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COLOMBO: New Zealand won the toss and elected to field against Pakistan at the Women’s Cricket World Cup on Saturday.

Pakistan are still searching for first win after losing to Bangladesh, India and Australia. It came close to beating England in its last match before rain washed it out.

New Zealand beat Bangladesh and also got a point from their weather-affected game against Sri Lanka as rain has continuously disrupted the games in Colombo.

There’s a forecast of rain later Saturday that tempted New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine to “have first crack at the track.” Lea Tahuhu came in place of Bree Illing in the only change New Zealand made from its last game.

Pakistan went unchanged from the squad that played brilliantly both with the bat and ball against England.

TEAMS

Pakistan: Omaima Sohail, Muneeba Ali, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Sidra Nawaz, Fatima Sana (captain), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal.

New Zealand: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine (captain), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Isabella Gaze, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Eden Carson, Lea Tahuhu. 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief on Saturday said there is “no space for war” between two countries in a nuclearized environment, urging India to resolve all core issues with Pakistan as per globally recognized norms.

The statement came days after India’s army chief General Upendra Dwivedi told soldiers near the Pakistan border that Islamabad must stop “backing terror” if it wanted to “remain on the world map.”

Dwivedi said India would not show the restraint it exercised during a brief war with Pakistan in May. Recent Indian political and security rhetoric has included similar public statements and assertions of “bloodshed” narratives ahead of local elections.

Speaking at a passing-out ceremony at the Pakistan Military Academy, Field Marshal Asim Munir said Pakistan’s defense doctrine is predicated on credible deterrence and perpetual readiness, encompassing the full spectrum of capabilities.

“The battle-hardened Army which has fought for over two decades in the sub-conventional domain has successfully displayed its capabilities in conventional domain as well by delivering a swift and decisive blow to the adversary,” he said in a clear reference to India.

“I advise and firmly caution the Indian military leadership that there is ‘no space for war’ in a nuclearized environment. Settle the core issues with Pakistan as per the international norms, on the basis of equality and mutual respect.”

The disputed region of Kashmir has long been a flashpoint between Pakistan and India, with both claiming the territory in its entirety and fighting multiple wars for its control. The conflict in May was also triggered by an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denied the allegation.

Munir said that India, having failed in its belligerence against Pakistan in May, continues with “state-sponsored terrorism” as a preferred policy.

“Our adversary’s use of Fitna Al-Hind [Baloch separatist groups] and Fitna-al-Khawarij [Pakistani Taliban] as hired guns, exposes its cowering, hypocritical and heinous face to the world,” he said.

“Equally disconcerting is the use of Afghan soil for terrorism in Pakistan. We urge the people of Afghanistan to choose mutual security over perpetual violence and progress over hard-line obscurantism. Taliban Regime must rein in the proxies, who have sanctuaries in Afghanistan and are using Afghan soil to perpetrate heinous attacks inside Pakistan.”

There was no immediate comment from New Delhi or the Taliban to the Pakistani army chief’s statement. It came amid ongoing hostilities between Islamabad and Kabul over a surge in militant attacks by the Pakistani Taliban in Pakistan’s western regions that border Afghanistan.

Pakistan has frequently accused Afghanistan of allowing the use of its soil and India of backing militant groups for attacks against Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi both deny the allegation.