Pakistan announces 15-member squad for Women’s Asian Games 2023, senior player misses out

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made an official announcement on Tuesday to unveil the women’s squad for the upcoming Asian Games. The event is scheduled to take place from September 19 to 26 in Hangzhou, China, in the fast-paced T20 format. Shockingly, former Pakistan skipper Bismah Maroof will not participate in the event due to personal reasons.

Two promising young players, left-arm spinner Anoosha Nasir and right-handed batter Shawaal Zulfiqar, have gotten their maiden call-ups to the national team. Their selection comes as a result of their impressive performances in the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup and the Emerging Women’s Teams Asia Cup.

Senior player Diana Baig will make a comeback as she has successfully recovered from a finger injury. Her inclusion will add valuable experience to the 15-member lineup. It’s worth noting that Pakistan will start their campaign directly after the quarterfinals because of their T20I rankings.

Will Pakistan be able to make it a hat-trick of Gold medals?

Having secured gold medals in the previous two editions held in Guangzhou, China (2010), and Incheon, South Korea (2014), the Pakistan women’s team will be determined to achieve a remarkable hat-trick of victories in the prestigious Asian Games. With their sights set on the ultimate prize, the team will undoubtedly showcase their skills, dedication, and passion for cricket on the grand stage in Hangzhou.

Notably, this year India will also send teams to the Asian Games in both the women’s and men’s groups. The men’s team will be led by Young batter Ruturaj Gaikwad, while Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the women’s team in the prestigious tournament. Like Pakistan, the Indian team will also start their campaign directly after the quarterfinals.

Pakistan’s squad for the Asian Games:

Nida Dar (c), Aliya Riaz, Anoosha Nasir, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sandhu, Nataliya Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Umm-e-Hani

India’s squad for the Asian Games:

Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Minnu Mani, Uma Chetry (wk), Shefali Verma, Smriti Mandhana (VC), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Anjali Sarvani, Titas Sadhu, Anusha Bareddy, Amanjot Kaur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Devika Vaidya, Kanika Ahuja