Abdul Samad has been entrusted with leading Pakistan Shaheens in the upcoming 50-over men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament, set to take place in Qatar from 19 to 29 November. Having already represented Pakistan in six One Day Internationals (ODIs) and eight Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), Samad brings significant experience to the squad.
The selection committee has introduced a 15-player team, highlighting players with prior international exposure for this eight-team competition. Among the batsmen are Hasan Nawaz, making his return to the national ODI side following a year-long hiatus, Haider Ali, Maaz Sadaqat, Shamyl Hussain, Farhan Yousaf, and Shahzaib Khan.
In the bowling department, Mohammad Hasnain, who first made his ODI appearance in 2019, is expected to lead the charge. Supporting him will be Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, and Sufyan Moqim. Moqim was recently part of Pakistan’s line-up during the Rawalpindi leg of a tri-series.
The squad also comprises three allrounders: Mohammad Imran, Saad Masood, and Danish Aziz. Former Pakistan U19 captain Rohail Nazir takes on the role of wicketkeeper. Notably, Imran stepped onto the Test scene in September, debuting against England in the third Test at Edgbaston, and has recently played his inaugural T20I against Sri Lanka.
Farhan Yousaf and Shahzaib Khan are the newcomers still waiting to debut for the national team.
The Pakistan Shaheens are the reigning champions in both the T20 and 50-over Asia Cup Rising Stars categories. They claimed the most recent 50-over title by defeating India A by 128 runs in the final in 2023 at R Premadasa in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Drawn into Group B, Pakistan will face off against the UAE, India A, and Nepal. Their campaign kicks off on 20 November against UAE, followed by a match-up with India A on 22 November, and concluding the group stage against Nepal on 25 November. Group A features Bangladesh A, Sri Lanka A, Afghanistan A, and Hong Kong, China. The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals, slated for 26 and 27 November.
Pakistan Shaheens Squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup:
– Abdul Samad (captain)
– Ahmed Daniyal
– Akif Javed
– Danish Aziz
– Farhan Yousaf
– Haider Ali
– Hasan Nawaz
– Maaz Sadaqat
– Mohammad Hasnain
– Mohammad Imran
– Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper)
– Saad Masood
– Shahzaib Khan
– Shamyl Hussain
– Sufyan Moqim
