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Pakistan captain Fatima Sana is confident her team can break their 0-11 record against India in the Women’s World Cup, focusing on present performance despite pressure and defeats.
ICC Womens World Cup: Pakistan women’s cricket team (AP)
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana is confident that her team has the capability to defeat India in the Women’s World Cup, asserting that records are “meant to be broken” as the arch-rivals prepare to face off on Sunday.
Ahead of the match, Pakistan trails India 0-11 in their head-to-head record in women’s ODIs.
Sana emphasised her team’s determination to focus on the present rather than dwelling on past results.
“Firstly, whatever records exist between India and Pakistan, they are meant to be broken. It’s not that Pakistan will never win against them,” Sana said at the pre-match press conference on Saturday.
“We believe in playing good cricket no matter who the opponent is. So we won’t think about past history, we’ll focus only on the day we play.”
“I personally feel that Pakistan has the power to defeat any big team by playing well in any match. So, you can’t judge yourself with just one match. Everyone’s morale is high,” she added.
Context Of The Clash
The build-up to the high-profile clash is set against a backdrop of rising political tensions. Following the stance taken by the men’s team during the Asia Cup, the Indian players are expected to skip the customary handshake with their Pakistani counterparts.
This contrasts with their 2022 ODI World Cup meeting, where images of Indian cricketers bonding with then-Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof’s daughter went viral on social media.
“Our main goal is to play well. Our relationship with the other teams is good. We will try to fulfil the spirit of the game.
“What happened before, like with Bismah’s daughter when everyone mingled and enjoyed together – as players, we all like such moments. But the main thing is to stay focused on what we have come here for,” Fatima stated.
The Pakistan skipper acknowledged the added pressure of the contest and the need for the team to adapt to it.
“Of course, it’s a match with a lot of pressure. We know that India-Pakistan matches are being watched by the whole world. But handling that pressure is the main thing. We will try to focus on that, play our game and execute our plans.”
Pakistan began their campaign with a demoralising seven-wicket defeat to Bangladesh, but Sana insisted the team remains optimistic.
“Coaches have told us to believe. You can’t define an entire tournament based on one match. So we believe that we can still win games.”
(With inputs from PTI)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin… Read More
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