Perry believes that depth, constantly sharpened by WBBL seasons and now overseas leagues, keeps standards high. “And I think as a group, we love the challenge of continuing to find new ways to get better. You know, there’s so much competition in the global landscape now. I think all the advent of the franchise leagues around the world has just grown the depth of women’s cricket.”
Tactically, Australia won’t abandon their front-foot approach even on a pitch offering variable bounce and little pace. Perry’s thinking is simple: “I think we have a conversation with our batting group, which we’re quite fortunate to have some depth in. So for us, and it’s something that we’ve discussed a lot over the last 12 months, is how we use that depth. It’s never going to be everyone’s day on the same day. Quite possibly it might just be one person’s day.”
If Australia bat first and reach anything north of 240, Pakistan will need a career-defining partnership to chase it down. Their top order hasn’t clicked yet, and a long tail adds pressure. On the other hand, Australia hardly ever panic: the squad carries nine players with World Cup winner’s medals. That experience generates an aura Pakistan have not previously cracked; they have never beaten Australia in an ODI.
Still, the ball will grip, spinners will be in play early, and the outfield is sluggish. All of that slightly evens things up. Whether Pakistan can convert “slightly” into a result is another matter, yet Amin’s optimism is understandable. It is a World Cup; hope never hurts.
