Twenty-year-old batter Eyman Fatima has been rewarded for a prolific domestic season with a place in Pakistan’s 15-strong women’s T20I squad for next month’s trip to Ireland. The three-match series in Dublin on 6, 8 and 10 August will be the side’s first taste of international T20 cricket since last year’s World Cup.
Fatima, who impressed at the inaugural Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in 2023, finished fourth on the run-scorers’ list at May’s National T20 tournament with 287 runs at a strike rate of more than 155 (runs per 100 balls). Her promotion to the senior set-up means captain Fatima Sana will have another aggressive top-order option as Pakistan seek to build towards next year’s global events.
Sana herself dominated that domestic competition, topping both the aggregate and strike-rate charts while leading the Conquerors to the final. Sidra Amin’s Stars prevailed on that occasion, and Amin also retains her place in the national squad.
Head coach Mohammad Wasim sticks largely with the group that swept the ODI qualifying tournament at home earlier this year, winning five from five. The notable absentee is veteran all-rounder Nida Dar, Pakistan’s leading T20I wicket-taker, who remains on an indefinite break after what the board described as “a breakdown in the relationship between the two parties”. Her experience—only Australia’s Megan Schutt has more T20I wickets worldwide—will again be missed.
The selectors have named 24 players for a skills camp in Karachi that runs until 27 July. From there, the final 15 will assemble for a shorter pre-tour camp before flying to Dublin.
Pakistan T20I squad
Fatima Sana (capt), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Eyman Fatima, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Tuba Hassan, Waheeda Akhtar.
Key talking points
• Batting depth: With Eyman Fatima joining established names such as Muneeba Ali and Aliya Riaz, Pakistan hope to address the middle-overs slow-down that has hurt them in past campaigns.
• Bowling balance: Dar’s absence again puts the onus on left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal and leg-spinner Tuba Hassan to control the middle period, while Diana Baig leads the pace attack.
• Leadership load: All-rounder Sana continues to captain across formats. Her dual role with bat and ball remains central to Pakistan’s short-format ambitions.
The Irish conditions—cooler weather and usually slower wickets—have traditionally suited Pakistan’s spinners. Wasim, however, has asked his team to “play with intent” and adapt quickly. How the young batting line-up responds, and whether the bowlers can cover for Dar’s absence, will shape the series and perhaps set the tone for the year ahead.
