Abdul Samad to lead Pakistan Shaheens in Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 15-member Pakistan Shaheens squad for the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026, scheduled to take place in Qatar from November 19 to 29.

Abdul Samad will captain the defending champions in the eight-team 50-over tournament, with Pakistan placed in Group B alongside India A, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Pakistan will begin their campaign against UAE on November 20 before facing arch-rivals India A on November 22. Their final group-stage fixture will be against Nepal on November 24.

The squad features a strong batting lineup comprising Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Haider Ali, Shahzaib Khan, Farhan Yousuf and Shamyl Hussain, while Rohail Nazir has been named as the designated wicketkeeper.

Danish Aziz, Saad Masood and Sufyan Moqim will provide the spin options, while the pace attack will be led by Mohammad Hasnain, alongside Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed and Muhammad Imran Randhawa.

Pakistan Shaheens will enter the competition as defending champions in both the 50-over and T20 formats. They won the previous 50-over edition in 2023, defeating India A by 128 runs in the final in Sri Lanka.

In the most recent T20 edition, Pakistan also lifted the trophy after defeating Bangladesh A in a thrilling final decided by a Super Over.

The semi-finals of the 2026 tournament will be played on November 26 and 27, while the final is scheduled for November 29.

All Pakistan Shaheens’ matches will be played at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium, except their opening fixture against UAE, which will take place at the University of Doha Science and Technology.

Pakistan Shaheens squad: Abdul Samad (captain), Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Danish Aziz, Farhan Yousuf, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Saad Masood, Shahzaib Khan, Shamyl Hussain and Sufyan Moqim.