LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) yesterday announced a 14-member squad under the leadership of Nida Dar for the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup, which will be held in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, from 19 to 28 July. Ayesha Zafar, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda Akhtar, who were part of the 17-member squad that toured England last month, have been left out.

Instead, the selectors have recalled Iram Javed, Omaima Sohail, and Syeda Aroob Shah for the tournament. Iram Javed played the last of her 53 T20Is in October 2023 against Bangladesh at Chattogram, while Omaima Sohail last played against New Zealand in Queenstown in December 2023.

Syeda Aroob Shah has played seven T20Is so far, with the last one coming against South Africa in September 2023. Tasmia Rubab, the 22-year-old left-arm fast bowler, is the only uncapped player in the side. She played for Pakistan A against West Indies A and Thailand in November 2023.

Representing Multan in the recently held National Women’s One-Day Tournament 2023-24, Tasmia scored 86 runs and took 12 wickets. She also took four wickets at an economy rate of 6.36 in the National Women T20 Tournament 2023-24. Meanwhile, a training camp of the Pakistan women’s national cricket team for the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup will commence in Karachi from 5 July and will continue until the side’s departure on 16 July.  

Head coach Muhammad Wasim will supervise the camp and will be supported by Abdur Rehman (spin bowling coach), Junaid Khan (assistant coach - bowling) and Hanif Malik (assistant coach - fielding). Hina Munawar, Rabia Siddiq and Waleed Ahmed have already been confirmed as the team manager, physiotherapist and analyst, respectively. Pakistan are placed in Group ‘A’ along with India, Nepal and UAE, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand and Malaysia are in Group ‘B’. The top two teams from each group will play in the semi-finals on July 26.  

Pakistan will take on India on the opening day of the tournament on 19 July, while their matches against Nepal and UAE will be on 21 and 23 July, respectively. Pakistan squad for ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup: Nida Dar (c), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sundhu, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab and Tuba Hassan 

Published in The Daily National Courier, July, 01 2024

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