Fatima Sana continues to fight bravely, but Pakistan leaves her alone

Watching Fatima Sana play for Pakistan is becoming more and more frustrating.

She is fighting. He’s scrapping. He refuses to give up. Whenever Pakistan are in trouble, their captain is always the player who tries to pull them out. But there’s only so much one player can do.

on Friday Pakistan are out of the Women’s Asia Cupand Fatima should be held responsible for their bad manifestations. But does that mean other players shouldn’t be held accountable as well?

Fatima does almost everything she can. The problem is that Pakistan keeps asking her to do it again and again.

And it’s not just an external assessment. One of the commentators recently went as far as to describe Fatima as the best cricketer Pakistan currently has in men’s and women’s cricket.

That’s some statement. But watch him play for Pakistan and it becomes increasingly difficult to dismiss that sentiment.

FATIMA JUST REFUSES TO GIVE UP

Fatima Sana has been pivotal for Pakistan in the Women’s T20Is. Courtesy: ICC/Getty Images

The most recent example came against Sri Lanka in Dubai.

Pakistan struggled with the bat but Fatima stood her ground. She scored an unbeaten 47 off 36 balls to take Pakistan to 130 for five. She then took four wickets to reduce Sri Lanka to 33 for four and put Pakistan in a position from which victory looked possible.

And yet Pakistan lost.

It was another performance from Fatima Sana that deserved a winning team around him. Instead, she walked away with the Man of the Match award after her side were knocked out.

This becomes the story of Fatima’s Pakistani career: she keeps fighting but keeps running out of support.

SOUTH AFRICA SHOWED THE PROBLEM

The same frustration was seen against South Africa in the Women’s T20 World Cup.

Pakistan were 33 for six and then slumped to 50 for eight. Fatima could accept the inevitable. She didn’t do it.

She smashed an unbeaten 55 off 38 balls and combined with Tuba Hassan for a record ninth wicket partnership of 71 runs. Then she came back with the ball and took 3/16.

South Africa eventually won by two wickets.

What more could Fatima do?

This is where it becomes unfair to keep expecting it to pick up. She cannot score runs, take wickets and somehow finish every game by herself. A captain can lead a team out of trouble, but he can’t permanently compensate for a team that keeps getting into trouble.

FATIMA’S FIGHTING SPIRIT CANNOT BE A SAFETY NET

Fatima Sana replaces Nida Dar as captain in 2024. Courtesy: Asian Cricket Council

Fatima’s refusal to give up is one of her greatest strengths. But Pakistan’s dependence on this quality is starting to wear it down.

Each collapse calls for another rescue. Each difficult chase requires another big shift. Every opposition partnership creates another expectation that Fatima will somehow break it.

This is too much.

She has already shown that she can win matches for Pakistan. in May smashed the fastest fifty in women’s T20I historyreaching the milestone in just 15 balls against Zimbabwe. She finished unbeaten on 62 off 19 deliveries as Pakistan won by 133 runs.

At 24, she is one of the best young all-rounders in women’s cricket. And its rise is now being recognized outside of Pakistan.

Earlier this year, Fatima became the first Pakistani cricketer to feature in The Hundred, joining Birmingham Phoenix. It was a watershed moment for the Pakistan captain – and particularly significant as she played alongside a cricketer she had idolized since childhood, Ellyse Perry. Fatima Sana and Ellyse Perry played together for Birmingham Phoenix. Courtesy: Fatima Sana Instagram

There is something almost apt about it.

Fatima grew up watching Perry, one of the greatest all-around actors, and dreamed of learning from her. She now shared a dressing room with her. Perry herself spoke of how impressive Fatima was and backed her to have a long international career.

Fatima earned her place among the best.

Now Pakistan have to make sure they don’t wear her out in a bid to prove it in every match.

PAKISTAN MUST BE BETTER AROUND

Currently, there is no better option than Fatima to lead Pakistan. Her skills with both bat and ball, her competitiveness and willingness to take responsibility make her indispensable.

However, indispensable should not mean overload.

ELLYSE PERRY TALK ABOUT FATIMA SANA

“Yes, I should probably change the attitude of what she thinks about me because she played with me, but she was excellent because it is so nice that players from all over the world play in this competition.

I played against Fatima pic.twitter.com/fByHF3MPF0– Belt. (@Qamar5618) August 19, 2026

Pakistan need to be better around their captain. Their batsmen need to give her something to defend against. Their pitchers need to hold their nerve after creating openings. Their outfielders need to turn her efforts into goals and their middle order needs to stop leaving her in impossible situations to fix.

Fatima will fight on. That’s who she is.

But Pakistan cannot continue to rely on this fighting spirit as its Plan A.

Because every time Fatima steps up, Pakistan should help her finish the job – not give her another crisis to deal with.

Their captain needs support, not another rescue mission.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

13 Sep 2026 0:00 IST