Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana's mantra for India clash: Stay calm, no such pressure

Women's T20 World Cup 2024: Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana said that Pakistan will look to stay calm when they lock horns with Harmanpreet Kaur's India on Sunday in Dubai.

In Short

• Fatima Sana doesn’t want Pakistan to feel the pressure
• Fatima has played 3 T20Is against India thus far
• Pakistan have lost 12 out of 15 Women’s T20Is against India

Fatima Sana said that Pakistan would not be overawed by the pressure of playing against India in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 match on Sunday, October 6 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The 22-year-old Fatima, who has played three T20Is against India, said that Pakistan will try and stay calm in the marquee clash.

On Thursday, Fatima led from the front as Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 31 runs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. But Pakistan don’t have a great record against India, losing 12 out of 15 matches. In the T20 World Cups, Pakistan have lost five out of seven games at the hands of their arch-rivals, but Fatima doesn’t want her team to feel any pressure.

“There is no such pressure, but yes, because there will be a crowd and the atmosphere will be like this, so there will be a little pressure on the girls. But we will try to be calm and not take much pressure. When we take pressure, it doesn't go in our favour. We will try to be calm and handle the situation as well as we can,” Fatima said at the press conference.

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‘Pakistan want to play attacking cricket’

Fatima was the star in the match against Sri Lanka where she bagged the Player of the Match award for her all-round showing. After scoring a quick-fire 30, she picked up two wickets. Fatima, who made her international debut back in 2019, backed Pakistan to play attacking cricket against India as well.

“First of all, we always wanted to play attacking cricket. I have been watching that whichever team we played against - played attacking cricket. As a bowler, I used to feel that whoever used to bowl against us, used to make hit us from the first ball. I wanted our team to have batters who could punish the bowler from the first ball. We have worked a lot on this, and you will see the result soon hopefully,” Fatima added.