Pakistan women’s cricket captain Fatima Sana will return home to Karachi on Thursday following the death of her father, according to a media statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Sana will be flying back on the first available flight, which likely rules her out of Pakistan’s crucial T20 World Cup match against Australia in Dubai on Friday.
Muneeba Ali is expected to step in as captain for Pakistan in Sana’s absence.
Sana’s unavailability comes at a critical time for Pakistan, who are in a challenging position in Group A. With one win and one loss from their first two matches, Pakistan must win at least one of their remaining games to stand a chance of progressing to the semi-finals. Their match against Australia on Friday will be followed by a final league-stage fixture against New Zealand in Dubai on Monday.
At just 22, Sana is the youngest captain at this year’s Women’s T20 World Cup and has played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s campaign. In their upset victory over Sri Lanka, she top-scored with 30 runs and claimed two key wickets, including that of Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu.
In Pakistan’s subsequent match against India, Sana’s sharp bowling brought brief moments of uncertainty to India’s chase of a modest target. Her quick dismissals of Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh slowed India’s progress, helping to limit the damage to Pakistan’s net run rate.
Since taking over from Nida Dar as captain, Sana has led with a focus on combining data-driven strategies with a more aggressive batting mindset, looking to push Pakistan to new heights. Her absence will undoubtedly be felt as Pakistan faces two must-win encounters to keep their tournament hopes alive.
