Wahab Riaz Mohammad Yousuf for Pakistan. Image Credits: AFP
The PCB unveiled Pakistan Women’s squad for the upcoming Women’s Asia Cup 2026 that is scheduled to take place in Dubai on August 28. Fatima Sana is set to lead the 15-member squad, marking his return to the national side.
The Women’s Asia Cup 2026 will be an 8-team tournament that will be held in Dubai later this month. Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside India Women, Hong Kong Women and Thailand Women.
Fatima Sana to lead Pakistan in Women’s Asia Cup 2026
Having said that, veteran all-rounder Fatima Sana will return to lead Pakistan in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026. Sana was missing from Pakistan's recent T20I series against Sri Lanka because she was playing for Birmingham Phoenix.
This was significant because she became the first Pakistani woman to play in The Hundred. Now that her commitments with Birmingham Phoenix are over, she is back with the national team and will captain Pakistan in the Asia Cup.
Apart from Fatima Sana, two other players, Sadia Iqbal and Gull Feroza, have returned to the squad. Sadia also missed the entire Sri Lanka tour, while Feroza was left out of the T20I leg but played in the ODI matches.
Pakistan Women Asia Cup squad 2026:
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
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Fatima Sana’s captaincy record
Interestingly, Fatima Sana took over as Pakistan Women’s T20I captain in 2024. Under her leadership, the team qualified for the 2025 Women’s T20 World Cup.
Overall, she has led Pakistan in 23 WT20Is, where the team won 8 games while also losing 14 contests. Her winning percentage as T20I captain stands at 34.78, which is clearly a concerning sign.
However, in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026, Pakistan Women will hope for a change in fortune. With a much stronger squad, the women in green are one of the favourites for this tournament.
Wahab Riaz retained as head coach
In yet another crucial decision, the PCB has decided to retain former cricketer Wahab Riaz as head coach of Pakistan Women for the upcoming Asia Cup and Asian Games 2026 despite a disappointing run of results.
Under Wahab, the team managed only one win at the T20 World Cup and subsequently lost both the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka. Despite that poor record, the PCB has opted against making a coaching change.
Wahab Riaz will continue working alongside batting coach Imran Farhat and bowling coaches Abdul Rehman and Umaid Asif. The upcoming tournaments will therefore give the coaching staff an opportunity to improve the team's results and restore confidence.
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