Pakistan captain Fatima Sana has emphasised the need for improvement in strike rotation and batting partnerships as her team prepares to face unbeaten Sri Lanka in the Women’s Asia Cup semi-final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Pakistan secured their place in the semi-finals with a 72-run victory over Hong Kong, China on Monday, highlighted by experienced spinner Nashra Sundhu’s six-wicket haul, which set a new record for the best T20I bowling figures by a Pakistan player.
Despite the comprehensive win, Fatima warned against complacency and identified batting as a key area for development ahead of the knockout match. She said, “I think in the batting side we need more, like strike rotation in the batting, and we need more partnerships. And we will try to sit together and discuss these things.”
Facing a Sri Lankan side that remains unbeaten in the tournament, Pakistan’s upcoming semi-final represents a significant challenge. Fatima added, “So we just go and sit together and discuss a lot of things before the semi-final because we know that it’s a knockout match, so we will try.”
Hong Kong, China concluded their campaign without a victory in three matches, but captain Natasha Miles expressed satisfaction with the experience gained from competing against some of the top teams in women’s cricket. She said, “It’s been super. Always playing this standard of cricket is going to test you, and it’s going to get you to learn more about your game, about yourselves.” She added, “It’s been a really fun campaign, exciting, and hopefully we get to come and do this a few more times.”
Pakistan will aim to build on Sundhu’s record-breaking bowling performance while addressing their batting weaknesses in preparation for the semi-final match against Sri Lanka on Friday.