KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia ended their campaign in the Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup in last place after losing to Nepal by seven wickets in the match between the two group stage basement teams at the Johor Cricket Academy Oval today.
Nepal had no trouble dispatching the host team after scoring 47 runs (for three wickets), while Malaysia managed to score 45 runs all out in 16.5 overs.
Malaysia had previously finished bottom of Group A after losing to Sri Lanka, defending champions India, and the West Indies at Bayuemas Oval.
Team mentor Mas Elysa Yasmin Zulkifli was disappointed with their loss to Nepal as she felt that they were capable of performing much better.
“A bit disappointed with today’s game because I know they can do better than that. Batting-wise, only one of them scored double digits. It’s not enough for only one player to perform… it won’t help the team,” she told Bernama today.
However, Mas Elysa praised the team’s bowling and fielding efforts, which she described as impressive.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) president Mohammed Iqbal Ali Kassim Ali said although Malaysia failed to meet expectations, they at least learned valuable lessons and could take some positive takeaways from the tournament.
“Looking at where we finished in the standings, it’s not what we hoped for but that doesn’t mean we don’t have many positives to take with us into the future.
“More high-level exposure over longer periods is going to be crucial if we are going to qualify for the next Under-19 Women’s World Cup,” he said in a statement today. — January 24, 2025