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In a major announcement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named 22-year-old Fatima Sana as the captain of the Pakistan women’s cricket team for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Fatima, who has featured in 41 ODIs and 40 T20Is, will replace Nida Dar as the team’s captain for the short format. Nida, a seasoned campaigner with 112 ODIs and 153 T20Is under her belt, will continue to be part of the squad. The 15-member squad announced by the selection committee includes uncapped left-arm pacer Tasmia Rubab.
10 players from the previous T20 World Cup squad
From the 2023 edition, 10 players have been retained, including Fatima, Aliya Riaz, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sundhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin and Tuba Hassan.
Pakistan are placed alongwith Australia, India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Group A of the tournament, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from October 3 to 20.
Also READ: Australia unveil squad for Women’s T20 World Cup 2024; no place for Jess Jonassen
The new captain expresses gratitude on her appointment
Fatima, who has previously led Pakistan’s emerging and domestic sides, expressed her gratitude and determination in a social media post, saying, “Bismillah! There’s no greater honour than leading your country on any stage. I’m deeply honoured by the great responsibility entrusted to me by the @TheRealPCB. I humbly request your support and prayers as I step into this new chapter of my career. As always, I’ll give my all to make Pakistan proud. #PakistanZindabad.”
Bismillah!
There’s no greater honour than leading your country on any stage. I’m deeply honoured by the great responsibility entrusted to me by the @TheRealPCB. I humbly request your support and prayers as I step into this new chapter of my career. As always, I’ll give my all to… https://t.co/1TcXuMgiM3— Fatima Sana🇵🇰 (@imfatimasana) August 25, 2024
Pakistan’s squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024:
Fatima Sana (c), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal (subject to fitness), Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan
Traveling reserve: Najiha Alvi (wk)
Non-traveling reserves: Rameen Shamim, Umm-e-Hani
The PCB’s decision to appoint Fatima as the new captain reflects their faith in her leadership abilities and the potential of the young squad. As Pakistan gears up for the challenging T20 World Cup, fans will be eager to see how the team performs under Fatima’s captaincy against the formidable opponents in their group.
