Fatima Sana urges equal support for Pakistan’s women cricketers
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana wants larger crowds at women’s matches and more opportunities for Pakistani players to compete in overseas leagues.
By Larissa Bell ·
Pakistan women’s cricket captain Fatima Sana has called for the country’s female players to receive the same treatment and support as their male counterparts, urging fans to fill stadiums for women’s tournaments. Speaking on Tuesday, the 25-year-old said she hoped to see a future in which the two national teams were treated equally.
Sana, who took over the Pakistan captaincy in 2024, is competing for Perth Scorchers in Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League. Asked about women’s cricket in Pakistan after the Scorchers beat Melbourne Stars by six wickets on Sunday, she told CricBlog TV that she wanted the growth visible in world cricket to be reflected in both the men’s and women’s game at home.
Crowd support was central to her appeal. Sana said she wanted spectators to attend women’s matches in the same way they turn out for men’s fixtures. The all-rounder holds the record for the fastest international half-century in women’s T20 cricket and captained Pakistan to bronze at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Her appearance in the Australian competition makes her only the second Pakistani cricketer to play in the WBBL. Former Pakistan captain Nida Dar was the first, representing Sydney Thunder in 2019. Since her debut on October 31, Sana has taken five wickets across five matches, conceding 7.62 runs per over and placing joint 10th on the competition’s wicket-taking list.
The Scorchers campaign is Sana’s second experience of an overseas league, following a stint with Birmingham Phoenix in England’s The Hundred. In Perth, her teammates include former New Zealand captain Sophie Devine and Australian batter Beth Mooney. Sana described the opportunity to play in Australia as an honour and said her teammates had been supportive and helpful.
She also expressed hope that more Pakistani women would have the chance to compete in Australia. Sana said she wanted increasing numbers of players from Pakistan to gain those opportunities, helping cricket develop in their home country as well.
Pakistan is scheduled to host the women’s T20 World Cup in 2028. The tournament will expand to 12 teams after six editions featuring 10, and will be the first ICC women’s event staged in the country. Pakistan has previously hosted two ICC Men’s ODI World Cups and the 2025 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy.
Sana believes hosting the competition could encourage more women and girls to take up cricket. She welcomed the ICC’s decision and said watching the World Cup in Pakistan could also persuade parents to give their daughters more opportunities to play.
