Colombo, Oct 4 (IANS) Pakistan captain Fatima Sana believes that her team can beat any top team in the world if it performs well, and they’ll aim to do so against India in their upcoming match. India and Pakistan will face each other in the sixth match of the ongoing Women’s World Cup on Sunday at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

India lead Pakistan 11-0 in their ODI head-to-head, and will be eager to extend their lead. However, Fatima says that ‘records’ are meant to be broken, and one must not make assumptions before the game.

Speaking to reporters at the pre-match press conference, Fatima said that Pakistan not having won an ODI against India doesn’t mean they won’t in the future either.

“Firstly, whatever records exist between India and Pakistan, they are meant to be broken. It’s not that Pakistan will never win against them. We believe in playing good cricket, regardless of who our opponent is. So we won’t dwell on history; we’ll focus only on the day we play. I personally believe that Pakistan has the potential to defeat any top team by playing well in any match. So, you can’t judge yourself with just one match. Everyone’s morale is high.”

The recently concluded Men’s Asia Cup saw the India-Pakistan games sparking multiple controversies, adding to the political unrest between the two countries. Asked how they’d approach the game against arch-rivals India and the relationship between the women’s teams, Fatima said:

“Our main goal is to play well. Our relationship with the other teams is good. We will try to fulfil the spirit of the game. What happened before, like with Bismah’s daughter, when everyone mingled and enjoyed together, as players, we all like such moments. But the main thing is to stay focused on what we have come here for.”

Pakistan are coming off a loss from their campaign opener against Bangladesh, and Fatima believes that the result of just one game can not define a team’s fate in the tournament. Speaking of their goal heading into a high-pressure contest against India, the 23-year-old added:

“Of course, it’s a match with a lot of pressure. We know that the whole world is watching the India-Pakistan matches. But handling that pressure is the main thing. We will focus on that, play our game, and execute our plans. Coaches have told us to believe. You can’t define an entire tournament based on one match. We believe we can still win games.”

— IANS

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