Pakistan captain Fatima Sana to miss Sri Lanka T20Is, Here’s why PCB approved it

Pakistan women’s captain Fatima Sana is set for another major milestone in her career after receiving permission from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to take part in this year’s Women’s Hundred. While she will continue to lead Pakistan in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, the all-rounder will miss the T20I leg of the tour to join Birmingham Phoenix in England.

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Fatima Sana to join Birmingham Phoenix after ODI series

The PCB has allowed Sana to leave for England after the completion of the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, which is part of the ICC Women’s Championship.

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The Pakistan captain will remain with the squad for all three ODIs before travelling directly from Hambantota to England following the final match on July 28.

As a result, Sana will not feature in the T20I series against Sri Lanka but is expected to be available for Birmingham Phoenix after missing only their opening two matches in the Women’s Hundred.

Historic Women’s Hundred contract for Pakistan captain

Last month, Sana became the first Pakistan women’s cricketer to secure a contract in the Women’s Hundred.

Birmingham Phoenix signed the 24-year-old through the competition’s wildcard draft as a replacement for Australian all-rounder Lucy Hamilton.

The opportunity marks another significant step in Sana’s growing career as she continues to establish herself among the world’s leading all-rounders.

Strong T20 World Cup performance boosted Sana reputation

Sana heads into the Women’s Hundred on the back of an outstanding ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign.

Although Pakistan managed just one victory during the tournament, the skipper was one of the standout performers with both bat and ball.

She finished as the tournament’s leading fast bowler with 11 wickets at an economy rate of 6.95. Her tally also made her the joint second-highest wicket-taker alongside Australia captain Sophie Molineux, while India’s N. Shree Charani finished as the leading wicket-taker with 14 wickets.

One of Sana’s best performances came against South Africa, where she smashed an unbeaten 55 off 38 balls before returning figures of 3/16 to almost guide Pakistan to victory.

Third overseas franchise opportunity for Sana

The Women’s Hundred will be Sana’s third overseas franchise tournament.

She previously represented Barbados Royals in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League in 2022 before playing for Canterbury Magicians during New Zealand’s Women’s Super Smash in the 2023-24 season.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the PCB approved Sana’s participation in the Women’s Hundred to help the Pakistan captain gain valuable experience in one of the biggest women’s franchise competitions in world cricket.