LAHORE – Pakistan women’s cricket team captain Fatima Sana has set her sights on guiding the national side to a historic semifinal appearance at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, expressing confidence in the team’s ability to challenge stronger opponents despite being drawn in a difficult group. The tournament, scheduled to be held in England and Wales from June 12 to July 5, will see Pakistan compete in Group 1 alongside India, Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh and the Netherlands. Speaking during a media interaction at the team’s training camp in Lahore on Saturday, Fatima said her primary ambition is to lead Pakistan into the final four for the first time in the tournament’s history. “I desire that we finish in the top four, and I want to lead my team there with impactful performances,” Fatima said.
Pakistan head into the World Cup on the back of encouraging recent performances, including a dominant 3-0 home series sweep against Zimbabwe, while preparations for the global event will continue with an upcoming tri-series in Ireland featuring hosts Ireland and West Indies. The tri-series, scheduled from May 28 to June 4 in Dublin, will serve as Pakistan’s final international assignment before the World Cup.
Fatima expressed satisfaction with the team’s recent progress and said the players are entering the crucial phase of preparations with growing confidence. “The past two to three months have been really good for us,” she said. “We are preparing well for both the Ireland series and the World Cup, and the team is hopeful of delivering strong results.”
Pakistan will begin their World Cup campaign with a high-profile clash against India on June 14. However, Fatima insisted her side is focused on the tournament as a whole rather than any single match. “In a World Cup, every match is important,” she said. “T20 cricket can change very quickly, so we are not focusing on one specific game.”
While acknowledging the significance of the India encounter, the Pakistan captain maintained that her team would approach every match with the same mindset. “As everybody knows, the Pakistan-India encounter is always a big match, and God willing, we will try to play well,” she added.
Following the India fixture, Pakistan will face former champions Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh and the Netherlands. Despite the challenging schedule, Fatima rejected the idea of being intimidated by higher-ranked sides. “We have clarity that we need to play our own game regardless of the opposition. We know the group is tough, but in T20 cricket one innings, one spell or even one run-out can change the result of a match.”
The all-rounder added that Pakistan’s players believe they can compete strongly against the leading teams in women’s cricket if they execute their plans effectively. “We cannot think that India or Australia are unbeatable teams,” she said. “We have belief in our squad, and if we perform well, results will follow.”
