The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced the Pakistan Women’s ‘A’ squad for the upcoming ACC Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026, scheduled to take place from 13 to 22 February in Bangkok, Thailand.

The eight-team T20 tournament will feature a mix of national and ‘A’ sides, with Pakistan ‘A’ drawn in Group A alongside India ‘A’, UAE and Nepal. Group B comprises Bangladesh ‘A’, Sri Lanka ‘A’, Malaysia and hosts Thailand. Each team will play three group-stage matches, with the top two sides from each group advancing to the semi-finals.

Off-spinning all-rounder Umm-e-Hani has been appointed captain of the 15-member Pakistan ‘A’ squad. She will be supported by experienced campaigners including pace bowler Waheeda Akhtar and top-order batter Shawaal Zulfiqar, both of whom bring valuable exposure at higher competitive levels.

The squad also features emerging talent, with Pakistan Women’s U19 captain Eman Naseer and batter Komal Khan earning call-ups following their impressive performances in Pakistan’s recent 3-2 T20 series win over Bangladesh Women’s U19. Their inclusion reflects the PCB’s continued emphasis on creating a clear pathway from junior to senior cricket.

The batting unit includes Gull Rukh, Hafsa Khalid and Huraina Sajjad, while Yusra Amir has been entrusted with wicket-keeping duties. Pakistan’s bowling attack is built around variety and experience, with left-arm spinners Anosha Nasir and Momina Riasat forming a strong spin contingent alongside Umm-e-Hani and all-rounder Noreen Yaqoob. The pace department will be led by Waheeda Akhtar and supported by Lubna Behram, Neha Sharmin Nadeem and Syeda Masooma Jafri.

Four teams — UAE, Nepal, Malaysia and Thailand — will participate with their national sides, while Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will field ‘A’ teams, underlining the tournament’s role as a development platform for emerging players.

The squad was finalised following a week-long probables camp held at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre from 25 January, where 30 players were assessed. The selected players will now take part in a pre-tournament camp at the same venue before departing for Thailand on 10 February.

Pakistan ‘A’ will begin their campaign against Nepal on 13 February, followed by a highly anticipated clash against India ‘A’ on 15 February, before concluding the group stage against UAE on 17 February. All of Pakistan’s matches will be played at the Terdthai Cricket Ground in Bangkok.

Pakistan Women’s ‘A squad:

Batters: Eman Naseer (Islamabad), Gull Rukh (Dera Ghazi Khan), Hafsa Khalid (Karachi), Huraina Sajjad (Karachi), Shawaal Zulfiqar (Lahore)

Wicket-keeper: Yusra Amir (Karachi), Komal Khan (Lahore)

All-rounders: Noreen Yaqoob (Lahore) and Umm-e-Hani (Faisalabad)

Spinners: Anosha Nasir (Karachi), Momina Riasat (Abbottabad)

Pacers: Lubna Behram (Hunza), Neha Sharmin Nadeem (Karachi), Syeda Masooma Jafri (Karachi), Waheeda Akhtar (Lahore)

Non-travelling reserves: Zunash Abdul Sattar (Lahore), Maham Anees (Islamabad), Amber Kainat (Lahore) and Ayesha Bilal (Lahore)

Player support Personnel:

Muhammad Masroor (head coach), Shoaib Khan (batting coach), Naeem Tayyab (bowling coach), Jaweria Rauf (fielding coach), Taimoor Mehmood (strength & conditioning coach), Surakhsha Shaker (physiotherapist), Eman Tufail Arbab (performance analyst) and Aisha Jalil (team manager)