Pakistan have unveiled their squads for two major assignments on the women’s cricket calendar, with Fatima Sana returning to captain the side in both the Women’s Asia Cup and the 20th Asian Games.
The regular Pakistan captain missed the recently concluded T20I series against Sri Lanka because of her commitments in The Hundred, but she will now return to lead the national team through what promises to be a busy international schedule.
The Women’s Asia Cup will take place in Dubai from August 28 to September 13, while the women’s cricket competition at the Asian Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 17 to 22.
Pakistan have named separate 15-member squads for the two tournaments, with a core group of players featuring in both teams.
Pakistan drawn with India in Asia Cup
Pakistan have been placed in Group A for the Women’s Asia Cup alongside arch-rivals India, Thailand and Hong Kong, China.
Group B consists of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.
Pakistan will begin their campaign against Thailand on September 1 before facing India on September 5. Their final group-stage fixture will be against Hong Kong, China on September 7.
With the top teams advancing to the knockout stage, Pakistan will need to produce consistent performances from the opening game if they are to go deep into the tournament.
The semi-finals are scheduled for September 10 and 11, followed by the final on September 13.
All matches will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with the games scheduled to begin at 7:30pm Pakistan time.
Asian Games campaign begins against Thailand
Pakistan will then turn their attention to the Asian Games in Japan, where they have been seeded alongside Thailand.
The Pakistan team will enter the competition in the fourth quarter-final on September 17 at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi, where they will face Thailand.
The other quarter-finals will see India take on hosts Japan, Bangladesh face China and Sri Lanka meet Malaysia.
Pakistan have a strong history in women’s cricket at the Asian Games, having won gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 editions.
Their most recent campaign, however, ended without a medal as Pakistan finished fourth at the 2022 Games.
If Fatima Sana and her teammates manage to get past Thailand, they will face either Sri Lanka or Malaysia in the semi-final.
The medal matches are scheduled to take place on September 22.
Core group retained for both tournaments
The selectors have kept a sizeable core of players across both squads, providing continuity ahead of the two back-to-back assignments.
Fatima Sana, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Ayesha Zafar, Gull Feroza, Saira Jabeen, Eyman Fatima, Eman Naseer, Umm-e-Hani, Tuba Hassan, Nashra Sundhu and Momina Riasat have all been selected for both tournaments.
There are, however, a few changes between the two squads.
Najiha Alvi, Waheeda Akhtar and Sadia Iqbal have been included in the Asia Cup squad but will not travel to Japan for the Asian Games.
Meanwhile, Aliya Riaz, Tasmia Rubab and Humna Bilal have been selected for the Asian Games squad and will join the team in Japan.
The selection gives Pakistan a blend of experienced campaigners and emerging players as the team prepares for two important tournaments in quick succession.
Training camp to begin in Lahore
Before heading to Dubai, Pakistan’s players will gather at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore for a training camp.
The camp is scheduled to run from August 16 to 25 and will serve as the final preparation phase for the Asia Cup.
With India waiting in the group stage and a demanding knockout route ahead, Pakistan will be looking to use the camp to sharpen their combinations and build momentum before the tournament begins.
For Fatima Sana, the return to captaincy comes at an important stage. With the Asia Cup followed almost immediately by the Asian Games, Pakistan will have little time to recover between the two campaigns.
The challenge for the team will be to maintain consistency across both tournaments and turn their preparations into strong performances on the field.
Pakistan Women’s Asia Cup squad
Fatima Sana (captain), Ayesha Zafar, Eman Naseer, Eyman Fatima, Gull Feroza, Momina Riasat, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sundhu, Sadia Iqbal, Saira Jabeen, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani, Waheeda Akhtar.
Pakistan Women’s Asian Games squad
Fatima Sana (captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Eman Naseer, Eyman Fatima, Gull Feroza, Humna Bilal, Momina Riasat, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Nashra Sundhu, Saira Jabeen, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani.
