Fatima Sana vows consistency as Pakistan eye Asia Cup glory in UAE

Pakistan women’s team captain Fatima Sana has said her side will approach the upcoming Women’s Asia Cup in the UAE with a tournament-wide focus rather than prioritising any particular match.

Pakistan are in Group A along with India, Thailand, Hong Kong, China.

Fatima said Pakistan’s preparations for the continental tournament were progressing well, with the team determined to produce consistent performances throughout the competition. “Every match will be important and the players will maintain their focus across the tournament instead of targeting a specific opponent,” she said.

Fatima also highlighted Pakistan’s familiarity with the playing conditions in Dubai as a potential advantage. She said the team had reviewed the shortcomings from its previous series and was working to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

The Pakistan skipper also reflected on her recent stint in England’s The Hundred, describing the experience as an important milestone in her development.

Fatima became the first Pakistani woman cricketer to feature in the English tournament, an achievement she described as a matter of pride. She added that playing against high-quality opposition had provided valuable exposure and experience.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh women’s captain Nigar Sultana Joty has set her sights on ending her team’s semi-final jinx at the Asia Cup before turning their attention to the Asian Games.

Bangladesh are scheduled to leave for the UAE on Tuesday. They have been placed in Group B alongside defending champions Sri Lanka, the UAE and Indonesia.

After reaching the semi-finals several times without advancing to the final, Joty believes Bangladesh must finally overcome the hurdle this time.

“Our main target this time is to play in the final. We have played in the semi-finals before and then been knocked out. The same thing has happened repeatedly, so we want to break that barrier this time,” Joty said.

Bangladesh have strengthened their preparations with a series of practice matches, including two in Sri Lanka to help the players adapt to the conditions.

“Our preparation has been very good because we have played quite a few practice matches this time. Since all the games will be played in Sri Lanka, we also played two practice matches there. Preparation-wise, I think it has been very good,” she said.

Bangladesh will open their campaign against Indonesia on August 31 before taking on Sri Lanka on September 6 and the UAE on September 8.

Joty believes finishing top of the group could be crucial, as it would potentially allow Bangladesh to avoid India in the semi-finals.

“The group-stage matches are very important because if we can become group champions, we will not have to face India in the semi-final,” she said.

Bangladesh won silver at the 2010 Asian Games and bronze in 2022, and Joty is targeting another podium finish this time around.

“There are a lot of expectations from our team. We want to bring home a medal, and if it is gold, that would be even bigger. We will certainly try to do that,” she said.