Sports journalist Faizan Lakhani hit back at Shoaib Jatt after he took aim at Pakistan women’s captain Fatima Sana on social media, calling out the pattern of criticism directed at her.
Jatt posted a list on X labeling Sana the “Queen of Defeats,” pointing to Pakistan’s exits from the 2024 T20 World Cup after just one win in the group stage, their failure to reach the knockouts at the 2025 World Cup, and a group-stage elimination at the 2026 T20 World Cup with one win from five games.
He also referenced Pakistan’s run to the semi-finals of the 2026 Asia Cup after beating Hong Kong and their semi-final finish at the 2026 Asian Games following a win over Thailand.
Lakhani responded by defending Sana’s standing in the side. “Fatima Sana is the one player in this Pakistan side consistently standing out, delivering with both bat and ball. Yet somehow, Shoaib Jatt still finds a way to target the team’s brightest performer,” he wrote.
He questioned the intent behind the criticism. “I am unable to view this criticism of Fatima Sana as objective analysis. When the team’s standout performer is being singled out, it looks less like cricket analysis and more like an agenda,” Lakhani added.
Sana’s recent record backs up that defense. Even in defeats, she has often been the one player standing between Pakistan and heavier losses. Against South Africa at the T20 World Cup in Birmingham this June, she scored 55 not out off 38 balls and then took 3-16 with the ball, becoming the first captain in Women’s T20 World Cup history to score a fifty and take three wickets in the same match. Pakistan still lost, going down by two wickets as South Africa chased the target down with 19 balls to spare.
A similar pattern played out against India at the Women’s Asia Cup in September. Pakistan collapsed to 55 all out after losing their last 10 wickets for just 28 runs. Sana was the only bowler to make an impact in reply, finishing with 3-17 and accounting for all three Indian wickets that fell, including Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, before India completed a seven-wicket win.
Sana has also delivered in wins that mattered. At the Asia Cup, she guided Pakistan into the semi-finals after a 72-run victory over Hong Kong, a match in which Nashra Sandhu claimed the best-ever T20I bowling figures by a Pakistan bowler.
At the Asian Games in Japan, Sana’s all-round display, two wickets with the ball and an unbeaten run-a-ball 21, helped Pakistan edge past Thailand by three wickets to reach the semi-finals.
