Fatima Sana has been appointed as the new captain of the Women's cricket team of Pakistan in ODI international format.

Due to the unavailability of Nida Dar, Fatima Sana will lead Pakistan in the Second One-day international against New Zealand.

Nida Dar got injured in the Second One Day International against New Zealand while batting.

Fatima Sana said: “It is an honor to lead the Pakistan women's side in ODIs, although the circumstances are unfortunate with Nida Dar's injury. She has been an inspiration, and I wish her a speedy recovery.

“We had a historic T20I series win against New Zealand, and I know the players are eager to perform well in the ODI series too. Although we didn't have a good outing in the first ODI, we are all geared up to excel in tomorrow’s game.”

Fatima Sana becomes the 10th ODI captain to lead Pakistan women's team

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— PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) December 14, 2023

“We had a historic T20I series win against New Zealand, and I knplayers are eager to perform well in the ODI series too. Although we didn't have a good outing in the first ODI, we are all geared up to excel in tomorrow’s game.”

Injury update on Diana Baig

Right-arm fast bowler Diana Baig, who was initially ruled out of the ODI series due to a finger injury sustained during a practice session on the eve of the series opener, has undergone surgery on her index finger of the bowling arm. Following the surgery, Diana has been sidelined from competitive cricket for four weeks.

22-year-old Fatima, who made her international debut in the away series against South Africa in May 2019, will become the 10th captain of the women’s team in the ODI format, when she walks out for the toss in Christchurch tomorrow. The right-arm fast bowler, having missed the recent Bangladesh series due to injury, made a remarkable comeback, earning the player of the series award in the three T20Is against White Ferns played from 3 to 9 December. Fatima bagged six wickets at an economy rate of 5.60 in the series and was named player of the match for her figures of 4-0-18-3 in the first T20I at the University of Otago Oval in Dunedin on 3 December.

In June, Fatima captained the Pakistan women’s emerging team in the ACC Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup held in Hong Kong, where the side narrowly lost to Bangladesh in the semi-final. In domestic cricket, Fatima has led PCB Blasters in the T20 Women’s Cricket Tournament and took her side to victory, beating PCB Dynamites by seven runs at the Gaddafi Stadium on 9 December 2022.

The Karachi-born player, known for her excellence since the start for her career, was named PCB’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year in 2020 and also became the first Pakistan women cricketer to win the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year in 2021.

Pakistan 14-member squad for second ODI:

Fatima Sana (captain), Aliya Riaz, Bismah Maroof, Ghulam Fatima, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda Akhtar.