Lahore, July 7 (IANS) Pakistan women’s captain Fatima Sana has received permission from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to skip the T20I leg of the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka in order to fulfil her commitments with Birmingham Phoenix in the Women’s Hundred.

However, the 24-year-old all-rounder will remain with the national team for the three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka, which is part of the ICC Women’s Championship. After the final ODI on July 28, she will travel directly from Hambantota to England to link up with Birmingham Phoenix for the remainder of the tournament.

Sana created history last month by becoming the first Pakistani woman cricketer to earn a contract in the Women’s Hundred after Birmingham Phoenix signed her through the competition’s wildcard draft. She was brought in as a replacement for Australian player Lucy Hamilton.

Although her international commitments mean she will miss Phoenix’s opening two fixtures, Sana is expected to be available for the rest of the campaign.

The Pakistan skipper heads into the tournament after an impressive individual showing at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Despite Pakistan managing just one win during the group stage, Sana emerged as one of the competition’s standout performers with both bat and ball.

She finished the tournament as the leading fast bowler, claiming 11 wickets at an economy rate of 6.95. Her tally also saw her finish as the joint second-highest wicket-taker overall alongside Australia captain Sophie Molineux, with India’s N. Shree Charani topping the wicket charts with 14 scalps.

Sana also produced one of the performances of the tournament against South Africa, scoring an unbeaten 55 off 38 deliveries before returning figures of 3 for 16 in a spirited all-round display.

The Women’s Hundred will be Sana’s third overseas franchise assignment. She previously represented the Barbados Royals in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League in 2022 before featuring for Canterbury Magicians in New Zealand’s Women’s Super Smash during the 2023-24 season.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the PCB approved Sana’s participation in the Women’s Hundred as part of its efforts to provide the all-rounder with exposure in one of the world’s premier women’s franchise competitions.

–IANS

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