Muneeba Ali to captain Pakistan at Women's Emerging Nations Trophy
The Pakistan Cricket Board has named a 14-member squad for the ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy 2026, with Muneeba Ali as captain. The tournament will be played in Ajman, UAE, from 12 to 25 November.
- Muneeba Ali to captain, Ayesha Zafar named vice-captain
- Tournament in Ajman, UAE, 12 to 25 November
- Pakistan are in Group B with Bangladesh, Thailand, Netherlands and Zimbabwe
The Pakistan Cricket Board announced a 14-member squad on Tuesday for the ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy 2026. Muneeba Ali, a wicketkeeper-batter, will lead the side, and batter Ayesha Zafar will be vice-captain.
The tournament will be held in Ajman, United Arab Emirates, from 12 to 25 November. According to The Express Tribune, the 30-match event features 10 teams split into two groups.
Pakistan have been placed in Group B alongside Bangladesh, Thailand, the Netherlands and Zimbabwe. Group A consists of Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland, Papua New Guinea and the hosts, the UAE.
After a single round-robin stage, three teams from each group will move into the Super Six stage, where each will play three matches. The top two teams from that stage will meet in the final. The Express Tribune gave the final's date as Wednesday, 25 November, while Express News Urdu reported 26 November.
The batters in the squad are Eman Naseer, Eyman Fatima, Sadaf Shamas, Saira Jabeen and Shawaal Zulfiqar. Gull Feroza, named best wicketkeeper-batter in the recent National Women's T20 Tournament, is also included. Left-arm spinner Nashra Sundhu will lead the bowling, with Momina Riasat, Tuba Hassan and Umm-e-Hani as the other spinners. Tasmia Rubab and Waheeda Akhtar are the main pace options.
Pakistan most recently won the bronze medal at the Asian Games in Japan. Twelve players have kept their places from the previous assignment, while Sadaf and Waheeda have been recalled. Regular captain Fatima Sana will miss the event because she will be in Australia for her first Women's Big Bash League season.
The squad will gather in Lahore on 6 November and hold a training camp on 7, 8 and 9 November before leaving for the UAE. Wahab Riaz will be mentor and Ayesha Ashar team manager. The support staff also includes Abdur Rehman, Umaid Asif, Abdul Majeed, Imran Farhat, Waleed Ahmed, Moeen and Dur Samand.
Why it matters
Pakistan's women's team will play an international tournament, which Pakistani cricket followers track closely. The squad is led by a new captain because regular captain Fatima Sana will be away.
