Fatima Sana will captain Pakistan at the Women’s Asia Cup after missing the T20I leg of the recent tour of Sri Lanka, when she was playing for Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred. She was the first Pakistani woman to feature in the Women’s Hundred.
Sadia Iqbal and Gull Feroza return as well. Sadia missed the whole Sri Lanka tour, while Gull played the ODIs but not the T20Is.
Preparation and first match
Pakistan will hold a camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore from August 16 to 25, then travel to Dubai. Their opening Asia Cup fixture is against Thailand on September 1.
Diana Baig left out
The most notable omission is experienced fast bowler Diana Baig, who is in neither the main squad nor the four-player reserve list. No official reason has been given.
Overlap with the Asian Games
The Asia Cup final is on September 13, while Pakistan could meet Thailand again in an Asian Games quarter-final on September 17, four days later. Najiha Alvi and Waheeda Akhtar are in the Asia Cup party but not the Asian Games squad, and Sadia Iqbal will be a reserve for the Games.
In the Asian Games group, Aliya Riaz, Tasmia Rubab and Humna Bilal replace Sadia, Waheeda and Najiha. Fatima remains captain for both events.
Asia Cup squad
Fatima Sana (captain), Ayesha Zafar, Eman Naseer, Eyman Fatima, Gull Feroza, Momina Riasat, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (wicketkeeper), Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sundhu, Sadia Iqbal, Saira Jabeen, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda Akhtar.
Reserves: Tasmia Rubab, Humna Bilal, Maham Anees and Sadaf Shamas.
