Pakistan Shaheens Name 15-Member Squad for ACC Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 in Qatar
Abdul Samad will lead defending champions Pakistan Shaheens at the 50-over ACC Men's Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 in Qatar, with the squad featuring Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Hasnain and Rohail Nazir.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed a 15-player Pakistan Shaheens squad for the ACC Men's Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026, a 50-over competition set to be staged in Qatar from November 19 to 29. Abdul Samad will captain the defending champions as they look to retain the title they won in Sri Lanka in 2023.
Pakistan has been drawn in Group B alongside India A, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates. The Shaheens open their campaign against the UAE on November 20 at 11:00 a.m. Pakistan time at the University of Doha Science and Technology, before taking on India A on November 22 and Nepal on November 24. Both of those matches are scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. Pakistan time start at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium, which will also host the semifinals on November 26 and 27 and the final on November 29.
The batting group features captain Samad alongside Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Haider Ali, Shahzaib Khan, Farhan Yousuf and Shamyl Hussain, with Rohail Nazir named as the designated wicketkeeper. Mohammad Hasnain leads the pace attack, which also includes Ahmed Daniyal, left-arm quick Akif Javed and Muhammad Imran Randhawa. Daniyal was the Super Over hero for the Shaheens in the previous edition. Danish Aziz, Saad Masood and Sufyan Moqim offer the spin options.
Group A consists of Afghanistan A, Bangladesh A, Hong Kong China and Sri Lanka A, with the top sides from each group progressing to the knockout stage.
Pakistan has a strong record in the competition. The Shaheens lifted the 50-over trophy in 2023 by defeating India A by 128 runs in the final, and they also claimed the most recent T20 edition after beating Bangladesh A in a Super Over. Pakistan previously won the tournament in 2019 and finished as runners-up in 2013 and 2017.
The announcement gives Pakistan's emerging players another high-profile platform to press for senior national selection, with the tournament set to draw attention across the region given the presence of India A and several other strong associate and A-team sides.
