The upcoming Women’s Asia Cup, which will be contested in the Twenty20 format, is set to take place in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, from July 19–28. Following a four-day session that ended in Karachi on Saturday, June 29, Pakistan revealed their 15-member roster for the continental tournament.
In the eight-team competition, Nida Dar will still be in charge of the Women in Green. She hasn’t been playing well lately with the bat or the ball, and the squad hasn’t played well enough under her direction. The selectors, however, have confidence in the seasoned cricket player.
The 17-member team that toured England last month did not include Waheeda Akhtar, Rameen Shamim, Ayesha Zafar, Natalia Parvaiz, Sadaf Shamas, Umm-e-Hani, or Waheeda Zafar. The selectors have instead named Tasmia Rubab, Omaima Sohail, Syeda Aroob Shah, and Iram Javed. To those who don’t know, Pakistan finished the English tour without a win.
The only player in the team without a cap is Rubab, a 22-year-old left-arm pacer. In November 2023, she represented Pakistan A in matches against West Indies A and Thailand. In the most recent National Women’s One-Day Tournament 2023–24, Tasmia played for Multan and amassed 86 runs while claiming 12 wickets. In the National Women T20 Tournament 2023–24, Tasmia also claimed four wickets at an economy rate of 6.36.
Rubab is among the four athletes who did not participate in any international cricket matches this season but managed to secure spots for the next assignment. Omaima Sohail and Syeda Aroob Shah make their first-ever comebacks since the tours to South Africa and New Zealand, respectively, and batting all-rounder Iram Javed, who hasn’t played T20Is since Pakistan’s tour of Bangladesh last year, rejoins the team.
Also read: Updated Women’s Asia Cup 2024 schedule released by ACC: India will take on Pakistan on July 19
In the meantime, Pakistan’s Women’s Asia Cup squad will begin a training camp in Karachi on July 5 and continue until July 16, when the team departs. Hanif Malik, assistant coach for fielding, Abdur Rehman, assistant coach for spin bowling, and assistant coach for bowling Junaid Khan will assist new head coach Muhammad Wasim in overseeing the camp. Furthermore, the positions of team manager, physiotherapist, and analyst, respectively, have already been confirmed for Hina Munawar, Rabia Siddiq, and Waleed Ahmed.
Along with the UAE, Nepal, and bitter adversary India, Pakistan is a member of Group ‘A’. In the meanwhile, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia make up Group “B.” Pakistan takes meet Harmanpreet Kaur’s India at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on July 19 to kick off their campaign. After this tantalising match, on July 21 and 23, respectively, Nida and Co. will play Nepal and the UAE.
Pakistan squad for Women’s Asia Cup:
Nida Dar (C), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sandhu, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan
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