ISLAMABAD: Pakistan captain Fatima Sana is aiming to bring a different and fearless approach to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup this year.

“In the past, we often struggled in the powerplay, with early wickets falling, middle-order collapses, and a slow pace of runs leading to low totals. We’ve also found it difficult to chase targets above 120,” Fatima was quoted as saying by the ICC on Thursday.

“We understand how crucial it is to have positive intent, especially in the powerplay, to set the tone and post competitive scores. If we look at the top teams, they all make the most of the first six overs, which helps them score big and chase high totals,” she said.

“Recently, we’ve started playing with more attacking intent, and some young players have shown exciting potential,” the skipper said.

“The game has evolved a lot since I made my debut in 2019. Scores are much higher now, batters play with more freedom, and as a team, were adapting to stay competitive.

She continued, “This year, Gull Feroza has been in good form, with some strong innings in the Asia Cup. Muneeba Ali, at the top of the order, also performed well in the recent series against South Africa. Both are in good form and bring valuable experience, she said.

“We’ve encouraged them to aim for a strike rate of over 100, a key metric that helps us post higher totals and compete with the best. In the middle order, we have experienced players like Nida Dar, Sidra Amin, and Aliya Riaz. I too, have been working hard to bring positive energy to the team through my batting.

“When it comes to bowling, Sadia Iqbal has been phenomenal in the last year. She’s currently ranked third in the ICC T20 rankings, and Nashra Sandhu is also in the top 10,” Fatima underlined.

“Nida is the leading wicket-taker in T20s, and we have two talented leg-spinners, Syeda Arooba Shah and Tuba Hassan, who has been a key player since her debut. Both of them bring a lot of energy in the field, and our strong spin department will be crucial in the Dubai conditions.

“In fast bowling, Diana Baig’s experience will be a great asset. I’ll do my best, as always, to contribute with both bat and ball, and we also have [left-arm seamer] Tasmia Rubab which gives us good variety,” she said.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2024