Pakistan women’s captain Fatima Sana calls for gender equality in cricket

Pakistan cricket captain Fatima Sana has called for parity between the country’s men’s and women’s teams, urging fans to show greater support for female players by filling stadiums for their tournaments. The 25-year-old says she “dreams of a time” when the Pakistan women’s cricket team are treated as equal to the men’s team. “I hope it comes,” Sana said on Tuesday.

Sana, who has led the Pakistan team since 2024, is one of the country’s finest cricketers and has swiftly risen to the top echelons of women’s cricket. The all-rounder is playing franchise cricket for the Australian Perth Scorchers in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) in Australia, one of the world’s top women’s cricket competitions. Following her team’s six-wicket win over Melbourne Stars on Sunday, Sana was asked about the state of women’s cricket in Pakistan.

The right-arm medium-fast bowler is the second Pakistani player to feature in the WBBL after former captain Nida Dar, who played for Sydney Thunder in 2019.