Pak skipper fires warning to India ahead of WC clash

'We believe in playing good cricket no matter who the opponent is. So we won't think about the past, we'll focus only on the day we play.'

Pakistan captain Fatima Sana believes her side has what it takes to defeat India in the Women's World Cup, saying that records are "meant to be broken" as the arch-rivals prepare to square off on Sunday.

Heading into the clash in Colombo, Pakistan trail India 0-11 in the head-to-head record in women's ODIs.

But Sana said her team is determined to focus on the present, not the past.

"Firstly, whatever records exist between India and Pakistan, they are meant to be broken. It's not that Pakistan will never win against them," Sana said at the pre-match press conference on Saturday.

"We believe in playing good cricket no matter who the opponent is. So we won't think about the past, we'll focus only on the day we play."

"I personally feel that Pakistan has the power to defeat any big team by playing well in any match. So, you can't judge yourself with just one match. Everyone's morale is high," she added.

The build-up to the high-profile

clash comes amid rising political tensions. In line with the stance taken by the men's team during the Asia Cup, the Indian players are expected to skip the customary handshake with their Pakistani counterparts.

This will be in stark contrast to their 2022 ODI World Cup meeting, when images of Indian cricketers bonding with the then Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof's daughter went viral on social media.

"Our main goal is to play well. Our relationship with the other teams is good. We will try to fulfil the spirit of the game.

"What happened before, like with Bismah's daughter when everyone mingled and enjoyed together – as players, we all like such moments. But the main thing is to stay focused on what we have come here for," Fatima stated.

The Pakistan skipper admitted the contest will come with added pressure and the side needs to adapt to it.

"Of course, it's a match with a lot of pressure. We know that India-Pakistan matches are being watched by the whole world. But handling that pressure is the main thing. We will try to focus on that, play our game and execute our plans."

Pakistan opened their campaign with a demoralising seven-wicket defeat to Bangladesh, but Sana insisted the team remains upbeat.

"Coaches have told us to believe. You can't define an entire tournament based on one match. So we believe that we can still win games."