‘The backbone of the team’: Sidra Amin shoulders Pakistan’s Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 hopes

It’s not hard to see how much Pakistan relies on Sidra Amin.

In the week of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 action gone by, her wickets in the two games Pakistan has played – against Bangladesh and India – changed the face of the innings her side was able to stage.

Ahead of a crucial league stage fixture against Australia, Amin spent close to an hour in the nets. Coach Mohammad Wasim kept tabs on her stump awareness, stance, backlift, and batswing. She faced the age-group boys provided to the side by Sri Lanka Cricket.

Facing a mix of left-arm pace and variants of spin, Amin middled the ball with ease and followed the trajectory of deliveries with precision while her teammates occasionally faltered. She particularly worked on balls rising into the pads and ones drifting outside off.

Amin had a busy matchday eve. A full-tilt net session preceded by press conference duties underlined how she will be in sharp focus for Pakistan as it butts heads with the best team in the world. But Amin is not one to whimper away.

“As a senior batter, you can even call me the backbone of the team. My coaches and teammates have put a lot of responsibility on me – and I like taking that responsibility. I try to stay calm and composed because I know my game and how to take it forward,” the 33-year-old told a near-empty press room ahead of the game.

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Travelling Pakistani media was absent after the drubbing at the hands of India, and two losses in as many games may not inspire much confidence in the fate of the side’s campaign going forward. But Amin, and the team too, don’t believe in throwing in the towel when the fight has just begun.

“As a team, we have to focus on ourselves. We know they’re a good side, but we can’t give them too many loose balls. Everyone knows our team is strong in bowling, and our spinners and attacking bowlers could cause problems for two or three of their batters – so that might help us in this game,” she said bluntly.

Pakistan has been candid about its lean batting performances, which have been the difference in most of its losses in the recent past. Against those trends, Amin’s form in this World Cup cycle – particularly over the last 12 months – was greatly encouraging.

She has scored 1566 runs from 34 ODIs since the 2022 World Cup for Pakistan, a big improvement given that her cumulative tally from 79 matches in the format is 2352.

“From the beginning, I’ve been trying to adapt because the game has constantly been evolving. It’s important to maintain your technique and process and look at finer elements like the ratio of dot balls, but in the end, it all depends on God. When you work really hard, there comes a point when you start seeing the results,” she explained.

She credited her early development to former Pakistan head coach and her own mentor, Mohtashim Rasheed. “I’ve done many batting drills with him. He worked very hard on my batting and gave me a lot of time. He was with us for a few years and pushed me to improve my technique and would always say, ‘You just play naturally. We will work on your technique.’ That really helped,” she recalled.

Amin powered Pakistan’s unbeaten run in the World Cup Qualifier earlier this year with three half-centuries in the campaign played at home. That went a step further when she finished a three-match ODI series against South Africa with two remarkable centuries and a fifty.

“My first hundred actually happened by chance. Setting a target is one thing, but when you’re chasing, your approach changes completely. When we were chasing close to 300. I felt I should step out of my natural game and play proactively. I thought I did that well.”

The high of that build-up was dampened quite spectacularly when she fell for a first-ball duck to the inswing of Bangladesh’s Marufa Akter in the first match of the World Cup.

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“In international matches, I’ve never gotten out that quickly – maybe after many years, this happened. I just felt like, “What did I come here to do today?”. I felt really bad and sad because I know my team depends on me, and I feel a lot of pressure when I get out early. But the bowling was outstanding, no doubt about that. I also came in a little late, and the ball swung in, took the inside edge, and I got bowled,” she recalled.

Amin’s role is clear. To consolidate and to motor the innings alone. Losing her meant a key cog in that scoring wheel was gone.

“If we look at the big picture, we have been leaving five to seven overs. 40 odd balls we leave in dots. If we tackle that, the number of dots and the resulting pressure will reduce. As batters, we need to take more responsibility, stay longer at the crease, and play the maximum number of overs.”

Pakistan has an advantage that other teams do not. It avoids living out of a suitcase and has the luxury of a steady venue for games at the R. Premadasa Stadium. Despite not being much of a fan of ‘the hardest surface she has faced,’ Amin recognises the edge it gives Pakistan and placed the onus on the side to draw maximum benefit out of it.

“Yes, we do have an edge. How the team uses the edge is important. Discussions are ongoing. Our coach has guided us individually. Ultimately, he can tell us what to do, but it’s on us to execute. We’ve played two games here and have a good idea about the conditions. The wicket is difficult for the first 10-15 overs.”

With tough matches against Australia – where the bowlers have eaten the famed Aussie batting lineup for lunch – England and New Zealand to follow immediately, Pakistan has its work cut out to be more than just a talented side on paper.

It’s a tough proposition given the chicken-and-egg situation in the way the nation does its women’s cricket. With an underwhelming share of matches against top teams in its kitty, zero bilateral cricket with its strong neighbour India, and barely any presence in international franchise leagues, the gulf is evident and painful.

“When we get more international tours, we can plan better as a team. We’re hoping to tour more countries, to assess different conditions and wickets, and to meet great players to discuss and improve our game. Playing more cricket outside our country will definitely help us,” Amin added.

For now, the focus is on putting the blinkers on and focusing on the job at hand – a commendable showing in the World Cup and hopefully a win or two along the way.

“When you think too much or make too many strict plans, things don’t go according to plan. You just have to stick to your process and your work. If it’s meant for you, things will come your way; you won’t have to chase it.”

Published on Oct 08, 2025