Sana Mir Highlights Repercussions of Inconsistent Team Selections

Sana Mir, the former captain of the Pakistan women’s team, has voiced her apprehensions regarding the mounting strain on the national squad due to fluctuating selection choices, specifically the exclusion of seasoned players like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

During a local sports program following Pakistan’s loss in the second T20I against Bangladesh, Mir drew attention to the consequences of imposed selection decisions.

“When you restrict players through forceful selections, that burden ultimately impacts your primary team,” Sana stated.

“We often discussed Babar and Rizwan playing together, suggesting that one of them should perhaps bat in the middle order, but that never happened. Then, suddenly, both were either rested or dropped simultaneously,” she further explained.

Mir emphasized that this sudden action has placed the present team under considerable examination.

“Now, the weight of that decision has been transferred to this team — there’s a pressure to somehow validate that selection by demonstrating that those two are absent because they didn’t play modern cricket, and that these players do. Consequently, the entire responsibility now rests on this current team, whether they acknowledge it or not,” she asserted.

She also underscored the significance of maintaining consistency in the selection procedure, particularly when dealing with veteran players.

“Even Babar and Rizwan needed time to accumulate runs, grasp the game, and solidify their positions. I’ve mentioned this previously — you simply cannot dismiss such significant players. Your selection strategy needs to be somewhat more consistent,” she concluded.

In the second T20I, Bangladesh scored 133 all out in their allotted 20 overs, with wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali contributing a resilient 55 off 48 deliveries, while Mahedi Hasan added a valuable 33.

Pakistan’s bowling attack showcased commendable performance, with debutant Ahmed Daniyal, Salman Mirza, and Abbas Afridi each securing two wickets. Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf also supported with one wicket each.

However, Pakistan’s pursuit commenced poorly, with the top order crumbling to 15/5 during the powerplay. Despite a determined 51 off 32 balls from Faheem Ashraf — featuring four boundaries and a six — the visitors narrowly missed the target by eight runs.

Shoriful Islam delivered an outstanding bowling display for Bangladesh, claiming 3/17 in four overs and guiding the hosts to their first-ever T20I series victory against Pakistan.

The series’ third and decisive match is set to occur at the same venue on Thursday.