Fatima Sana, following an impressive all-round performance against South Africa in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, has been signed by Birmingham Phoenix for the Women’s Hundred. The 24-year-old was selected in Thursday’s wildcard draft, stepping in for Australian left-arm bowler Lucy Hamilton, who was pulled out by Cricket Australia due to workload issues.
Sana’s contract amounts to the minimum pay of £15,000 (around 5.6 million PKR). More importantly, she is the first player from Pakistan to participate in the women’s competition this season, highlighting her rising prominence in International cricket.
However, her availability is uncertain. Pakistan is set to tour Sri Lanka for a white-ball series starting July 23, with the last T20I on August 4 in Hambantota. This schedule may conflict with the start of the season for Phoenix, potentially causing Sana to miss it due to her national commitments.
Fatima Sana’s efforts against South Africa
Sana’s signing follows her standout performance at Edgbaston. With Pakistan struggling at 50/8 in 10.4 overs, she partnered with Tuba Hassan to forge a strong ninth-wicket partnership of 71 runs. Sana scored an unbeaten 55 off 38 balls, hitting six fours and two sixes with a strike rate of 144.73, helping her team avoid a humiliating loss.
With the ball, she was also impactful, taking 3 wickets for 16 runs in 2.5 overs, dismissing key players like Sune Luus and Nadine de Klerk. Despite a couple of dropped catches, her contributions were significant.
Nonetheless, her efforts were not enough to secure a win, as South Africa won the match, thanks to Annerie Dercksen’s 52 and de Klerk’s 37 runs. Dercksen was named Player of the Match.