Pakistan captain Fatima Sana will be with Birmingham Phoenix for the upcoming Women’s Hundred. The all-rounder was roped in by the franchise as a replacement for Australia’s Lucy Hamilton, who pulled out of the tournament to manage her workload.
The Hundred-bound Fatima ready to grab the opportunity
The deal made Fatima the first Pakistani women’s player to feature in the league. With the competition overlapping with Pakistan’s white-ball series against Sri Lanka, Fatima will miss the T20I leg of the tour. Muneeba Ali will deputise in her absence.
Speaking to the media before the side flies to Sri Lanka for the series, Fatima said she hopes her fellow Pakistani players can get such opportunities as well.
“For me, it’s about learning from that experience and bringing it back — whether as captain or as a player, I’ll try to bring that input into the Pakistan team,” said Fatima.
“There are things foreign leagues do well that are worth learning from, and I’d want to share that with my teammates too. Personally, I also wish more players got the chance to play in leagues — the more they play, the more they learn. I think this opportunity should be available to as many players as possible. Unfortunately, our series falls at the same time, but it’s a good window and a golden opportunity to grab and make the most of.”
Fatima hopes to keep winning streak alive
While Fatima will miss the T20Is against Sri Lanka, she will be present with the side in the preceding ODI leg. Pakistan are currently second in the Women’s Championship table and this series would be crucial to help them retain their standings. Fresh off a chastening T20 World Cup campaign where they won only one game, Fatima’s Pakistan could do with some triumph.
Their previous ODI series against Zimbabwe at home ended 3-0 in their favour. Before that, Pakistan managed to seal a win over South Africa as well. Fatima believes her team can carry that form to Sri Lanka.
“As for ODIs, that’s the current format, and the team has played well in its last few series — we’ve done well in ODIs and are hopeful. We’re bringing youngsters along too. So God willing, we’ll try to improve on past mistakes, and support the players who’ve been doing well so they can play with even more confidence.”
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