Dropped for T20 World Cup, Pak's Sana Mir expresses disappointment

Lahore, Jan 21:  Former Pakistan skipper Sana Mir was left disappointed after her name did not appear in the 15-member squad for the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup beginning next month.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced that Bismah Maroof will lead the side in the tournament.

Post her omission for the T20 World Cup slated to begin in Australia from February 21, Mir made a cryptic tweet which read: "Don't blame a clown for acting like a clown. Ask yourself why you keep going to the circus."

Mir, 34, had featured in every edition of the T20 World Cup, including the previous one in 2018. She is also Pakistan's third-highest ranked player in the T20I Rankings for bowling.

However, the off-spinner has not been in the best of forms of late, picking up just one wicket in her last four T20I appearances. She had taken a break in December 2019, missing the team's limited-overs series against England in Malaysia.

"Though Sana Mir doesn't feature in the 15-player line-up, I believe we still have the desired experience in the squad," Urooj Mumtaz, the chair of the national women's selection committee, said in a statement.

"Sana has been a phenomenal servant of Pakistan cricket while being an inspiration to many girls out there. Unfortunately, her recent performances in the T20 format were not on her side."

Overall, she has appeared in 106 T20Is over the years -- the same as Maroof, making them the most experienced Pakistani players in the format -- as well as 120 ODIs, the most among Pakistan women players.

Pakistan will depart for Australia on January 31 and will play three warm-up matches against the West Indies on February 7, 9 and 11.

They will begin their T20 World Cup campaign on February 26 against the West Indies. They will take on England on February 28 after which they play South Africa Women and Thailand Women on March 1 and 3.

Squad: Bismah Maroof, Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig Fatima Sana, Iram Javed, Javeria Khan, Muneeba Ali, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Nawaz (WK), Syed Aroob Shah.