Fatima Sana has pledged to maintain an aggressive style of play as Pakistan prepares to face their arch-rivals, India, in the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup. Ahead of this highly anticipated matchup, Sana expressed confidence in her team’s attacking cricket strategy.Fatima Sana vows to embrace attacking cricket as India aims for a fresh start
Reflecting on her experiences, Sana noted, “I’ve observed that the teams we face tend to play aggressively. As a bowler, it always felt like opponents aimed to hit us from the very first ball. I wanted our batters to capitalize on that by punishing bowlers right from the start. We’ve put a lot of work into this, and I hope to show the results soon.” In Pakistan’s opening match against Sri Lanka, Sana made an impactful contribution by scoring 30 runs off just 20 balls, helping her team secure victory and making her the second-youngest captain, after Meg Lanning, to win a Women’s T20 World Cup match.
Sana shared her aspirations as an all-rounder, crediting the team’s power-hitting coach for their revamped batting approach. “I’ve always aimed to be the top all-rounder. Success in bowling is crucial, but winning requires excellence in all areas, including fielding. My goal is to consistently help the team win, and balancing my batting with my bowling has been a key challenge. The power-hitting coach has been instrumental in boosting the girls’ confidence, encouraging us to believe we can become effective all-rounders,” she said.Fatima Sana vows to embrace attacking cricket as India aims for a fresh start
She highlighted the recent improvements in her teammates’ power-hitting skills, noting, “In our last series against South Africa, many girls showcased significant growth in their hitting abilities. The team believes that even if fielders are positioned far back, they can still hit sixes. This newfound confidence is a positive development. Personally, I used to practice a lot, but I wasn’t sure about my hitting capability. Now, with this belief, it has become much easier.”
Meanwhile, India is looking to bounce back after a loss to New Zealand in their opening game. Bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi emphasized the importance of adapting quickly to back-to-back matches in a tournament like the World Cup. He acknowledged that every team has strengths and weaknesses, and stressed the importance of sticking to their plans.Fatima Sana vows to embrace attacking cricket as India aims for a fresh start
Despite the bowling unit’s struggles in the previous match, Salvi remained optimistic. He described the last game as an anomaly and urged his bowlers to maintain focus and trust their processes. “We have to believe in what has worked for us so far,” he stated. With only four group stage matches, India understands the stakes, as they have a strong historical record against Pakistan, having lost only three of their 15 T20 encounters. Their last meeting resulted in a seven-wicket win for India in the Women’s Asia Cup earlier this year.
