Pakistan's New Captain Steps In as Star Skipper Sits Out

·
Listen to this article~4 min

Muneeba Ali takes over as Pakistan captain for the ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy in Ajman as Fatima Sana sits out for WBBL duty. Here's the full squad and what to expect.

Pakistan's women's cricket team is heading into the ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy with a fresh face at the helm. Muneeba Ali will captain the side in Ajman, UAE, from November 12 to 25, and the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed a 14-player squad this week. The big storyline? Regular captain Fatima Sana won't be there. ### Why Fatima Sana Is Sitting This One Out Sana got the green light to skip the 10-team competition because of her Women's Big Bash League commitments. Perth Scorchers signed her for the season, and it's her first stint in the Australian tournament—a big deal for her career. So the selectors had to plan without their usual leader, and they didn't have to look far for a replacement. Muneeba has worn the captain's armband before. She led Pakistan in the three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka earlier this year, so she knows the job. Ayesha Zafar steps in as vice-captain. ### A Squad Built on Recent Success Here's something worth noting: 12 of the 14 players come straight from the group that won bronze at the recent Asian Games in Japan. That's not a coincidence—the selectors clearly want to ride that momentum. Sadaf Shamas and Waheeda Akhtar are back in the fold after missing that tournament, which adds fresh options to an already settled group. The batting order looks deep. Zafar, Gull Feroza, Shamas, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Eyman Fatima, and Saira Jabeen all feature. Keep an eye on Eman Naseer too—she's just 19, made her Pakistan debut in the Sri Lanka series, and already has three T20Is under her belt. ### Spin Is Pakistan's Weapon Left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu anchors the bowling attack. She's the only Pakistani in the ICC top 10 for women's T20I bowlers, and that experience matters in a tournament format like this one. Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani, and Momina Riasat give the side extra spin depth, while Tasmia Rubab and Akhtar handle the pace duties. Muneeba and Feroza will share wicketkeeping. ### The Full Squad - Muneeba Ali (captain, wicketkeeper) - Ayesha Zafar (vice-captain) - Eman Naseer - Eyman Fatima - Gull Feroza (wicketkeeper) - Momina Riasat - Nashra Sandhu - Sadaf Shamas - Saira Jabeen - Shawaal Zulfiqar - Tasmia Rubab - Tuba Hassan - Umm-e-Hani - Waheeda Akhtar ### Group B Won't Be Easy The tournament has grown from eight teams to 10 since its first edition last year. Pakistan makes its debut as one of five Full Member nations, and they're in Group B with defending champions Thailand, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, and Zimbabwe. The format: two groups of five, with the top three from each moving into the Super Six stage. Semi-finals and the final follow from there. Pakistan opens against Bangladesh on November 12, day one of the competition. No warm-up match, no easing in—straight into the deep end. As Muneeba put it in her first outing as captain earlier this year, leading the side is about keeping things simple and trusting the group. That approach will get tested right away against a Bangladesh side that knows these conditions well. With a debut on the line, a new captain in charge, and a squad packed with Asian Games medalists, Pakistan has the pieces to make noise in Ajman. The question is whether they can put them together fast enough.

📌 Worth Reading Next