'Came for the World Cup but staying in the room with husband'; infighting erupts in Pakistan women's team

LONDON: Pakistan's women's team is struggling with consecutive defeats in the ongoing Women's T20 World Cup, and an internal dispute has added to the team's concerns. The issue reportedly involves captain Fatima Sana and senior player Aliya Riaz.

According to reports, Fatima was unhappy with Aliya Riaz staying with her husband during the tournament instead of with the team members. She objected to Aliya's husband, Ali Younis, staying with her and asked him to leave the room. Following the incident, Aliya Riaz reportedly skipped training and went out with her husband. The dispute between the two senior players comes at a time when Pakistan are yet to register a win in the tournament.

Fatima was also said to be against including Aliya in the Pakistan squad. However, the senior player was included after interim coach Wahab Riaz backed her selection.

Reports further suggest that a dispute over squad selection escalated into a tense argument between Fatima Sana and Wahab Riaz. According to sources, Fatima told Wahab that he was responsible for the team's poor performance in the tournament.

The developments are believed to have created divisions within the Pakistan women's team, with some players supporting the captain and others backing the coach. Internal disputes during periods of poor performance are not new in Pakistan cricket, with similar issues having surfaced in the men's team as well.