Sana Mir has been raising the standards, but for Pakistan to do well at the World Cup, they need to come off as a team.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has largely been defined by its dysfunction over the last few years. While the majority of the attention lies on their men’s side, the lack of matches organised for the women’s team appears to be a manifestation of the same.
Pakistan finished fourth in their five-team group at the 2024 T20 World Cup after naming Fatima Sana as captain just ahead of the tournament. Their losses to Australia and New Zealand were comprehensive, and the one to India was only close because their opponents made it so. A consolation win over Sri Lanka was the highlight of their tournament.
Between that World Cup and this one, Pakistan played 13 T20Is, fewer than any side in the competition bar seven-time champions Australia. They also played eight ODIs outside of their ICC commitments (Women’s Championship and World Cup). For perspective, New Zealand played 17 and three, while South Africa played 21 and 13 respectively.
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How much can one player do?
Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana certainly has a case for being the most underrated T20 cricketer in the world. While the WPL is off-limits for non-cricketing reasons, her awe-inspiring performances have not yet been enough for any team in the WBBL, The Hundred or T20 Blast to take a chance on her all-round ability.
She has been Pakistan’s highest run-scorer in T20Is since the last World Cup, despite batting no higher than five, and usually at seven. The brunt of her blade was felt by Zimbabwe a month out from the World Cup as she slammed a world-record 15-ball half-century. During the tri-series in Ireland, Sana said she was trying to “jump higher” in the order, but it was a team decision for her to bat as low as she is.
Only Sadia Iqbal has taken more wickets for Pakistan than Sana in this time frame as well; her bowling is perhaps less of a requirement for the team given their other personnel, but she is a bonafide wicket-taker with the new ball, conceding at just 6.7 an over in that phase since the last World Cup.
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How the rest of the side fits together
Pakistan come into the tournament with a settled opening pair in Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza, but “settled” here does not imply “in form”. In six innings leading up to the Ireland tour, their highest stand was 27. In the Tri-Series in Ireland, that number read 18.
The brightest spots in their batting order barring Sana are the youngsters, 21-year-old Eyman Fatima and 24-year-old Saira Jabeen. While the two are relatively untested against top-quality opposition, the flexing of their muscle against Ireland and Zimbabwe showed a solid enough ceiling, in terms of scoring rate. Jabeen’s experience at a Sydney Thunder training camp in 2023 is also an experience most players in this squad have not had.
Pakistan’s lack of games means it can be easy to forget that left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal remains the ICC’s top-ranked T20I bowler in the world. She is undoubtedly the ace in the pack – an all-phase spinner with incredible restrictive ability through the middle and wicket-taking threat at the top. Nashra Sandhu is an able foil in the spin department as well.
It is the pace bowling that Pakistan will be gambling on. Outside of Sana, Diana Baig has looked rusty since returning to the side, and while Jabeen’s batting is promising, how her bowling holds up at international level remains to be seen.
Their qualification chances are bleak, with India, Australia and South Africa in the same group, but if one Sana special can turn over one of those sides, you never know...
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Pakistan squad at the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup
Fatima Sana (c), Gull Feroza (wk), Muneeba Ali (wk), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Eyman Fatima, Iram Javed, Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Pervaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal, Saira Jabeen, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan.
Pakistan schedule at the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup
All timings local
June 14, 2.30pm: v India, Birmingham
June 17, 6.30pm: v South Africa, Birmingham
June 20, 2.30pm: v Bangladesh, Southampton
June 23, 6.30pm: v Australia, Leeds
June 27, 10.30am: v Netherlands, Bristol
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