Fatima Sana has been appointed as the captain of the Pakistan women’s cricket team for the Women’s T20 Asia Cup and the Asian Games. The announcement was made by the national selectors on Sunday, who revealed two 15-member squads for these significant tournaments. Sana, a seam-bowling all-rounder, will lead the team as they prepare to compete on the international stage.
As per the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the national team will assemble for a 10-day preparation camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore starting from Sunday until August 25. The women’s Asia Cup is set to be played from August 28 to September 13, with all matches to be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. They will open their Asia Cup campaign against Thailand on September 1. They will then take on arch-rivals and seven-time winners India on September 5 and Hong Kong-China on September 7. the final is scheduled to be held on September 13 While the semi-finals will take place on September 10 and 11. In the Asian Games women’s cricket event, Pakistan is seeded with Thailand and will play them in the fourth quarter-final on September 17. Pakistan will face either Sri Lanka or Malaysia if they qualify for the semi-final on September 20. The Bronze and Gold Medal matches will take place on September 22. Pakistan won Gold Medals in the 2010, 2014 editions of the Asian Games women’s cricket event and finished fourth in the 2022 edition.
Also returning to the Pakistan T20I squad are left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal, who was not part of the tour of Sri Lanka, and batter Gull Feroza, who was left out of the recent T20Is but featured in the ODI leg of the tour. Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside Hong Kong-China, India and Thailand. All the matches are scheduled to take place at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi. Pakistan squad for ACC women’s Asia Cup: Fatima Sana (captain), Ayesha Zafar, Eman Naseer, Eyman Fatima, Gull Feroza, Momina Riasat, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (wk), Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sundhu, Sadia Iqbal, Saira Jabeen, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani, Waheeda Akhtar. Pakistan women’s squad for Asian Games: Fatim Sana (captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Eman Naseer, Eyman Fatima, Gull Feroza, Humna Bilal, Momina Riasat, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Saira Jabeen, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan and Umm-e-Hani.
