MS Dhoni is arguably India’s greatest captain, having led the team to glory in the T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup, and ICC Champions Trophy.
But his legacy goes far beyond the silverware, as he became an enduring source of inspiration with his on-field persona and his remarkable ability to remain calm under pressure – even for cricketers outside India.
Pakistan Women’s team captain Fatima Sana also draws inspiration from the former India captain, and said that she learned a lot from watching the talismanic captain lead teams in international cricket and IPL. Fatima is set for a huge task of leading Pakistan during the .
“It is natural to be a little nervous initially when captaining in a big tournament like the World Cup, but I take inspiration from Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a captain,” Fatima told PTI Bhasha in an interview ahead of the World Cup.
“I have seen his matches as India and CSK captain. His on-field decision-making, calmness and the way he backs his players, there is a lot to learn from that. When I got the captaincy, I thought that I have to become like Dhoni. I also watched his interviews and got to learn a lot,” she said.
Pakistan Look To Change History At Women’s World Cup
Pakistan’s women’s team has underperformed in ODI World Cups so far, but the captain is optimistic that the team has enough to turn the tables this time around.
“This time, the jinx will definitely be broken because the young players know how important this tournament is for Pakistan women’s cricket. We will not think about the past. My goal is to take the team to the semifinals,” she added.
“In Pakistan, girls have started playing cricket in schools and international matches are being telecast live. ICC has also taken a good initiative by increasing the prize money for the Women’s World Cup, which will inspire budding players in Pakistan. But there is still a barrier which we have to break through this tournament,” she said.
“In our country, women’s cricket is not seen as a career option. But if we play well, it will make a huge difference. Our effort will be to inspire parents in Pakistan to encourage their girls to make a career in sports,” said the all-rounder.
Fatima’s Big Prediction On India
Fatima said India will be under pressure to win the World Cup at home, but said that familiarity with the conditions would be a big plus.
“My favourite team is Australia. It is difficult to predict the semifinalists but India’s performance has been very good in the last few years. They have very experienced players like Jemimah (Rodrigues), Smriti (Mandhana) and Harmanpreet (Kaur) but we will not focus on any one player.” She also said that being the hosts, there will be added pressure on India but there will also be the advantage of playing on home grounds.
“India have never won the World Cup and being the host, there will be pressure to win. But along with this, the presence of home fans also boosts the morale. It depends on the team how it takes it.” A big fan of Australian star Ellyse Perry, Fatima started playing street cricket with her brothers at the age of 11 in Karachi. She lost her father during the T20 World Cup last year, but chose national duty over personal grief.