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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first against Australia at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday, as they look to revive their faltering campaign in the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.

Playing all their group matches on neutral turf in Sri Lanka, Pakistan have lost both their opening fixtures — by 88 runs to India and by seven wickets to Bangladesh — and now need a victory to stay in contention for the semifinals.

The team made one change, bringing in Eyman Fatima for Aliya Riaz, hoping to strengthen their middle order after inconsistent batting displays in the previous games.

“Pakistan Women win the toss and choose to bowl first against Australia at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on X, formerly Twitter.

Pakistan’s top order has struggled for form, though Sidra Ameen managed a half-century against India, scoring 81 off 106 balls with 10 boundaries, providing one of the few bright spots in an otherwise difficult start to the tournament.

Australia, seven-time champions, are aiming to maintain their unbeaten run after their previous fixture against Sri Lanka was washed out.

They made two changes, drafting in Georgia Wareham and Megan Schutt for Sophie Molineux and Darcie Brown.

Pakistan’s decision to field first reflects their plan to exploit early conditions and restrict Australia’s strong batting lineup led by Alyssa Healy and Ellyze Perry.

A defeat would all but end Pakistan’s hopes of progressing, while a win could revive their campaign heading into the final group fixtures.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan plans to hold its first-ever maritime investment conference to attract local and international investors and strengthen the country’s blue economy, the government said on Tuesday.

The country is striving to modernize its ports and customs systems to improve efficiency, speed up cargo handling and facilitate businesses engaged in imports and exports, aiming to boost national revenue.

Earlier this year in August, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed officials to cut the time required to process containers to avoid congestion at port facilities.

The government not only wants a more efficient system for its own trade but also hopes to handle cargo from the landlocked Central Asian republics, giving them greater access to global markets through sea lanes.

“The upcoming conference will present both micro and macro investment opportunities to domestic and international investors across all ports and affiliated departments,” Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said, according to an official statement issued after a planning meeting.

“The initiative seeks to attract sustainable investments to strengthen the blue economy and maritime infrastructure,” he added. Officials said the Pakistan Maritime Investment Conference 2025 would serve as a strategic platform to position the country as a regional hub for maritime investment and innovation.

The date, venue, and thematic focus of the event were discussed during the meeting, with these details expected to be announced soon.

Discussions during the planning meeting focused on investment opportunities in port infrastructure, marine transport, fisheries, shipbuilding, and coastal tourism, in line with Pakistan’s broader economic diversification and sustainable development goals.

The ministry said a media and branding campaign would promote the event globally, targeting investors, financial institutions and development partners.

Chaudhry also directed officials to finalize standardized templates for investment proposals to streamline the evaluation and approval processes for new ventures in the maritime sector.

The minister said the conference would mark a “significant milestone” in advancing Pakistan’s maritime ambitions and strengthening public-private collaboration to unlock the country’s economic potential.