Fatima Sana to skip Sri Lanka T20Is for Women's Hundred with Birmingham Phoenix
Synopsis
Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana has become the first Pakistani woman to earn a Women's Hundred contract — and the PCB is backing her to honour it. She will skip the Sri Lanka T20Is to join Birmingham Phoenix, flying directly from Hambantota after the final ODI on 28 July. After 11 wickets at the T20 World Cup, she arrives at the Hundred as one of women's cricket's most in-demand all-rounders.
Key Takeaways
Fatima Sana has PCB approval to skip Pakistan's T20I series in Sri Lanka to play for Birmingham Phoenix in the Women's Hundred .
She will complete the three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka — part of the ICC Women's Championship — before flying to England after the final ODI on 28 July .
Sana is the first Pakistani woman cricketer to sign a Women's Hundred contract, joining Phoenix via the wildcard draft as a replacement for Lucy Hamilton .
She was the leading fast bowler at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup with 11 wickets at an economy rate of 6.95 .
The Hundred is her third overseas franchise stint , following spells with Barbados Royals (2022) and Canterbury Magicians (2023-24) .
Pakistan women's captain Fatima Sana has been granted permission by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to sit out the T20I leg of Pakistan's upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, allowing her to honour her franchise commitment with Birmingham Phoenix in the Women's Hundred. The 24-year-old all-rounder will, however, remain part of the squad for the three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka, which forms part of the ICC Women's Championship.
Tour Schedule and Travel Plan
Sana is set to complete the ODI leg of the Sri Lanka tour before making a direct journey from Hambantota to England after the final ODI on 28 July. She will then link up with Birmingham Phoenix for the remainder of the Women's Hundred campaign. Although her international duties mean she will miss Phoenix's opening two fixtures, she is expected to be available for the bulk of the tournament.
Historic Hundred Contract
Sana made history last month by becoming the first Pakistani woman cricketer to earn a contract in the Women's Hundred, after Birmingham Phoenix secured her through the competition's wildcard draft as a replacement for Australian player Lucy Hamilton. According to reports, the PCB approved her participation as part of a deliberate effort to give the all-rounder exposure in one of the world's premier women's franchise competitions.
Standout T20 World Cup Campaign
Sana heads into the Hundred off the back of a remarkable individual showing at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup. Despite Pakistan managing just one win in the group stage, she emerged as one of the tournament's standout performers with both bat and ball. She finished as the leading fast bowler of the tournament, claiming 11 wickets at an economy rate of 6.95, ending as joint second-highest wicket-taker overall alongside Australia captain Sophie Molineux. India's N. Shree Charani topped the wicket charts with 14 scalps.
Her most complete display came against South Africa, where she struck an unbeaten 55 off 38 deliveries and then returned figures of 3 for 16 — one of the all-round performances of the tournament.
Growing Franchise Footprint
The Women's Hundred will mark Sana's third overseas franchise assignment. She previously represented Barbados Royals in the Women's Caribbean Premier League in 2022 and turned out for Canterbury Magicians in New Zealand's Women's Super Smash during the 2023-24 season. Her growing franchise profile underlines the rising global demand for Pakistani women cricketers, a trend that has accelerated alongside the expansion of women's T20 leagues worldwide.
Point of View
But it also exposes a structural tension that women's cricket boards across Asia are only beginning to grapple with — how to balance packed ICC Championship calendars against the franchise windows that now define a player's global market value. Sana's historic Hundred contract is a commercial and reputational win for Pakistan women's cricket, yet the optics of a captain missing T20Is will not go unnoticed. More pointedly, Pakistan's group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup with a single win suggests the team needs its best player available in every format, not parcelled out to franchise leagues. The PCB's long-term calculus — exposure now, cohesion later — is defensible, but only if the ODI series and future T20 squads are not quietly weakened by similar concessions to the franchise economy.
NationPress
7 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Fatima Sana missing Pakistan's T20I series against Sri Lanka?
Fatima Sana has been granted PCB permission to skip the T20I leg of Pakistan's Sri Lanka tour to fulfil her franchise commitment with Birmingham Phoenix in the Women's Hundred. She will still play the three-match ODI series before travelling to England.
When will Fatima Sana join Birmingham Phoenix?
Sana will travel directly from Hambantota to England after the final ODI on 28 July. She is expected to miss Phoenix's opening two fixtures but should be available for the remainder of the Women's Hundred campaign.
What is Fatima Sana's significance in the Women's Hundred?
Sana is the first Pakistani woman cricketer to earn a Women's Hundred contract. Birmingham Phoenix signed her through the wildcard draft as a replacement for Australian player Lucy Hamilton.
How did Fatima Sana perform at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup?
Sana was the tournament's leading fast bowler, taking 11 wickets at an economy rate of 6.95. She was joint second-highest wicket-taker overall alongside Australia's Sophie Molineux, and scored an unbeaten 55 off 38 balls against South Africa.
Which franchise teams has Fatima Sana played for previously?
The Women's Hundred will be Sana's third overseas franchise assignment. She represented Barbados Royals in the Women's Caribbean Premier League in 2022 and Canterbury Magicians in New Zealand's Women's Super Smash during the 2023-24 season.
