Colombo, Oct 8 (NationPress) The Pakistan Women’s team won the toss and chose to field first against Australia in the ninth match of the Women's World Cup at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

For this encounter, Australia made two significant changes to their squad, introducing experienced pacer Megan Schutt and leg-spinner Georgia Wareham in place of Darcie Brown and Sophie Molineux, who were rested for this fixture.

On the other hand, Pakistan made a single adjustment, bringing Eyman Fatima into the lineup as Aliya Riaz sat out.

Pakistan’s captain, Fatima Sana, commented, "The conditions favor the spinners, and the pitch appears very dry. We are prepared and aim to execute our strategies effectively today."

She added, "Aliya Riaz is out, and Eyman Fatima comes in based on our strategy. We need to establish long partnerships, and we hope to achieve that today."

Australia’s captain, Alyssa Healy, expressed, "We were inclined to bat today. The weather is warm, and we want to put runs on the board, allowing our bowlers to perform. With Megan Schutt and Georgia Wareham coming in, Darcie Brown and Sophie Molineux are out. We knew we had to manage Sophie wisely throughout the tournament, considering the upcoming fixtures, though we are not undermining this match.”

Playing XIs:

Pakistan Women Playing XI: Muneeba Ali (vc), Sadaf Shamas, Sidra Ameen, Eyman Fatima, Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana (c), Sidra Nawaz (wk), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal

Australia Women Playing XI: Alyssa Healy (c), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt