Fatima Sana returns for home series against Ireland

LAHORE: Right-arm pacer Fatima Sana has returned to the national side for the three-match ODI series and three-game T20 International rubber against Ireland scheduled to take place in Lahore from Nov 4 to 16.

The three ODIs are part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 and will be played from Nov 4-9 at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Fatima, 20, was ruled out of the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup held earlier this month in Sylhet, Bangladesh after she twisted her ankle playing for Barbados Royals Women in the Caribbean Premier League.

Fatima replaces Diana Baig in both the squads, as the latter is not part of the series due to a shoulder injury she sustained during the T20 Asia Cup.

Meanwhile, the 15-player T20 International squad unveiled by chief selector Asmavia Iqbal also features Javeria Khan who last represented Pakistan in a T20 in July 2021 against the West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.

The squads were finalised after deliberations amongst Asmavia, interim head coach Saleem Jaffer and captain Bismah Maroof.

There are only two changes in the T20 squad that competed in the T20 Asia Cup and three changes in the ODI squad that played against Sri Lanka in Karachi in June this year.

The players who missed out in the ODI squad are Anam Amin, Gull Feroza and Diana Baig (due to injury). Nashra Sandhu, Kainat Imtiaz and Umm-e-Hani come in as their replacements. For the T20s, Javeria Khan replaces mSidra Nawaz.

Both the national women squads will undergo a four-day camp in Lahore after their arrival in the team hotel on Oct 25. The squads will undergo fielding and net practice sessions at the NHPC and LCCA ground, while they will feature in two intra-squad practice games at the LCCA ground.

Squads:

ODI: Bismah Maroof (captain), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali (wicket-keeper), Sidra Nawaz (wicket-keeper),

Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Umm-e-Hani. Reserve players: Ayesha Naseem, Tuba Hassan

T20: Bismah (captain), Aimen, Aliya, Ayesha Naseem, Fatima Sana, Javeria, Kainat, Muneeba, Nida, Omaima, Nashra, Sadaf, Sadia, Sidra Amin, Tuba. Reserve players: Ghulam Fatima, Sidra Nawaz, Umm-e-Hani

Player support personnel: Ayesha Ashhar (manager), Saleem Jaffer (bowling coach/interim head coach), Mauhtashim Rashid (fielding coach), Mohammad Zubair Ahmad (analyst), Rifat Gill (physio), Yasir Malik (strength and conditioning coach), Syed Nazir Ahmed (media manager), Hafiz Suliman (doctor) and Kiran Shazadi (masseur).