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Sadia Iqbal, Pakistan’s women’s left-arm spinner, reclaimed the number one spot in the ICC Women’s Twenty-20 International (T20I) Bowler Rankings on Tuesday.
Sadia, 29, played a vital role in the Green Shirts’ unbeaten run in the recently concluded ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Lahore.
She was named in the team of the tournament for her nine wickets at an impressive average of 16.
Sadia Iqbal de-thrown England spinner Sophie Ecclestone from the top position, who was benched in her side’s recent T20I series at home against the West Indies.
“[Sadia] was one of the leading performers at last year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and rises one spot on the rankings for T20I bowlers to claim top billing”, the ICC statement said.
The spin-bowler expressed joy over her rise, crediting Sana Mir for improving her bowling.
“I’ve become the number one ranked T20I bowler. I’d like to thank everyone who is celebrating this achievement. I’ve received a lot of calls and messages,” she said in a video shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
“She (Sana Mir) obviously had a lot of experience in women’s cricket. The way she’s served Pakistan cricket, she has been the number one bowler during her days,” Sadia Iqbal said.
She concluded, “I used to keep talking to her while we were on tour regarding bowling different variations. Even when we were at the World Cup, I had a really good conversation about bowling with her. She helped me a lot.”
In batting, West Indies’ Hayley Matthews made strides after her dominant performances in the England series.
It is worth mentioning that last year, Sadia Iqbal became the first Pakistani woman bowler to reach the top spot in the ICC rankings.
She was crowned the number one bowler after her dominant performance in the Asia Cup, where Green Shirts outplayed the tournament’s champions, Sri Lanka, in the opening match.
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