Fahima keeps captain’s faith in historic WC victory
ICC
|| CF DESK ||
Tigresses fail to secure direct qualification for World Cup
25 Jan 25
In the 40th over of Pakistan's run chase, leg spinner Fahima Khatun was summoned back for her second spell. Pakistan needed 72 runs in 66 deliveries with eight wickets in hand at that point. Fahima dismissed Omaima Sohail, Aliya Riaz, and Fatima Sana in the space of four deliveries after a tranquil first over, turning the game decisively in Bangladesh's favor.
"When I bowled, I was happy to repay the faith the captain and other senior players had placed in me. She [Nigar Sultana, the captain] is very involved. When she brought me in today, she said that she believed in me, and that she expected good things from me. (She) just asked me to play normally,” Fahima said.
"I just wanted to bowl in the right areas and bowl as many dot balls as possible, and the wickets would come. If the scoreboard pressure is there, they will give us wickets. The asking rate was 6.5-7 when I came to bowl (in the second spell). So I just had to bowl normally, and I was successful."
In chase of 235, Pakistan fell nine runs short, delivering Bangladesh their first win in a World Cup match, as well as their maiden appearance in the competition. The two leg spinners, Fahima (3 for 38) and Rumana Ahmed, were responsible for the collapse from 183 for 2 to 225 for 9. (2 for 29).
"I was confident that the batters would not be able to hit me for over-boundaries. I was trying to bowl in the blockhole in the second spell, so they couldn't hit me over the field. I was trying to mix it up. They needed six-seven runs per over, so I was trying to give away two-three runs." Fahima, who won the Player of the Match award, said.
