Pakistan Captain Criticized Over Shafali Verma Send-Off in Women’s Asia Cup Match
During the Women’s Asia Cup match in Dubai on Saturday, Pakistan’s captain Fatima Sana faced backlash for her send-off to Indian opener Shafali Verma. Fatima took Shafali’s wicket early, dismissing her for just 12 runs off 6 balls, but not before gesturing at her as she walked off the field.
This incident came right after Shafali made history by being the youngest and fastest player to reach 3,000 runs in Women’s T20Is. She achieved this remarkable milestone at the age of 22 years and 220 days, starting her innings with a six against spinner Sadia Iqbal and following it with a single to secure the record.
Commentator Vivek Razdan expressed his disbelief at Fatima’s actions, especially since her team had just managed a meager total of 55 runs— Pakistan’s lowest in Women’s T20I history. He remarked, “You’re showing her the way out while your team scored just 55 runs, and now you’re sending Shafali Verma back.”
Shafali celebrated her record with a six followed by a single, and soon after, she hit Fatima for a four before the Pakistan captain got the last laugh.
Fatima Shines Despite Pakistan’s Defeat
Even though Pakistan suffered a heavy defeat, Fatima emerged as the standout bowler for her team. She took three crucial wickets, including Shafali, Pratika Rawal, and Smriti Mandhana, finishing with impressive figures of 3 wickets for just 17 runs in 3 overs. She claimed Shafali’s wicket in her first over and later dismissed Mandhana for 9 runs, right after giving away a boundary.
However, Fatima’s efforts were not enough to secure a win for Pakistan. India’s bowlers, Shree Charani and Prema Rawat, each took three wickets, while Deepti Sharma picked up two. After starting strong at 27 without losing a wicket, Pakistan crumbled, losing their last 10 wickets for just 28 runs.
In response, India chased down the required runs with relative ease, losing three wickets but ending with a total of 57 for 3 in just 8.4 overs. Harmanpreet Kaur remained not out at 18, and Deepti Sharma contributed an unbeaten 12, leading India to a comfortable seven-wicket victory with 68 balls to spare.
With this win, India secured their place in the semi-finals and finished the group stage undefeated. However, Pakistan still needs to qualify and will face Hong Kong in their final group match.
