Women's Asia Cup 2026 - Fatima Sana's Pakistan prepare with T20 matches against men

It has been a decade since Pakistan performed the ultimate of the competitors, and to ensure they go a step additional than the final version, which noticed them lose the semi-final to eventual winners Sri Lanka, they’ve performed matches in opposition to the boys’s aspect of the Abdul Qadir Cricket Academy, which included teenaged and older gamers, within the pre-tournament camp on the NCA in Lahore.

These matches have been organised as correct 20-over competitions reasonably than state of affairs video games to include jeopardy and to assist the gamers enhance their decision-making in crunch moments in opposition to a more durable opponent, which pushed them with their superior expertise and health requirements.

Fatima Sana, Pakistan’s captain, believes these video games aided the staff’s preparations. “We’re effectively ready for the match,” she stated. “We’ve got performed aggressive matches in opposition to boys through which we have been put beneath strain. These learnings will assist us adapt to the challenges of the competitors.”

Pakistan’s latest slide in T20Is has been attributed to their lack of consideration to element, and their lack of ability to keep up a stronghold in strain conditions. They may win just one match out of 5 on this 12 months’s T20 World Cup, the place they beat simply Netherlands. Pakistan attracted criticism for squandering alternatives in shut matches in opposition to South Africa and Bangladesh, whereas their below-par fielding and tendency to get disoriented in opposition to stronger groups was felt in opposition to India and Australia.

Sana was the one vibrant prospect in an in any other case gloomy marketing campaign for Pakistan on the T20 World Cup, with the captain incomes plaudits for her all-round expertise. No quick bowler had extra wickets within the competitors than her 11 as she completed with the joint second-most wickets. She additionally acquired a half-century on the T20 World Cup, scoring 55 not out off 38 balls in opposition to South Africa, and completed with a mean of 21.25 and a strike charge of 110.38.

“We wanted to grasp easy methods to deal with the strain higher, and that’s one thing which is highlighted each time there’s a large match,” Sana stated. “These matches have helped us on that entrance, and the distinction will likely be seen… It is extremely vital to remain calm in strain conditions reasonably than urgent the panic button. We’ve got instructed the ladies to remain calm within the crunch moments, and keep in management by trusting their arduous work and executing the plans.”

Sana returns to guide Pakistan in T20Is after skipping the three-match collection in Sri Lanka in July-August, which Pakistan misplaced 2-1, as a way to characteristic in the Hundred. She was picked by Birmingham Phoenix within the substitute draft.

“It was thrilling to play within the Hundred as all eyes have been on me as a result of I used to be the primary ever girl cricketer [from Pakistan] to play within the competitors,” she stated, having picked three wickets at 37.66, and scored 57 runs at a mean of 19 for Phoenix. “It’s all the time an awesome honour to characterize Pakistan. I needed to do [my] finest, and fortunately, I used to be capable of do good, which I hope will open the doorways for extra girls within the competitors.”

The Girls’s Asia Cup will likely be held in Dubai from August 28 to September 13. Pakistan are in Group A, alongside India, Thailand and Hong Kong. They start their marketing campaign on September 1 in opposition to Thailand, earlier than enjoying India on September 5. Their final group-stage match will likely be two days later, in opposition to Hong Kong.

“Positively the situations [in Dubai] are comparable [to Pakistan], and we’re well-aware about how we have now to play in them,” Sana stated when requested whether or not the match being performed in Dubai supplied any benefit to her aspect.

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