Sadia Iqbal credits former captain for ICC ranking rise

Pakistan spinner Sadia Iqbal has credited former Women’s team captain Sana Mir after topping the ICC T20I bowling ranking.

The left-arm spinner dethroned England’s Sophie Ecclestone to reclaim the top spot, which she briefly held last year.

Reacting to her rise in the ICC ranking, Sadia Iqbal said that former Pakistan Women’s team skipper Sana Mir played a huge role in improving her bowling.

“I’ve become the number one ranked T20I bowler. I’d like to thank everyone who is celebrating this achievement. I’ve received a lot of calls and messages,” she said in a video shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

According to the Pakistan spinner, she would regularly ask for Sana Mir’s advice to improve her bowling.

“She (Sana Mir) obviously had a lot of experience in women’s cricket. The way she’s served Pakistan cricket, she has been the number one bowler during her days,” Sadia Iqbal said.

She added, “I used to keep talking to her while we were on tour regarding bowling different variations. Even when we were at the World Cup, I had a really good conversation about bowling with her. She helped me a lot.”

It is to be noted here that Sadia Iqbal was part of the Pakistan squad for the recent ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Qualifier.

The left-arm spinner picked up nine wickets in five matches as Pakistan qualified for the next World Cup.

Sadia Iqbal said that the team would look to play the World Cup the way they played their game in the Qualifier.

“World Cup is the biggest event, we’ve secured our qualification recently. Our goal is to play the way we did in the Qualifier. We’ll look to pick from where we ended that tournament, and hope to finish the World Cup the same way,” she said.