Friendship took center stage as Pakistan’s Fatima Sana and Bangladesh’s Nigar Sultana Joty prepared to lead their sides in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
The two captains share a bond that has grown beyond cricket, yet both know they must put rivalry first when they walk out in Colombo.
The bond began at the FairBreak Invitational in 2023, where they shared the same dressing room and exchanged tips. Since then, their friendship has blossomed even more.
“We are very much buddies. Whenever we get to play together we talk too much and have so much fun,” Nigar said.
Fatima echoed the sentiment, saying, “She’s my good friend. A lot of the time she asks about batting because she’s a batter and I want to become a good all-rounder, so she gives me a lot of tips. She gives me confidence in my batting.”
That camaraderie was most evident during the World Cup Qualifier earlier this year. Bangladesh lost to Pakistan and felt qualification hopes had slipped away. Nigar, too dejected to watch the West Indies chase in the following match, hid in her room. When West Indies fell short and Bangladesh qualified, the first call Nigar received was from none other than Fatima Sana.
“I was like, ‘Really?’ and they said, ‘Yes, you guys qualified.’ I went out from my room and everyone in the Bangladesh squad was running towards me and hugging, laughing. It was a beautiful moment,” Nigar recalled.
Still, both captains know friendship has limits on the field. “See, when I get over the line, I think I don’t know who Fatima Sana is, because she’s trying to get me out,” Nigar said.
Fatima, who took Nigar’s wicket in the 2022 World Cup, admitted, “We have a lot of rivalry matches, but she’s my good friend, we have a good connection off the field.”
Fatima, who rose to captaincy before her 23rd birthday, credited former skipper Bismah Maroof for teaching her composure. “She was the best to play under. I learned a lot, especially calmness in the 50-over format because 50 overs demands discipline and calmness. There are a lot of high-pressure matches, so we want to be calm at all times,” Fatima said.
Nigar praised Fatima’s rapid growth. “She’s very young and she’s learning and will do better in the future, definitely. But how she’s doing, and how they’ve kept the team in a line and how they performed in the Qualifier, shows they are aligned.”
Both sides understand the importance of Thursday’s clash. Bangladesh lost only twice to Pakistan in the last four years, but Pakistan’s recent form under Fatima has boosted their belief.
The much-anticipated match between Pakistan and Bangladesh begins today in Colombo, with both teams knowing a win would be vital for a semi-final spot.