Pakistan captain Fatima Sana to miss Sri Lanka T20Is after receiving NOC to play in Women's Hundred

Pakistan women's captain Fatima Sana has been granted permission by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to miss the T20I leg of the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka to feature in the Women's Hundred for Birmingham Phoenix.

The all-rounder will remain available for Pakistan's three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, which forms part of the ICC Women's Championship. Following the conclusion of the 50-over series on July 28, Sana will travel from Hambantota to England to join Birmingham Phoenix for the remainder of the Hundred.

Last month, Sana became the first Pakistani women's cricketer to be signed by a team in the Women's Hundred after Birmingham Phoenix picked her in the wildcard draft as a replacement for Australia's Lucy Hamilton.

The 24-year-old was signed on a minimum salary of £15,000 (INR ₹19.05 Lakhs), marking another significant milestone in her career.

Although she will miss Phoenix's opening two matches due to national commitments, she is expected to be available for the rest of the tournament after completing the ODI series in Sri Lanka. Sana heads into the Hundred on the back of an impressive ICC Women's T20 World Cup campaign. Just a day before being selected in the wildcard draft, she produced a brilliant all-round performance against South Africa, scoring an unbeaten 55 off 38 balls and claiming 3/16 in a closely contested encounter.

Despite Pakistan enduring a disappointing tournament, winning only one of their five group-stage matches, Sana emerged as one of the standout performers.

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She finished as the leading fast bowler in the competition with 11 wickets at an economy rate of 6.95. Overall, she ended as the joint second-highest wicket-taker alongside Australia captain Sophie Molineux, with India's N. Shree Charani topping the charts with 14 wickets.

The upcoming Women's Hundred will be Sana's third appearance in an overseas domestic T20 competition. She previously represented the Barbados Royals in the Women's Caribbean Premier League in 2022 before turning out for Canterbury in New Zealand's Women's Super Smash during the 2023-24 season.

As reported by Cricinfo, the PCB approved Sana's participation in the Women's Hundred to help her gain valuable experience by competing in one of the world's leading women's franchise tournaments.