Onnicha Kamchomphu believes Thailand can take confidence from recent experience and use it against Pakistan when women’s cricket begins at the Asian Games in Japan on September 17. The Thailand spinner says the disappointment of the Women’s Asia Cup should not be forgotten, but instead turned into motivation for the quarter-final meeting.
Thailand head into the match after a mixed recent Women’s Asia Cup campaign. They beat Hong Kong, China, with Kamchomphu taking 3/27, but she went wicketless against India and Pakistan as Thailand’s tournament ended on a frustrating note. Even so, she has made clear that the lessons from those games can still help.
Kamchomphu wants Thailand to build on the good spells
Kamchomphu was honest about her own standard in the Asia Cup. She said she was very happy to take three wickets against Hong Kong, China, but admitted she could not take wickets against India and Pakistan. For her, the key as a bowler is not only wickets, but making batters uncomfortable and difficult to score against.
That is a sensible way of looking at the game. Against stronger opponents, containment can matter just as much as breakthroughs, particularly when a side is trying to stay competitive deep into a match. Kamchomphu’s view suggests Thailand are not simply chasing highlights, but trying to create pressure in a more controlled way.
Thailand still have reasons to trust their spin options
Kamchomphu’s standing in the wider WT20I picture underlines why Thailand value her so highly. She is one of only seven bowlers in the world with more than 150 WT20I wickets, a marker of consistency and durability that gives Thailand a genuine point of difference.
She also spoke warmly about team-mate Thipatcha Putthawong, describing her as one of Thailand’s best players and one of their leading bowlers. Kamchomphu highlighted her talent, her calm personality and the fact that both players share ideas as spinners. That kind of relationship matters in tournament cricket, where familiarity and trust can sharpen a side’s discipline.
Why Pakistan remains a meaningful test
The meeting also carries a little history. Thailand beat Pakistan in the 2022 Asia Cup, and Kamchomphu said that was one of the most enjoyable matches she has played. The most recent meeting went Pakistan’s way, leaving Thailand disappointed, but Kamchomphu has been clear that the team must move on from that result and focus on the Asian Games.
Her message is simple: the past should inform the present, not weigh it down. Thailand know Pakistan will be a difficult opponent, but they also know they have beaten them before. In a quarter-final setting, that balance of caution and belief could matter.
For Kamchomphu, the bigger picture is equally important. She said she feels proud and honoured to represent Thailand, hopes to keep performing for many more years, and wants to help make cricket more popular in the country. If Thailand are to make a mark at the Asian Games, that sense of purpose will need to show from the first ball.
