Pakistan women’s team, led by Sana Fatima, will play ICC ODI World Cup matches in Sri Lanka, inspired by MS Dhoni, aiming to break past records and reach the semifinals.
The Pakistan women’s team are prepping up for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup, starting September 30. The women in green will play all their matches in Sri Lanka due to the ongoing diplomatic tension with India.
Pakistan, who remained unbeaten in the qualifiers held in April, will start their campaign against Bangladesh in Colombo on October 2. Meanwhile, their captain, Sana Fatima, looked determined to compete for the trophy and has stated that she draws inspiration from former India captain MS Dhoni.
Speaking to PTI, Sana admitted that there is a sense of nervousness in her as she would lead the side in a major tournament like the ODI World Cup. However, she draws inspiration from Dhoni and learning from the legend.
“It is natural to be a little nervous initially when captaining in a big tournament like the World Cup, but I take inspiration from Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a captain,” Fatima told PTI.
“I have seen his matches as the India and CSK captain. His on-field decision-making, calmness and the way he backs his players, there is a lot to learn from that. When I got the captaincy, I thought that I have to become like Dhoni. I also watched his interviews and got to learn a lot,” she added.
Pakistan have played the Women’s ODI World Cup five times (1997, 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2022) but went without a single win in 1997, 2013 and 2017. In 2022, their only victory was against the West Indies in Hamilton, and the team finished last after losing all the other matches.
All-rounder Fatima, who has scored 397 runs and taken 45 wickets in 34 ODIs, is confident that the jinx will be broken this time around because the young players are aware their performance will decide the future of women’s cricket in the country.
“This time, the jinx will definitely be broken because the young players know how important this tournament is for Pakistan women’s cricket. We will not think about the past. My goal is to take the team to the semifinals,” she added.
