Meet Pakistan’s Next Cricket Stars Ahead of Rising Asia Cup

News Desk 

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced the Pakistan Women’s ‘A’ squad for the upcoming ACC Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026, a 20-over tournament scheduled from 13 to 22 February in Bangkok, Thailand.

Placed in Group A alongside India ‘A’, UAE, and Nepal, Pakistan ‘A’ will play three group-stage matches, with the top two teams advancing to the semi-finals. Group B features Bangladesh ‘A’, Sri Lanka ‘A’, Malaysia, and hosts Thailand.

Leading the 15-member squad will be off-spinning all-rounder Umm-e-Hani, supported by experienced players such as pacers Waheeda Akhtar and batter Shawaal Zulfiqar.

Other notable call-ups include Pakistan Women’s U19 captain Eman Naseer and batter Komal Khan, both promoted to the ‘A’ squad after standout performances in Pakistan Women’s U19’s recent 3-2 T20 series win over Bangladesh.

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/pakistan-spin-out-australia-in-second-t20i-to-clinch-series/

The batting lineup also features Gull Rukh, Hafsa Khalid, and Huraina Sajjad, while Yusra Amir will serve as wicket-keeper. Pakistan’s spin attack will comprise Hani, Noreen Yaqoob, Anosha Nasir, and Momina Riasat, with the pace department led by Waheeda Akhtar, alongside Lubna Behram, Neha Sharmin Nadeem, and Syeda Masooma Jafri.

In the eight-team tournament, UAE, Nepal, Malaysia, and Thailand will field their national women’s teams, while Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka will participate with ‘A’ squads.

The 15-player squad was finalized after a week-long probables camp at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre from 25 January, where 30 players were initially called up. The team will participate in a pre-tournament camp before departing for Thailand on 10 February.

Pakistan Women’s ‘A’ Squad:

Batters: Eman Naseer (Islamabad), Gull Rukh (Dera Ghazi Khan), Hafsa Khalid (Karachi), Huraina Sajjad (Karachi), Shawaal Zulfiqar (Lahore)

Wicket-keepers: Yusra Amir (Karachi), Komal Khan (Lahore)

All-rounders: Noreen Yaqoob (Lahore), Umm-e-Hani (Faisalabad)

Spinners: Anosha Nasir (Karachi), Momina Riasat (Abbottabad)

Pacers: Lubna Behram (Hunza), Neha Sharmin Nadeem (Karachi), Syeda Masooma Jafri (Karachi), Waheeda Akhtar (Lahore)

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/pakistan-u19-set-for-crucial-super-six-clash-against-india/

Non-travelling reserves: Zunash Abdul Sattar (Lahore), Maham Anees (Islamabad), Amber Kainat (Lahore), Ayesha Bilal (Lahore)

Support Staff:

Head Coach: Muhammad Masroor

Batting Coach: Shoaib Khan

Bowling Coach: Naeem Tayyab

Fielding Coach: Jaweria Rauf

Strength & Conditioning Coach: Taimoor Mehmood

Physiotherapist: Surakhsha Shaker

Performance Analyst: Eman Tufail Arbab

Team Manager: Aisha Jalil

Pakistan ‘A’ Match Schedule (Terdthai Cricket Ground, Bangkok):

Group A:

13 Feb – Pakistan ‘A’ vs Nepal – 9:30am local time

15 Feb – Pakistan ‘A’ vs India ‘A’ – 2:00pm local time

17 Feb – Pakistan ‘A’ vs UAE – 2:00pm local time

Semi-finals:

20 Feb – Semi-final 1 & 2 – 9:00am & 2:00pm local time

Final:

22 Feb – 2:00pm local time