Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana credited her team's collective performance after the side closed their Women's T20 World Cup campaign on a high, defeating the Netherlands by 37 runs at the County Ground, Bristol on 27 June. The result gave Pakistan their first win of the tournament, ending what had been a difficult campaign on a positive note.

How Pakistan Set the Target

Gull Feroza anchored the Pakistan innings with an unbeaten 63, steering her side to 126/6 despite a late collapse that saw the last four wickets fall for just 20 runs. Her measured knock — rotating strike and punishing loose deliveries — proved decisive on what she described as a 'tricky' surface at the County Ground.

Bowling Pakistan Home

In reply, the Netherlands were bowled out for 89, with Fatima Sana and Ayesha Zafar each claiming three wickets to dismantle the Dutch batting lineup. The 37-run margin was comfortable, though Pakistan's top order fragility remained a visible concern throughout the tournament.

What the Captains Said

'We needed a win, and credit goes to the whole team for the way they played today. Ayesha Zafar is also a senior player, and she has played a lot of time in the Pakistan team. She knows how to take responsibility. Today she took it, and the way Gull Feroza batted, I think, is what we needed in the last couple of matches,' Fatima said at the post-match presentation.

On her own contribution with the ball despite a quiet outing with the bat, Fatima added: 'I think as an all-rounder, I just prefer that whatever I do, it goes to the team. So I think it must be a good day for everyone.'

Netherlands captain Babette de Leede praised her bowlers despite the defeat. 'I think our bowlers were excellent today. I think to be able to restrict Pakistan to this score on this ground was a really good effort from us. Unfortunately, we couldn't quite get there after a good start,' she said.

De Leede also highlighted the broader significance of the tournament for Dutch cricket: 'Playing against the best teams in the world is so crucial for us as a team to improve our cricket... This is only just the beginning, hopefully, for Dutch cricket.'

Batting Remains Pakistan's Priority

Fatima was candid about the areas needing work as Pakistan head home. 'Definitely, we need to be better on the batting side. So we need to improve the batting lineup. And hopefully when we go back, we will discuss a lot of things, especially the batting side,' she said. The top-order inconsistency that plagued Pakistan through the tournament will likely dominate their post-campaign review.

Gull Feroza Named Player of the Match

Gull Feroza, awarded Player of the Match, reflected on the innings: 'Firstly, it's very important for my team and me. So I just played my game... we rotated the strike and just changed our plan because we lost a couple of wickets... on the bad balls, we punished the bad balls.' The 63 not out was precisely the kind of anchor knock Pakistan had been searching for across the competition. For the Netherlands, who entered the tournament as first-time participants, the experience itself was the milestone — and a foundation, their captain suggested, for what comes next.