LAHORE: When Pakistan women’s cricket team step onto the field in Dubai for the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, they will carry more than just their kit bags. They will carry the lessons of an intensive preparation camp designed to fix their most persistent weakness, handling pressure.
Captain Fatima Sana is confident her side are well-equipped to face the challenges of the tournament after undergoing a rigorous pre-tournament camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). The team left no stone unturned, including playing competitive 20-over matches against the men’s side of the Abdul Qadir Cricket Academy to sharpen their skills and decision-making under pressure.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana’s media talk in Lahore | Camp Ahead of ACC Women’s Asia Cup#BackOurGirls | #AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/d2rXHZuatF
— PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) August 24, 2026
The matches, involving both teenage and senior players, were organised as full-fledged contests rather than scenario-based exercises to replicate the intensity of competitive cricket and expose Pakistan’s players to tougher opposition.
Learning to stay calm in crunch moments
Sana believes the experience will help the team remain composed in crucial moments during the tournament.
“We are well prepared for the tournament,” Sana said. “We have played competitive matches against boys in which we were put under pressure. These learnings will help us adapt to the challenges of the competition.”
Pakistan have struggled to maintain composure in pressure situations in recent T20Is, an area the team has specifically targeted during their preparations.
The Green Shirts managed just one victory in five matches at this year’s T20 World Cup, beating only the Netherlands, while they were criticised for failing to capitalise on opportunities against South Africa and Bangladesh and losing control against stronger opponents India and Australia.
“We needed to understand how to handle the pressure better, and that is something which is highlighted whenever there is a big tournament,” Sana said.
“These matches have helped us on that front, and the difference will be visible. It is very important to stay calm in pressure situations rather than pressing the panic button.”
“We have told the girls to stay calm in the crunch moments and stay in control by trusting their hard work and executing the plans.”
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Sana’s World Cup heroics and historic hundred stint
Sana emerged as one of Pakistan’s standout performers at the World Cup, finishing as the joint-second-highest wicket-taker with 11 scalps and the leading pace bowler in the tournament. She also struck an unbeaten 55 off 38 balls against South Africa, finishing the competition with a batting average of 21.25 and a strike rate of 110.38.
The all-rounder will return to lead Pakistan in T20Is after missing the three-match series in Sri Lanka, which Pakistan lost 2-1, to feature in The Hundred. Sana represented Birmingham Phoenix after being selected in the replacement draft and became the first Pakistan woman cricketer to play in the competition.
“It was exciting to play in The Hundred as all eyes were on me because I was the first-ever woman cricketer [from Pakistan] to play in the competition,” she said.
Sana claimed three wickets at 37.66 and scored 57 runs at an average of 19 for Phoenix.
“It is always a great honour to represent Pakistan. I wanted to do my best, and thankfully, I was able to do well, which I hope will open the doors for more women in the competition,” she added.
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Pakistan’s Asia Cup campaign
The Women’s T20 Asia Cup will be held in Dubai from August 28 to September 13, with Pakistan drawn in Group A alongside India, Thailand, and Hong Kong.
Pakistan will begin their campaign against Thailand on September 1 before facing India on September 5. They will round off their group-stage campaign against Hong Kong on September 7.
Sana believes the conditions in Dubai could work in Pakistan’s favour, given their familiarity with similar conditions at home.
“Definitely, the conditions [in Dubai] are similar [to Pakistan], and we are well aware of how we have to play in them,” she said.
