ISLAMABAD, Aug 26 (ABC): Pakistan’s rising sensation Fatima Sana has been selected by the International Cricket Council (ICC) among four other players as 100% Cricket Superstars. This forms part of the ICC’s ongoing 100% Cricket movement, which celebrates the abundant talent on offer in the women’s game.
“Following the recent conclusion of the historic inclusion of women’s cricket at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, the excitement is growing ahead of another inaugural global event in the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa in January, which is followed closely by the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023, also in South Africa,” said Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager Cricket.
“The players selected today are incredibly talented and a credit to the countries they represent. They are the future of the women’s game. Meanwhile, at only 20, Fatima has already emerged as one of the most promising prospects in Pakistan women’s cricket. Her contributions have already seen her claim some major honours, being named the 2021 ICC Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year.
Having made her international debut in 2019, Sana has played 21 ODIs and seven T20Is in a blossoming career, with many memorable performances. The pace-bowling all-rounder has picked up 27 wickets in the 50-over format, with a career-best of 5/39, while also aggregating 177 runs. In seven T20I matches, she has picked up seven wickets, with best figures of 3/27. The other four rising players include India’s star opener Smriti Mandhana, Australia’s all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner, England’s Sophia Dunkley and Ireland’s ace cricketer Gaby Lewis. Still only 26, Smriti was close to completing a decade in international cricket.
Her record speaks for itself, combining aggression at the top of the order along with a heavy penchant for scoring some big runs. Mandhana has played 74 ODIs, aggregating 2892 runs at an average of 42.52, with five centuries and 23 fifties. In T20I cricket, she has 2192 runs in 92 games, with 16 half-centuries to her name. Mandhana has also played four Tests and has one century and two fifties in the format. Ashleigh’s career has already seen a fair share of highs. The supremely talented all-rounder can lay claims to having had her hands on the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2020, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2022 and the Gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in the same year.
The 25-year-old has played three Tests, 49 ODIs and 60 T20Is already in a short career, while excelling in all aspects of the game. She has four wickets in Tests, 53 in ODIs and 35 in T20Is. With the bat, Gardner has scored 157 runs in Tests, 667 in ODIs and 916 in T20Is, with 11 fifty-plus scores. She is currently ranked No.6 and No.2 in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s Player Rankings for all-rounders in ODIs and T20Is respectively. Sophia was slowly carving out a career in all three formats, after initially having made her name in T20 cricket.
Dunkley has played three Tests, 22 ODIs and 33 T20Is for England, aggregating 152, 634 and 305 runs respectively. The right-hand batter has one century and six fifties in international cricket. Gaby was only 21, but in 2022, she captained her national side in a series against South Africa, becoming one of the youngest ever captain’s in women’s international cricket. She has played 25 ODIs, scoring 564 runs, with four half-centuries. In the T20I format, she has already notched up 54 caps, scoring 1161 runs with one century and six half-centuries to her name. The young star has also scalped 13 wickets in international cricket.