Pakistan women’s cricket team captain Fatima Sana has set her sights on emulating MS Dhoni’s calm leadership as she prepares to lead her side into the Women’s World Cup later this month. Speaking to PTI Bhasha, the 22-year-old all-rounder said she closely followed Dhoni’s career and leadership style, which shaped her vision as a captain.
Pakistan will play all their World Cup matches in Sri Lanka, beginning their campaign against Bangladesh on October 2 in Colombo. The team remained unbeaten in the qualifiers earlier this year, giving them momentum ahead of the tournament.
Fatima has represented Pakistan in 34 ODIs, scoring 397 runs and taking 45 wickets. She believes Pakistan has the talent to break past records and reach the semifinals. She emphasized that the young squad understands the importance of the tournament for the future of women’s cricket in the country.
“Girls have started playing cricket in schools, matches are televised, and prize money has increased. But barriers remain, and this World Cup is a chance to change perceptions,” Fatima said. She underlined the role of parents in encouraging girls to pursue sports as a career.
The captain highlighted Pakistan’s strength in bowling, especially spin, while noting improvements in batting over the past year. Preparations include a series against South Africa to finalize team combinations.
Fatima, who started playing cricket with her brothers in Karachi, lost her father during the last T20 World Cup but chose to continue representing Pakistan to honor his dream of seeing her play at the highest level.
