Wahab Riaz Backs Pakistan Despite 55 All Out Against India

Pakistan Women’s Cricket team mentor Wahab Riaz has backed his side to challenge for the Women’s Asia Cup title despite a disastrous performance against India. Pakistan were bowled out for just 55 at the Dubai International Stadium before India completed a seven-wicket victory with 68 balls remaining.

The result was one of Pakistan’s most disappointing performances in the tournament, particularly because their batting lineup failed to survive the full 20 overs. Yet Riaz remained confident about the team’s overall potential, arguing that the conditions suited Pakistan and that the squad had enough ability to compete for the trophy.

His assessment comes at a crucial stage of the competition. Pakistan’s defeat has put their qualification hopes under pressure, leaving their final group-stage fixture against Hong Kong, China as a must-win contest in their push for a semi-final place.

Pakistan’s batting collapse against India

Pakistan entered the contest hoping to challenge one of the tournament favourites but struggled almost immediately after being sent into trouble with the bat.

The innings never developed into a competitive total. Pakistan eventually reached only 55 before losing all their wickets, leaving India with a very small target to chase.

India’s bowling attack maintained pressure throughout the innings and prevented Pakistan from building meaningful partnerships. The lack of a substantial total also meant that Pakistan had very little margin for error when India began their chase.

Although Pakistan captain Fatima Sana provided some resistance with the ball, dismissing Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana, the target was too small to create sustained pressure.

India completed the chase with seven wickets in hand and 68 deliveries still remaining, underlining the scale of the difference between the two teams on the night.

Wahab Riaz refuses to abandon Pakistan’s title hopes

Despite the result, Wahab Riaz offered an optimistic assessment of Pakistan’s chances in the competition.

The Pakistan mentor maintained that his players are talented and capable of performing at a much higher level than they showed against India. He also pointed towards the playing conditions as a factor that could work in Pakistan’s favour during the remainder of the tournament.

His confidence represents a deliberate attempt to keep the squad focused after a major setback. A poor performance in one match does not automatically eliminate a team from a tournament, although Pakistan now have very little room for another mistake.

The immediate challenge is therefore less about discussing the India defeat and more about producing a convincing response in the final group game.

Pakistan’s semi-final qualification is now under pressure

The defeat to India has complicated Pakistan’s path towards the Women’s Asia Cup semi-finals. Their final group-stage match against Hong Kong, China now carries significant importance.

Winning that match will be essential, but Pakistan’s qualification situation also makes net run rate an important consideration.

In short-format tournaments, a heavy defeat can have consequences beyond the points lost. A team that suffers a large-margin defeat may see its net run rate decline sharply, potentially creating problems if other teams finish with similar numbers of wins.

Pakistan’s 55 all-out against India therefore hurt them in two ways: they failed to collect points from the match, and the margin of defeat damaged their overall tournament position.

Fatima Sana shows some resistance

While Pakistan’s batting performance was disappointing, captain Fatima Sana provided one of the few positive moments for her side.

She made an impact with the ball by removing three important Indian batters: Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana.

Those wickets demonstrated that Pakistan still possessed the ability to challenge India in individual phases of the match. However, the advantage was not enough because India’s target was extremely small.

Once India had restricted Pakistan to 55, the chase became largely about avoiding unnecessary risks and finishing the contest efficiently.

Why Pakistan made major changes to the squad

Riaz’s comments also highlighted a wider debate surrounding Pakistan women’s cricket. The team entered the tournament after making significant changes to its squad, with seven players left out.

Former Pakistan captain Sana Mir had criticised the scale of those changes, questioning the decision to leave several experienced players outside the Asia Cup squad.

Riaz defended the selection strategy and said the changes were made with the future in mind. His argument was that some of the previously selected players had received significant opportunities in World Cups and Asia Cups without producing the desired results.

The management therefore decided to introduce younger or newer faces and begin developing a squad for upcoming international competitions.

Experience versus rebuilding: Pakistan face a difficult balance

The debate over Pakistan’s squad reflects a familiar problem in international sport: how much should a team rely on experienced players when results are not improving?

Experienced cricketers bring knowledge of pressure situations, opposition strategies and tournament conditions. However, retaining players indefinitely without consistent performances can also limit opportunities for emerging talent.

Pakistan’s current approach appears to favour rebuilding. The management wants new players to gain international experience while creating a team capable of competing in future tournaments.

The immediate problem is that rebuilding can be unpredictable. New players need time to understand international demands, and results may not improve instantly.

Riaz’s confidence will now be tested

Calling Pakistan the best team in the tournament after a 55-run collapse is a bold assessment. The statement puts additional attention on the squad because the next performances will inevitably be compared with that claim.

However, the real test is not whether Pakistan can forget the India defeat. It is whether they can learn from it.

The batting collapse exposed the importance of building partnerships and managing pressure. Against a strong bowling attack, Pakistan cannot afford to lose wickets in clusters.

The team will need a more disciplined batting approach in its next match, particularly during the early overs when losing several wickets can completely change the shape of a T20 innings.

What Pakistan must fix before the next match

The first priority is batting stability. A team cannot consistently compete for a tournament title if it regularly struggles to produce competitive totals.

Pakistan’s top order needs to provide a stronger platform, while the middle order must ensure that wickets do not fall in quick succession.

The second priority is converting individual contributions into partnerships. Fatima Sana’s bowling performance showed that individual moments can create opportunities, but those moments need support from the rest of the team.

The third priority is mental recovery. After losing heavily to India, the players must avoid allowing one result to influence their confidence in the next game.

India’s victory highlights the gap between the teams

India’s seven-wicket victory was not simply a win on the scoreboard. The manner of the result demonstrated how effectively India controlled the contest.

The Indian bowling unit restricted Pakistan to 55, while the batting group completed the chase with plenty of deliveries remaining.

India also showed greater depth, allowing them to absorb the loss of three wickets during the chase without facing serious danger.

For Pakistan, the match should therefore be treated as an opportunity to identify weaknesses rather than simply a result to forget.

Can Pakistan still win the Women’s Asia Cup?

Pakistan’s title hopes have undoubtedly suffered a major setback, but the India defeat does not by itself decide the entire tournament.

The team still has an opportunity to respond in its final group-stage match. A convincing performance could restore some confidence and potentially keep its semi-final campaign alive, depending on the qualification calculations.

However, the margin for error is now much smaller. Pakistan cannot afford another batting collapse, especially if net run rate becomes decisive.

The pressure will therefore be on both the experienced players and the newcomers brought into the squad as part of the rebuilding strategy.

The bigger question surrounding Pakistan women’s cricket

The Asia Cup has exposed a broader question for Pakistan: can a heavily rebuilt squad become competitive quickly enough at the international level?

Riaz clearly believes the answer is yes. His argument is based on the talent within the current squad and the suitability of the conditions.

But talent needs to translate into consistent performances. The defeat against India showed that there remains considerable work to do, particularly with the bat.

The upcoming matches will provide a much clearer indication of whether the changes are beginning to produce the desired results.

Conclusion: Pakistan need a response, not just confidence

Pakistan women’s cricket team mentor Wahab Riaz has continued to back his side despite the humiliating 55 all-out against India in the Women’s Asia Cup. His belief that Pakistan remain the best side in the tournament reflects confidence in the squad’s ability, but that confidence now needs to be supported by performances.

The defeat has created serious qualification pressure, with Hong Kong, China awaiting Pakistan in their final group-stage match. Net run rate could also become crucial after the heavy loss to India.

The squad rebuild adds another layer to the story. Riaz has defended the decision to introduce new players, arguing that changes were necessary after experienced players failed to deliver consistent results.

Pakistan now have an opportunity to answer their critics on the field. A strong response in the next match could change the mood around the campaign, while another poor performance would raise even more questions about the team’s direction.

For now, Riaz’s bold claim has created a clear challenge for Pakistan: if they truly believe they are the best side in the Women’s Asia Cup, the remaining matches are the stage where they must prove it.