Fatima Sana to return home from World Cup after father's death

Fatima Sana, the Pakistan captain, will return home to Karachi on Thursday via the first available flight following the death of her father, a PCB media statement said. It's likely she will miss Pakistan's next game against Australia in Dubai on Friday.

Muneeba Ali will stand in for Sana.

Sana's absence will be a big blow for Pakistan, who need to win at least one, preferably both games, to stand a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals from a tough Group A. They are currently placed third in the group after a win and loss each from their two games. After the Australia game, Pakistan will round off their league stage against New Zealand in Dubai on Monday.

Sana, the youngest captain at the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 at 22, has been central to Pakistan's campaign so far. She top-scored with 30 and picked up two crucial wickets, including that of Chamari Athapaththu, in their opening-night upset of Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka.

Against India, Sana was instrumental in India huffing and puffing in pursuit of a small target. Her back-to-back wickets of Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh briefly gave India the jitters and ensured Pakistan's net run rate didn't take a massive hit.

Since replacing Nida Dar as captain, Sana has tried to ring in a change in mindset with Pakistan's focus switching towards marrying data along with a more robust batting approach.