AGAINST ALL ODDS – Pakistan look to stars in brutal group.

Pakistan is one of the most cricket-obsessed nations on the planet. 

But Pakistan’s women have long had to fight for visibility, investment and recognition.

They may not arrive in England among the favourites, but they are a side with pride, fight, plenty of spin, and the ability to make the bigger names deeply uncomfortable. 

Unfortunately for Pakistan, they’ve been drawn in the tougher group, alongside India, Australia, and South Africa. However, with the expanded format, there are opportunities to improve on their one-win tally from the past few editions.

Pakistan are currently ranked eighth in T20I cricket, while their captain Fatima Sana sits well within the top ten all-rounders in the format.

The young captain leads by example with bat and ball but has a lot of responsibility on her shoulders.

Beyond Sana, batting strength is thin on the ground, although Pakistan do have a decent bowling attack. 

Sadia Iqbal is their most accomplished bowler. The left-arm spinner recently lost the number one spot in the T20I bowling rankings to England’s Linsey Smith, but remains there or thereabouts as one of the best bowlers in the world in short-form cricket.

Iqbal made her T20I debut in 2019 and brings a wealth of experience with 73 T20I wickets to her name.

Clare McEwen spoke to commentator and broadcaster Nikki Chaudhuri ahead of the tournament to talk about Pakistan’s chances.

What should we expect from Pakistan?

Pakistan can put up a fight, but historically they’ve just not been very consistent.

If their bowlers turn up on the day, they can trouble teams. And spin is going to be a very important factor for them.

Who should we watch out for?

Pakistan have got a few new faces but a large chunk of this squad is their experienced players.

You’ve obviously got Fatima Sana leading the side, and she’s only 24-years-old. It’s her second successive T20 World Cup, so she’s got that experience and knows what these high-pressured tournaments require.

But I don’t think it’s the bowling department that Pakistan need to be fearful of.

It’s their fielding. They have worked really hard over the last few years but I think fielding and batting is going to be something that will really distinguish them from the top sides – Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, for example.

Sana ready for Birmingham backing

At a recent media event, Isa Guha asked Fatima Sana how she felt the squad was shaping up. Sana replied:

“I think as a whole unit, we are ready for this tournament. We have some youngsters who came into the side and they proved themselves in some of the last series. So I think we have a good combination. “

Guha also asked about playing in Birmingham and the support they might get, given the large Pakistani community in the area:

“English crowds are always very good because they are supporting the cricket and not the opposition. So I believe a lot of the crowd will be there and cheering for us. “

Pakistan have not had the ideal preparation for the tournament. Most of their warm-up games were abandoned because of the weather, leaving them short on time to tweak their approach to the tournament.

Still, their World Cup opens with the type of fixture that needs no introduction: India at Edgbaston.

Although Pakistan are likely to struggle against the stronger teams, they will want to start well against India and secure a couple of wins.

Photos: ICC, Clare McEwen

Pakistan T20 WWC fixtures:

Sunday June 14 14.30 v India, Edgbaston

Wednesday 17th June 18:30 v South Africa, Edgbaston

Saturday 20th June 14:30 v Bangladesh, Hampshire Bowl

Tuesday 23rd June 18:30 v Australia, Headingley

Saturday 27th June 10.30 v Netherlands, Bristol

All matches live on Sky Sports.

For full fixture and where to watch details, check out our tournament preview.
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