{"id":16825,"date":"2026-08-26T10:47:52","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T10:47:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=16825"},"modified":"2026-08-26T10:47:52","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T10:47:52","slug":"played-competitive-matches-against-boys-pakistan-skipper-fatima-sana-reveals-unusual-asia-cup-preparation-cricket-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=16825","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Played competitive matches against boys&#8217;: Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana reveals unusual Asia Cup preparation | Cricket News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133538143,imgsize-42530,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/fatima-sana.jpg\" alt=\"'Played competitive matches against boys': Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana reveals unusual Asia Cup preparation\" title=\"Pakistan captain Fatima Sana (Pic credit: ICC)\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"Pakistan captain Fatima Sana (Pic credit: ICC)\">Pakistan captain Fatima Sana (Pic credit: ICC)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Pakistan\u2019s women\u2019s cricket team have taken an unusual route to prepare for the Women\u2019s Asia Cup, playing full T20 matches against a men\u2019s side during their training camp in Lahore.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"2\"\/>The matches against the Abdul Qadir Cricket Academy featured both teenage and senior male players.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"4\"\/><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"6\"\/>Unlike regular practice sessions, the games were played under full Twenty20 rules, with Pakistan aiming to expose their players to greater pressure and improve their decision-making in difficult situations.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>A different kind of preparation<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"10\"\/>Pakistan have never won the Women\u2019s Asia Cup. Their best performances came in 2012 and 2016, when they reached the final but lost to India on both occasions. <!-- -->They have not reached the final since and were eliminated in the semi-finals in the previous two editions.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"15\"\/>Captain Fatima Sana believes the matches against the men will help the team deal with pressure better.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"17\"\/>\u201cWe are well prepared for the tournament,\u201d Fatima said, as quoted by Cricinfo. \u201cWe have played competitive matches against boys in which we were put under pressure. These learnings will help us adapt to the challenges of the competition.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"20\"\/>Pakistan enter the tournament after a poor T20 World Cup campaign, winning only one of their five matches. Fatima was among their standout performers, scoring an unbeaten 55 against South Africa and taking 11 wickets, the second-highest tally in the tournament.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"23\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Fatima wants calm under pressure<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"25\"\/>The captain said dealing with pressure was a major focus during the team\u2019s preparations.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"27\"\/>\u201cWe needed to understand how to handle the pressure better, and that is something which is highlighted whenever there is a big tournament,\u201d she said. <!-- -->\u201cThese matches have helped us on that front, and the difference will be visible.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"31\"\/>\u201cIt is very important to stay calm in pressure situations rather than pressing the panic button. We have told the girls to stay calm in the crunch moments, stay in control, trust their hard work and execute the plans.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"33\"\/>Fatima will return for the Asia Cup after missing Pakistan\u2019s recent Sri Lanka series while playing in The Hundred.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"35\"\/>Pakistan are in Group A with India, Thailand and Hong Kong. They begin against Thailand on September 1, face India on September 5 and play Hong Kong on September 7.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/cricket\/womens-asia-cup\/news\/played-competitive-matches-against-boys-pakistan-skipper-fatima-sana-reveals-unusual-asia-cup-preparation\/articleshow\/133537839.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pakistan captain Fatima Sana (Pic credit: ICC) Pakistan\u2019s women\u2019s cricket team have taken an unusual route to prepare for the Women\u2019s Asia Cup, playing full T20 matches against a men\u2019s side during their training camp in Lahore.The matches against the Abdul Qadir Cricket Academy featured both teenage and senior male players.Unlike regular practice sessions, the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16826,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fatima-sana.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fatima-sana.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fatima-sana.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fatima-sana.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fatima-sana.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fatima-sana.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fatima-sana.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fatima-sana.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fatima-sana.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fatima-sana.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fatima-sana.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fatima-sana.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fatima-sana.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fatima-sana.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Pakistan captain Fatima Sana (Pic credit: ICC) Pakistan\u2019s women\u2019s cricket team have taken an unusual route to prepare for the Women\u2019s Asia Cup, playing full T20 matches against a men\u2019s side during their training camp in Lahore.The matches against the Abdul Qadir Cricket Academy featured both teenage and senior male players.Unlike regular practice sessions, the [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 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