PAKW vs SLW Match Prediction & AnalysisWith the tournament beginning earlier in the day, and this match not featuring the strongest teams in the group, the pressure will be off both sides in this game. However, if both want to in anyway push India Women and Australia Women for a top two place then winning this game is a must!This will be the fifth time the teams have met in this format over the last two years but Pakistan Women have claimed only one win across those games and it will be Sri Lanka Women who come into the fixture with the most confidence.Both sides will be familiar with the conditions in Sharjah and it could well come down to the performance of one player - Chamari Athapaththu. The Sri Lanka Women skipper can win a game on her own with bat or ball and she will be key in this clash.TEAMS PREVIEWPakistan PreviewComing into this tournament in poor form, and without a real world class player, Pakistan Women will be realistic about their ambitions in this tournament and anything above a bottom of the table finish in Group A could be construed as a success!That said, they did take a game off the runners-up from the last Women's T20 World Cup, South Africa Women, earlier this month in a 2-1 lost series. They also were narrowluy beaten by their opponents in this game, Sri Lanka Women, at the end of July.If Pakistan Women are to get off to a winning start in this match, they will need the likes of keeper-batter Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza to perform with the bat and the bowling pair of Sadia Iqbal and Nida Dar to deliver with the ball.Pakistan Predicted Playing XI:Sidra Amin, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Nida Dar, Muneeba Ali (wk), Iram Javed, Gull Feroza, Fatima Sana (c), Sadia Iqbal, Tuba Hassan, Diana BaigSri Lanka PreviewWith both Australia Women and India Women also in Group A, Sri Lanka Women are realistic enough to know that it would take a major upset or even a minor miracle for them to finish in the top two and advance to the semi-final. However, they certainly have as good a shot at a top three spot and victory in this match will be crucial to doing so.As ever, captain Chamari Athapaththu will be the key player for Sri Lanka Women and she is many levels above her team-mates. In fact, such is her talent that she could expect to walk into any team in this tournament!Kavisha Dilhari and Harshitha Samarawickrama are also talented batters but much will depend on that top three. With the ball, Athapaththu will have a role to play as will Inoshi Priyadharshani.Sri Lanka Predicted Playing XI:Chamari Athapaththu (c), Kavisha Dilhari, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Hasini Perera, Anushka Sanjeewani, Nilakshika Silva, Ama Kanchana, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Sugandika Kumari, Achini KulasuriyaPITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONSHR Temp Rain W. speed W. direction Clouds 00h 30 0 mm. 0.6 k/h From: NE 0% 03h 30 0 mm. 2.25 k/h From: SSE 0% 06h 33 0 mm. 3.58 k/h From: SW 0% 09h 34 0 mm. 6.26 k/h From: WNW 0% 12h 33 0 mm. 6.2 k/h From: WNW 0% 15h 32 0 mm. 4.48 k/h From: WNW 0% 18h 31 0 mm. 2.46 k/h From: W 0% 21h 31 0 mm. 1.97 k/h From: WSW 0%Weather ConditionsHumidity levels will increase across this game but they should not reach any higher than 60%. No rain is forecast throughout the match but the temperature will be above 30 degrees from start to finish.PAKW vs SLW Pitch ReportThe Sharjah Cricket Stadium hosts its fair share of international games nowadays but this will be the first WT20I at the venue since November 2017. There will be some turn for the spinners but predominantly this pitch will be one which assists the seam and quick bowlers on both sides. Whoever bats first should consider themselves in the game with a total of 135+.Toss: To BatThe last three and six of the last seven T20I matches at this venue have been won by the team batting first so it would be a huge shock if both captains did not go out for the toss planning to bat first ahead of this match on Thursday afternoon.
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