Sana confident men’s matches will help at Asia Cup

Captain says such games build pressure-handling skills

Sports DeskAugust 25, 20262 min readPhoto: Screengrab

Pakistan’s women team captain Fatima Sana on Monday said that the team has worked on handling pressure and adapting to difficult conditions as they prepare for the Asia Cup slated to be held in Dubai from August 28 to September 13.

The fast bowler is determined to see an improvement in the brigade’s performance.

Pakistan have played a series of practice matches with the men’s team in preparation for the tournament, with Sana saying the sessions were designed to replicate pressure situations and help the players adjust quickly to challenging conditions.

“The most important thing was to play competitive cricket before going to the competition,” Sana said.

“We tried to do as much under pressure as we could as a team and tried to adapt to the difficult conditions as soon as possible.”

Pakistan’s recent performances have fallen short of expectations, and Sana acknowledged the need for greater courage and composure when facing pressure.

She said the team had specifically worked on putting both batters and bowlers into demanding situations during preparation so they could improve their decision-making and mindset when matches become tight.

“In any competition, the main thing is pressure handling,” she said. “We have worked on that. We have played a lot of matches in the past and, God willing, there will be a difference.”

Sana also highlighted the benefits of playing alongside male cricketers, saying their power-hitting and ability to strike the ball under pressure provided valuable preparation for international competition.

“We will try to dominate their bowlers and achieve the target runs,” she said.

The Pakistan captain also pointed to fielding as an area where the team can make significant gains. With a relatively young squad, Sana said the players had been encouraged to use their energy and athleticism to raise their standards in the field.

“We can do better in fielding than in batting and bowling,” she said, adding that improved fielding could help Pakistan win more matches.

Sana also reflected on her experience playing in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League, where she became the first Pakistani player to feature in the competition. She said the opportunity was an honour and that she hoped her experience would help create more opportunities for Pakistani women cricketers.

“It is an honour to represent Pakistan anywhere,” she said. “I wanted to do my best to make Pakistan proud.”

With Pakistan set to face India in the Asia Cup, Sana said the team would avoid focusing exclusively on one fixture and instead aim to win throughout the tournament.

“We will try to win matches day by day,” she said. “We will try to win all the matches and get good results.”

Sana believes familiarity with conditions will also work in Pakistan’s favour. She said the pitches would be similar to those the team has experienced before, giving the players a better understanding of how to approach matches.