We could have defeated India, says Nahida Khan

Nahida Khan, Pakistan's opening batter, stated that her team could have beaten India had the ICC Women's ODI Championship series between two nations taken place. The series was meant to take place between July and November, with each of the three ODIs worth two points. However, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India failing to obtain clearance from the government for the series, the ICC chose to distribute the points between both teams.



The decision meant India finished fourth on the points table, earning a direct spot in the 2021 Women's World Cup in New Zealand, while Pakistan, who finished fifth, will have to go through the qualifying tournament.



Nahida, who enjoyed a fruitful 2019, scoring over 300 ODI runs, including three half-centuries, refrained from commenting on the ICC's decision, but said she strongly believed Pakistan had a good chance of beating their rivals.



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"I can't say much on ICC's decision, but it is disappointing to miss such a series. Everyone wants to see India-Pakistan cricket. Fans would have had the opportunity to witness some great contest between women cricketers of two countries," she told Geo News.



Following a disappointing 2017 Women's World Cup campaign in England, Pakistan have shown dramatic improvement in ODIs, beating the likes of New Zealand, West Indies and South Africa through their ODI Championship campaign. There was therefore a great deal of confidence within the group about facing the Mithali Raj-led side.



"We have defeated some better-ranked teams recently and we could have defeated India too. We were positive about playing against them."



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The right-hand batter made her debut in the year 2009 and has gone on to score 1896 runs in 112 matches across ODIs and T20Is. She said Pakistan had built a strong squad and is confident they will continue to show improvement on the international stage.



"We have increased the players' pool, we have improved our rankings and we have also started beating top teams," she said. "I feel that the day isn't far when we'll be among the top three teams of the world."



Cricket has come to a standstill due to COVID-19 pandemic and Khan like many others has engaged herself by devoting time to fitness and training.



"We all are indoors, missing cricket but it is important that we must not take this time for granted and keep working on our fitness to keep ourselves prepared for a comeback on any given time. I have a small gym in my home and I work on my fitness there. PCB's trainer has also given us a training plan and we all are following that."