Fatima Sana to return for Pakistan's must-win game vs New Zealand in 2024 Women's T20 World Cup despite personal tragedy
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana would return to the UAE from Karachi to be available for selection for her side's all-important clash against the New Zealand in the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup on Monday, despite going through a personal tragedy.
She had to head back home before the last game against Australia after the news of her father's passing came in. In her absence, vice-captain Muneeba Ali led the team but oversaw a forgettable nine-wicket defeat against the defending champions.
Australia kept the Women in Green down to just 82 runs despite being a bowler short. It was the lowest total of the tournament Muneeba and Co. only managed four boundaries in 19.5 overs to get there. It took Alyssa Healy's team just 11 overs to chase the target and seal one spot in the semi-finals.
They dearly missed Fatima, who has taken four wickets in the previous two games against Sri Lanka and India. In the victory over Sri Lanka -- which made her the youngest captain after Meg Lanning to win a Women's T20 World Cup game -- Fatima also scored a collapse-reverting 30 for a Player of the Match performance.
"Really embarrassing" - Fatima Sana's vice-captain Muneeba's verdict on Australia loss
Unlike Fatima, who's a more relaxed, smiling captain, Muneeba was explicit in not using the mourning phase as an excuse making her disappointment with her team clear after the Australia game, which was also her first as a T20I captain.
"The last few days have been challenging," Muneeba said. "But as professionals, we are very much aware of the magnitude of the game. We were not up to the mark with batting. That's not how you approach a T20 game. It was really embarrassing. Everyone in the batting department needs to step up. The belief should have been there. After being the vice-captain for a while, it was a good opportunity for me to learn as well. We are here to play and win, everybody needs to step up. That's the reality and we need to face it."
Pakistan still have an outside chance of making it to the semis. For it, they'd have to defeat New Zealand and hope that India don't win against Australia on Sunday. All three teams would be level on points and the one with the highest Net Run Rate will go through to the next round.