Fatima Sana to be first Pakistani woman in The Hundred

Fatima Sana will become the first Pakistani woman to play in The Hundred after being selected by Birmingham Phoenix as a wildcard pick. The 24-year-old all-rounder, who captains Pakistan, will participate in this year’s competition, which starts on 21 July.

Previously, it was reported in February that the four Hundred franchises with connections to the Indian Premier League were not expected to sign Pakistani players, echoing a long-standing position in the IPL. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) later contacted all eight franchises to remind them of their responsibilities regarding anti-discrimination. Subsequently, the ECB and the teams released a joint statement affirming that "players must not be excluded on the grounds of nationality."

Fatima was one of two Pakistani women’s players, alongside spinner Sadia Iqbal, who went unsold at the original auction held in March, while Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed was signed by Sunrisers Leeds in the men’s auction.

Currently, Fatima is playing in the Women’s T20 World Cup, where she scored an unbeaten 55 and took 3-16 in Pakistan’s two-wicket defeat by South Africa. She is set to replace Australian all-rounder Lucy Hamilton as an overseas player in the Phoenix squad, with Hamilton having withdrawn to manage her workload.

Wildcard picks are generally domestic players rewarded for strong performances in county cricket, but this mechanism is also utilized to finalize squads ahead of the tournament. In total, 32 players from both men’s and women’s categories have been selected to fill the final two squad positions at each of the eight teams. Notably, fast bowler Manny Lumsden, 17, joined Southern Brave, while 18-year-old Seb Morgan was picked up by MI London.