Pakistan Women Complete Dominant 3-0 Sweep as Feroza Century Crushes Zimbabwe in Karachi
Pakistan Women sealed a dominant 3-0 series whitewash against Zimbabwe Women with a clinical nine-wicket victory in the third and final ODI at the National Stadium in Karachi on Saturday, 9 May 2026. Chasing a modest target of 223, the home side raced to 225 for one in just 31.5 overs, finishing with 109 balls still remaining and underlining the gulf that has existed between the two sides throughout this short tour.
The day belonged to Gull Feroza. The wicketkeeper-batter produced another sparkling century, remaining unbeaten on 106 from only 92 deliveries, striking 16 crisp boundaries. Her partner Sadaf Shamas contributed a fluent 90 from 98 balls with 13 fours of her own. Together they put on 220 for the opening wicket, the second-highest partnership for any wicket in Pakistan women’s ODI history and the third successive 150-plus stand the pair has produced in this series alone. By the time Shamas finally fell, the result was long beyond doubt. Stand-in captain Muneeba Ali then walked out and finished the job with a boundary, sealing the win in emphatic fashion.
Zimbabwe captain Nomvelo Sibanda won the toss and chose to bat first under the Karachi lights, hoping her side could finally post a competitive total after heavy defeats in the first two matches. Early signs were not promising. Tasmia Rubab struck twice in the powerplay, removing Kelly Ndiraya for eight and debutant wicketkeeper Vimbai Mutungwindu for two. At 22 for two, the visitors were already under pressure.
Kelis Ndhlovu and Beloved Biza then steadied the innings with a determined partnership. Ndhlovu played with composure, reaching her fifty from 68 balls and finishing with 51 from 72 deliveries that included eight boundaries. Biza was the more fluent of the two, driving and cutting with confidence on her way to 73 from 88 balls, the innings studded with a dozen fours. Their third-wicket stand of 87 runs lifted Zimbabwe past 100 and offered the first genuine hope of a substantial total.
Pakistan’s bowlers, however, refused to allow the partnership to flourish indefinitely. Syeda Aroob Shah broke through, trapping Ndhlovu lbw, and soon afterwards Runyararo Pasipanodya was bowled by the same bowler for seven. Rubab returned to claim the big wicket of Biza, who was caught by Aliya Riaz, ending a valuable knock. From 157 for five, Zimbabwe struggled to regain momentum. Adel Zimunu made a useful 23, but the middle and lower order found the going tough against disciplined bowling and sharp fielding.
Sibanda herself provided some late resistance, remaining unbeaten on 35 from 55 balls, while the tail managed to push the total past 200. Zimbabwe closed on 222 for nine from their 50 overs. It was a respectable effort by comparison with their earlier collapses, yet still well short of what was required against a Pakistan batting unit that had been in rampant form.
Tasmia Rubab was the standout with the ball, finishing with three for 49 from her full quota of ten overs. Ayesha Zafar was outstanding in a supporting role, returning the remarkable figures of two for 13 from six overs, including two maidens. Syeda Aroob Shah claimed two wickets of her own, while Momina Riasat chipped in with one. The attack shared the workload effectively and never allowed Zimbabwe to accelerate freely in the middle overs.
When Pakistan began their chase, the atmosphere inside the National Stadium was expectant rather than tense. The home supporters had already seen enough in the first two ODIs to sense another comfortable victory was likely. Sadaf Shamas and Gull Feroza did not disappoint. From the outset they attacked with positive intent, rotating the strike and punishing anything loose.
Shamas was particularly strong through the covers and square of the wicket, timing the ball beautifully. Feroza, meanwhile, played with the freedom of a batter at the peak of her confidence. She reached her century from just 83 balls, breaking her own record for the fastest ODI hundred by a Pakistan woman, a mark she had set only three days earlier in the second match. The crowd rose as one when she brought up three figures, the cheers echoing around the ground under the floodlights.
The partnership was a masterclass in controlled aggression. Zimbabwe’s bowlers tried everything. Sibanda herself bowled with heart but leaked runs. Adel Zimunu and Kudzai Chigora struggled for consistency, and the spinners found little assistance from a surface that offered genuine pace and true bounce. Boundaries flowed regularly. By the 30-over mark Pakistan had already moved past 210, the required rate a formality.
The only wicket of the innings came when Shamas, on 90, attempted one more expansive shot and was caught by Zimunu off Chigora. The stand had reached 220. Feroza remained, unbeaten and serene, and was joined by Muneeba Ali. A wide and a four later, the winning runs were scored. Pakistan had won by nine wickets with almost 19 overs to spare.
Feroza’s performance capped a remarkable series for the young batter. Across the three ODIs she amassed 256 runs and was named both Player of the Match and Player of the Series. Shamas finished not far behind in the run-scoring charts, and the opening pair’s combined contribution of more than 570 runs across the three matches stands as the highest by any opening combination in a bilateral women’s ODI series.
For Zimbabwe the tour has been a difficult one. They arrived in Pakistan looking to gain valuable experience against higher-ranked opposition as part of the ICC Women’s Championship cycle. While they showed flashes of competitiveness, particularly in the third match with the half-centuries from Biza and Ndhlovu, the difference in batting depth and bowling consistency proved decisive. Sibanda’s side will take lessons from the series as they prepare for the upcoming T20I leg of the tour, which begins at the same venue on 12 May.
Pakistan, by contrast, will head into the shorter format full of confidence. Their top order is firing, the bowling unit looks balanced, and the fielding standards have remained high. The decision to rest regular captain Fatima Sana for this match and hand the armband to Muneeba Ali did nothing to disrupt their rhythm. The depth in the squad is clearly growing, and performances such as those from Rubab, Zafar and the opening pair suggest a side building steadily toward bigger challenges in the Championship and beyond.
The National Stadium once again provided a fine stage. The day-night conditions suited the home side’s aggressive approach, and the pitch offered enough for both batters and bowlers to make a mark without becoming a graveyard. Spectators were treated to a high-quality display of batting from Feroza and Shamas, the kind of partnership that can lift an entire team’s belief.
As the players shook hands and the Pakistan squad celebrated another comprehensive success, the focus shifted toward the T20Is. Three more matches await, and Zimbabwe will be desperate to end the tour on a higher note. Pakistan, meanwhile, will look to maintain their momentum and continue developing combinations for the road ahead.
This third ODI will be remembered primarily for the brilliance of Gull Feroza and the sheer dominance of the home side’s batting. A target of 223 that might have tested lesser teams was reduced to a stroll. Nine wickets and 109 balls remaining tell the story of a contest that never truly materialised as a competitive fight once the chase began. Pakistan Women have completed a clean sweep, and they have done so in style.
The series result also carries Championship points implications. Pakistan collected the full six points from the three matches, strengthening their position in the 2025-2029 ICC Women’s Championship table. Zimbabwe, still searching for their first points of the cycle, will need to regroup quickly.
In the end it was a night that belonged to the home openers. Their unbroken stand for the best part of 32 overs showcased timing, placement and an unflappable temperament. Feroza’s century was the highlight, but Shamas’s supporting role was equally vital. Together they dismantled the Zimbabwe attack and ensured that the series concluded exactly as it had begun: with Pakistan in complete control.
As the lights of the National Stadium shone down on the victorious team, the message was clear. This Pakistan women’s side is growing in confidence and capability with every outing. For Zimbabwe the learning continues, but the gap remains substantial. The ODI series is over, the whitewash is complete, and the focus now turns to the shorter game where both teams will hope to write a different chapter.
