Fatima Sana opens up about her cricketing journey

Fatima Sana has emerged as a notable figure in Pakistan's women's cricket scene since her debut in T20Is and ODIs against South Africa back in 2019.

Her journey into cricket began at the age of 13, inspired by her brother Shehroze, who recognized her talent and encouraged her to pursue the sport. Despite societal norms that often discourage women from participating in sports, Fatima persisted.

“My brother realised that I was a good cricketer. He told me every time, turn your arm and do some bowling. So I did and after two or three months, he chose me for a cricket academy with the boys. So after a lot of street games I started my cricket journey in the academy with boys and they were all bigger and taller than me because they were proper club members," Fatima said while speaking to Telegraph Sport.

Reflecting on the evolving landscape of women's cricket in Pakistan, Fatima emphasized the importance of her team's success in shaping perceptions and garnering support.

“When I started there was not women’s cricket as much as [there is] now. But after some time, when our women won against India in the Asia Cup or anything like that in big events, it was almost like PCB [Pakistan Cricket Board] supported us a lot more. And now we have an under-19s team and the emerging team and the Pakistan A team. So now PCB has produced a lot of cricket in Pakistan. We all know that our society is male dominated, so that’s the biggest problem," she further added.

Expressing her aspirations for Pakistan cricket, Fatima harbors a fervent desire to lift the World Cup trophy and establish herself as the premier all-rounder.

“It’s my biggest dream that Pakistan will play in a final and win a World Cup. And I want to be myself the number one all-rounder. That would be the biggest achievement,” she concluded.