Learning a lot from Women's World Cup: Sana Mir

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Women’s cricket captain Sana Mir believes her team has learned a lot from the ongoing ICC Women's World Cup but needs to build on that experience.

Although not mathematically eliminated, Pakistan's chances of progressing are slim in the World Cup, but Sana feels the team has learned a lot so far, said a press release issued here.

“We may not have had the best tournament so far but we need to enjoy it,” she said.

"We only qualified for the tournament a few months ago so just being here is an achievement in itself and I think we are better than we have shown so far.

"What is very important is that we are able to bat out the 50 overs like we did against Australia.

“We need the young girls who are playing in the future to get an opportunity to face the best bowlers in the world. This is a learning curve for the newcomers.

“We started very well with the ball against all the big teams so we are not afraid of playing New Zealand in Saturday's clash. I think with the kind of attitude and consistency we're showing with our bowling, particularly early on, we can hurt New Zealand," she said.

A big win over the West Indies pushed New Zealand back into the top four after four games at the Women's World Cup, but captain Suzie Bates knows that every game is crucial.

The White Ferns responded to the defeat against Australia in the best possible fashion, hammering West Indies by eight wickets and chasing down the target of 151 in less than 20 overs.

That was enough to leapfrog South Africa in the points table, and with the game between the sides having been washed out earlier in the tournament, their battle for a place in the last four could come down to net run-rate.

While New Zealand cannot focus solely on run-rate, Bates admitted it could yet be crucial to her side's chances of progression.