Fatima Sana’s performances for Pakistan have earned her major praise and former Pakistan men’s batter and women’s head coach Mohammad Wasim believes she currently deserves more recognition than Babar Azam.
Mohammad Wasim described Fatima Sana, the captain of Pakistan’s women’s team, as the most popular Pakistani cricketer among international audiences and the media, saying her performances have earned her that reputation.
Fatima Sana is regarded as one of the leading women’s all-rounders in world cricket. Despite Pakistan’s struggles to make a major impact at the biggest tournaments, she has regularly stood out with both bat and ball. The all-rounder has taken 157 wickets in 134 white-ball matches and has scored more than 1,500 runs while batting in the lower order.
Mohammad Wasim believes that at her best, Fatima Sana is good enough to make the playing XI of almost any team in the world.
Speaking on his YouTube show, Mohammad Wasim was asked whether Babar Azam could be considered the equivalent of Fatima Sana in Pakistan’s men’s team. He responded by putting Fatima ahead, particularly among people who closely follow and understand cricket.
Mohammad Wasim said he felt both proud and sorry for Fatima Sana because she has often produced strong individual performances but still ended up on the losing side. He also recalled hearing a television anchor describe Fatima as Pakistan’s most popular cricketer and said he could understand why such a claim was being made.
According to Mohammad Wasim, popularity is built through performances. He highlighted Fatima Sana’s ability to contribute with both batting and bowling and said that when male and female cricketers are considered together, she receives significant praise from international media.
Mohammad Wasim added that international coverage frequently highlights Fatima Sana even when Pakistan loses, while the country’s male cricket stars have not received the same level of praise based on their recent performances. For that reason, he said Fatima can currently be considered Pakistan’s superstar.
Meanwhile, Babar Azam is once again under pressure following Pakistan’s 0-3 series defeat in England.
The former Pakistan captain has now joined the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) squad ahead of their third-round President’s Trophy Grade-I match.
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