LAHORE: Eyman Fatima, an 18-year-old hailing from Sargodha, is another rising star in Pakistan’s cricket scene.
As a right-handed opening batter, Eyman’s talent and dedication have earned her recognition, including a chance to represent Pakistan U19 in the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup. Focused on performing in upcoming tournaments, Eyman aspires to make a lasting impression on the international stage.
Growing up in Sargodha, Eyman’s love for cricket was evident from an early age. Inspired by her father, who shared her passion for the sport, she would often join local boys in participating in tape-ball cricket sessions.
Prior to her departure to Hong Kong to feature in the ACC Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023, Eyman, a member of the 14-player squad said, “I used to live in Sargodha and there was a lack of cricketing facilities in my city compared to the major urban centers. My father wanted me to play this game, so for the love of the game my family shifted to Lahore. Here in Lahore, I got registered in Abdul Qadir Cricket Academy and even today my mother accompanies me to the academy.”
The opening batter featured in the first-ever Women U19 T20 Tournament 2022-23, which was held in Muridke and Sheikhupura from 13 to 22 August. Playing for Central Punjab Women U19, Eyman scored 171 runs from five matches at a strike-rate of 119.58, which included one half-century. She finished on second spot in the batting list and her highest score of 70 not out came in the final against Sindh Women U19, helping her side to the championship title.
Later, that year, Eyman featured in the phase one of the T20 Women’s Cricket Tournament, held from 26 November to 2 December at the LCCA Ground in Lahore. The first phase of the tournament was planned with the objective of expanding the selection options for the national squad, enabling the selectors to choose from a larger talent pool for the inaugural ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup 2023. Playing for Conquerors, Eyman scored 89 from four outings, where she struck 15 boundaries.
In the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup, Eyman played five matches and amassed 157 runs at 52.33. Her runs were scored at the strike-rate of 126.61 as she managed to grab two players of the match awards in the competition for her half-centuries against Rwanda and Zimbabwe respectively.
Talking about her journey in the ICC event, Eyman said, “It was a great experience playing in the first edition of the mega event. I am pleased with my performance which helped the side win matches in the tournament. In the future, my goal is to bat more responsibly and actively contribute to the team’s success.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023