The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced 15-member squads for the DP World Women’s Asia Cup 2026 and the 20th Asian Games women’s cricket event, with captain Fatima Sana returning to lead the side in both tournaments.

Fatima missed Pakistan’s recent T20I series against Sri Lanka due to her commitments in The Hundred but will now return to captain the national team.

The eight-team Women’s Asia Cup will be held from August 28 to September 13 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with all 15 matches scheduled to start at 7.30pm Pakistan time.

Pakistan have been placed in Group A alongside India, Thailand and Hong Kong, China, while Group B features Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.

Pakistan will begin their campaign against Thailand on September 1 before facing India on September 5 and Hong Kong, China on September 7.

The semi-finals are scheduled for September 10 and 11, with the final to be played on September 13.

For the Asian Games, Pakistan have been seeded alongside Thailand and will face them in the fourth quarter-final on September 17 at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi, Japan.

India will face Japan, Bangladesh will meet China, while Sri Lanka will take on Malaysia in the other quarter-finals.

If Pakistan reach the semi-finals, they will face either Sri Lanka or Malaysia on September 20.

The bronze-medal and gold-medal matches are scheduled for September 22.

Pakistan won gold medals in the women’s cricket events at the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games, but finished fourth at the most recent edition in 2022.

Fatima Sana, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Ayesha Zafar, Gull Feroza, Saira Jabeen, Eyman Fatima, Eman Naseer, Umm-e-Hani, Tuba Hassan, Nashra Sundhu and Momina Riasat have been included in both squads.

Najiha Alvi, Waheeda Akhtar and Sadia Iqbal will feature in the Asia Cup squad, while Aliya Riaz, Tasmia Rubab and Humna Bilal have been included in the Asian Games squad.

The Asian Games squad was submitted in June, with the team set to travel from the UAE to Japan for the tournament.

The Pakistan women’s team will also attend a pre-tournament training camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore from August 16 to 25.

Squad for Asia Cup

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.

Squad for Asian Games

Fatima Sana (captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Eman Naseer, Eyman Fatima, Gull Feroza, Humna Bilal, Momina Riasat, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (wicketkeeper), Nashra Sundhu, Saira Jabeen, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan and Umm-e-Hani.

Support staff

Wahab Riaz will serve as coach and mentor, with Ayesha Ashar as team manager.

Abdur Rehman will be the spin bowling coach, Umaid Asif is the fast bowling coach, Abdul Majeed the fielding coach and Imran Farhat the batting coach.