Pakistan Captain Fatima Sana to Skip Sri Lanka T20Is for Historic Hundred Stint

Fatima Sana is making history. And she is choosing to make the most of it.The Pakistan captain has been granted permission to miss the T20I leg of her team’s tour of Sri Lanka. Instead, she will play for Birmingham Phoenix in the women’s Hundred.

Sana became the first woman from Pakistan to be picked by a Hundred team last month. She was acquired by Phoenix in the wildcard draft for the minimum salary of £15,000. She replaced Australia’s Lucy Hamilton in the squad.

Just a day before the draft, Sana produced a brilliant all-round show against South Africa. She scored 55 not out off 38 balls and took 3 for 16. It was a performance that caught everyone’s attention.

In the T20 World Cup, she was Pakistan’s brightest spark. Even though the team won only one match, Sana finished with 11 wickets at an economy of 6.95. Among fast bowlers, she took the most wickets. Overall, she was joint second-highest wicket-taker.

Sana will still play the ODI leg of the Sri Lanka tour. That series is part of the Women’s Championship. After the ODIs end on July 28, she will fly from Hambantota to England to join Phoenix for the rest of the Hundred.

A PCB official said the board allowed her to skip the T20Is so she could gain experience in a competitive league. That experience, they hope, will help Pakistan in the long run.

For Sana, this is a big step. For Pakistan women’s cricket, it’s a sign of changing times.

                                               

Relevant news