Advertisement
Advertisement
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana has called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to ensure venues with appropriate playing and weather conditions for future tournaments.
Sana’s statement came following her team’s frustrating, rain-affected ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 campaign, which ended without a single victory.
The Green Shirts’ final group match against co-hosts Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium was abandoned due to persistent rain.
Notably, this was their third washed-out fixture of the tournament, leaving them seventh on the table with just three points from seven matches.
Speaking after the match, Fatima Sana expressed disappointment at how weather disruptions derailed Pakistan’s campaign and urged the ICC to address scheduling and venue selection more carefully in future global events.
“The weather did not go in our favour in the England match and others as well,” Fatima said. “ICC must arrange good venues for World Cups because we wait four years for this opportunity.”
The 23-year-old all-rounder, who captained Pakistan for the first time in a senior ICC event, acknowledged the team’s limitations but also highlighted areas of progress.
“We were very good in bowling and fielding, but our batting needs improvement,” she reflected.
“In a couple of matches, we came very close, against Australia and England, but couldn’t cross the line. That’s the main thing we have to work on.”
Despite the disappointing results, Fatima maintained a positive outlook, saying that the experience of leading Pakistan in a major tournament had been invaluable.
“As the youngest captain, these matches give me a lot of confidence,” she said.
“I’m in a learning phase, and I always watch Kane Williamson. He also lost a close World Cup but was still smiling. As a captain, you have to believe in yourself.”
Looking ahead, the Pakistan skipper emphasised the need for more international exposure ahead of next year’s Women’s T20 World Cup.
“We haven’t played much cricket recently. Hopefully, we get more matches before the next big event so we can prepare well,” she added.
READ: Kane Williamson breaks silence on his future with New Zealand
