The clashes between India and Pakistan are always high voltage. There is a lot at stake since the arch-rivals only go up against each other in ICC events. As India search for their first win after a big loss to New Zealand in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign opener, winning against Pakistan is even more crucial to stay alive in the semifinal race. Ahead of the group stage encounter, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana has said that there is not much pressure on the team.
"There is no such pressure. Because there will be a crowd and the atmosphere will be like this, there will be a little pressure on the girls. But we will try to be calm and not take much pressure. When we take pressure, it doesn't go in our favour. We will try to be calm and handle the situation as well as we can," said Fatima in the pre-match press conference.
Fatima talks about new and improved Pakistan
Fatima talked about the image of their bowlers which is bound to change now. She hopes that the results will be visible soon.
"I have been watching that whichever team we played against - played attacking cricket. As a bowler, I used to feel that whoever used to bowl against us, used to make to hit us from the first ball. I wanted our team to have batters who could punish the bowler from the first ball. We hav worked a lot on this and you will see the result soon hopefully," said the all-rounder.
Fatima also talked about the improved power-hitting and the belief batters have to clear the boundaries with ease.
"If you look at the last series against South Africa, a lot of our girls have improved in power-hitting. I think the girls believe that even if the fielders are standing behind if they hit, they can go for six. It's a good thing that all the girls are confident in this. Personally, I used to bat a lot before, but I didn't know if I could hit or not. But with that belief now it's become a lot easier," she added.
Fatima’s all-round display
The 22-year-old was exceptional in their clash against Sri Lanka on October 4. She contributed with a 20-ball 30 cameo to help Pakistan post 116 on the board. Then, she got two wickets including Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapththu.
