No pressure from big teams in T20 World Cup’: Fatima Sana

LAHORE: Pakistan women’s cricket team captain, Fatima Sana, said there’s no pressure from big teams in their tough group for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, and the team just needs to play with confidence and without fear.

Speaking to Geo News before leaving for Dubai, Sana shared that being captain doesn’t add pressure since she’s led the team before. “I have great support from the management and my teammates, so it feels natural,” she said.

Sana emphasized that the team doesn’t feel intimidated by stronger teams and just needs to focus on performing well on match day. “We have to believe in our ability to play well and carry that belief forward. Facing strong teams like Australia pushes us to give our best,” she added.

Pakistan’s group in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup includes top teams like Australia, India, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka.

Reflecting on previous matches, Sana noted, “We lost to India last time, but we’ve also beaten them before. It’s always a tough match, but if we perform well on the day, we can win.”

Senior all-rounder Nida Dar also shared her thoughts, saying the key is to stay calm and composed. “We’ve faced teams like Sri Lanka and India several times and have also beaten New Zealand, so we have the experience to do well this time,” she said.

Dar expressed confidence in the team’s preparation, mentioning the valuable lessons learned from a recent series against South Africa. “Our morale is high, and we’re ready for the matches.”

She added that the excitement around the match against India motivates the players to give their best performance, as it’s a chance to become a hero in front of a big audience. “The conditions in Dubai and Sharjah suit us well, and we’ll give our best to win.”

Batter Sidra Ameen acknowledged that there’s always pressure in major tournaments, regardless of the opponent. “The goal is to stay calm and perform to the best of our abilities,” she said.

Ameen also pointed out that their recent series against South Africa went well and that the team is focused on controlling the game. She recalled their tough match against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup and hopes for a better result this time.

Pakistan squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: Fatima Sana (captain), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali (wicket-keeper), Nashra Sundhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal (subject to fitness), Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan

Traveling reserve: Najiha Alvi (wicket-keeper)
Non-traveling reserves: Rameen Shamim, Umm-e-Hani

Pakistan’s match schedule:

• 3 Oct – vs Sri Lanka, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
• 6 Oct – vs India, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
• 11 Oct – vs Australia, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
• 14 Oct – vs New Zealand, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai