LAHORE: Fatima Sana has assumed the captaincy of the Pakistan women’s cricket team, stepping in for Nida Dar, who has been sidelined for the second ODI against New Zealand women at Hagley Oval in Christchurch today.
Nida, the third player from the 17-member squad selected for the New Zealand series to face injury on the tour, follows the earlier injuries to Shawaal Zulfiqar (during the second T20I) and Diana Baig (a day before the first ODI), both ruled out for the remainder of the tour due to their injuries.
During Nida’s leadership, Pakistan made history as the first Asian country to triumph over the White Ferns in a T20I series on New Zealand soil. Additionally, Shawaal’s impressive 41 off 42 balls, comprising seven fours, stood as the highest score for the winning team in the initial T20I. Diana’s right-arm fast bowling notably contributed during the powerplay overs in the T20Is.
However, in the first ODI at Queenstown’s John Davies Oval, Nida, the regular captain, encountered an injury when struck by a ball while bowling in the 44th over. Consequently, she had to leave the field due to the impact, and Fatima took over as the stand-in captain. Following a medical assessment, Nida has been diagnosed with symptoms of concussion and has been advised complete rest for the next 48 hours.
Her availability for the third ODI will be decided later, as confirmed by a PCB spokesperson.
Stepping in as the 10th captain of the women’s team in ODI cricket, 22-year-old Fatima, who made her international debut in May 2019 against South Africa, will lead the team during the toss in Christchurch on Friday.
Fatima, a right-arm fast bowler, marked a remarkable return after missing the recent Bangladesh series due to injury. She clinched the player of the series award in the three T20Is against the White Ferns from December 3rd to 9th, securing six wickets at an economy rate of 5.60. Her standout performance of 4-0-18-3 in the first T20I at Dunedin’s University of Otago Oval earned her the player of the match title.
Earlier in June, Fatima captained the Pakistan women’s emerging team in the ACC Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Hong Kong, leading the team to the semi-finals, where they narrowly lost to Bangladesh. In domestic cricket, she led PCB Blasters to victory against PCB Dynamites by seven runs at Gaddafi Stadium on December 9, 2022, in the T20 Women’s Cricket Tournament.
Hailing from Karachi, Fatima has been recognized for her consistent excellence since the beginning of her career. She was named PCB’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year in 2020 and subsequently became the first Pakistan women cricketer to win the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year award in 2021.
