Hard with the bat, cool with the ball: Fatima Sana's T20 World Cup declaration

Fatima Sana believes the evolution of her Pakistan side with the bat puts them in the conversation as a challenger for T20 World Cup 2024 silverware.

Sana's side made headlines earlier in the month when they posted their highest total in Women's T20Is (181) in a win over 2023 T20 World Cup finalists South Africa and then defending the score by 13 runs in Multan.

There has been seemingly more freedom in the batting over the last 12 months, reflected in a consistency of higher scores in the game's shortest format, and the captain has vowed to do the same during the upcoming tournament from the first ball.

"We are aiming to bring a different and more fearless approach to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup this year," Sana said in a column for the ICC Media Zone.

"In the past, we’ve often struggled in the Powerplay, with early wickets falling, middle-order collapses, and a slow pace of runs leading to low totals. We've also found it difficult to chase targets above 120."

"We now understand how crucial it is to have positive intent, especially in the powerplay, to set the tone and post competitive scores. If we look at the top teams, they all make the most of the first six overs, which helps them score big and chase high totals.

"Recently, we've started playing with more attacking intent, and some young players have shown exciting potential. The game has evolved a lot since I made my debut in 2019. Scores are much higher now, batters play with more freedom, and as a team, we’re adapting to stay competitive."

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The skipper herself is an embodiment of the ramping up in attacking quality, making several scores of note at a fair clip in the build-up to the upcoming tournament, and in tricky middle and death-over situations.

Sana was dismissed just once in three innings, making 101 runs at a team-high strike rate of 157.81, and wants to back up the work of those higher up the order, who have hopefully set things up at the top of the innings.

"This year, Gull Feroza has been in good form, with some strong innings in the Asia Cup. Muneeba Ali, at the top of the order, also performed well in the recent series against South Africa. Both are in good form and bring valuable experience.

"We’ve encouraged them to aim for a strike rate of over 100, a key metric that helps us post higher totals and compete with the best.

"In the middle order, we have experienced players like Nida Dar, Sidra Amin, and Aliya Riaz. I too, have been working hard to bring positive energy to the team through my batting."

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With the ball, Fatima has several dependable spin and fast bowling options.

Spin is well covered through the likes of Sadia Iqbal and Nashra Sundhu, while the experience of Nida Dar will prove invaluable. Backing them up is Syeda Arooba and Tuba Hassan, even before discussing the fast-bowling stocks.

"Sadia Iqbal has been phenomenal in the last year. She's currently ranked No.3 in the ICC T20 rankings, and Nashra Sundhu is also in the top 10.

"Nida Dar is the leading wicket-taker in T20s, and we have two talented leg spinners, Syeda Arooba Shah, who captained Pakistan U19 at the T20 World Cup, and Tuba Hassan, who has been a key player since her debut.

"In the fast-bowling department, Diana Baig’s experience will be a great asset. I’ll do my best, as always, to contribute with both bat and ball, and we also have Tasmia Rubab, a left-arm seamer, which gives us good variety."

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The team has won a match in the last six T20 World Cup campaigns, though with recent wins against New Zealand and India outside of global tournaments, Sana sees no reason why her team cannot strive for knockout T20 World Cup cricket.

"This exciting mix of youth and experience has me really looking forward to seeing how it all comes together for Pakistan.

"Before our series against South Africa, we had a good fitness camp, and our performances in that series gave us a lot of positives and confidence to take into the World Cup."

As for the end goal in UAE, Sana didn't put down a set objective, but believes her side can beat whoever faces them in opposition, inspired by the support received back home.

"We aim to win as many as possible and see where that takes us. We know we have a tough group, including reigning champions Australia, but we've beaten teams like India and New Zealand recently, and playing against top sides boosts our confidence.

"Playing top teams requires giving your absolute best, and doing so brings out the best in you.

"We know we'll have strong support from back home during this World Cup. We had great crowds and public interest during the South Africa series in Multan, and we know the nation is behind us."