Pakistan Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy Squad: Muneeba Ali to Lead 14-Member Side

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 14-member Pakistan squad for the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy 2026, with wicketkeeper-batter Muneeba Ali named captain. Ayesha Zafar will serve as vice-captain. The 10-team tournament will be played in Ajman, United Arab Emirates, from November 12 to 25, 2026, and marks Pakistan’s debut in the competition, which was launched in 2025.

Key facts

Why Muneeba Ali leads the side

Muneeba Ali is one of Pakistan’s most experienced white-ball batters, and her appointment as captain for this tournament is a direct consequence of regular captain Fatima Sana’s unavailability. Fatima Sana will be in Australia for her first season in the Women’s Big Bash League, so the PCB has turned to Muneeba, who has previously captained Pakistan in four T20 internationals and one one-day international. Gull Feroza is the second wicketkeeper in the squad, rewarded after being named the best wicketkeeper-batter in the recently concluded National Women’s T20 Tournament.

The leadership group is deliberately experienced. Ayesha Zafar, named vice-captain, brings senior batting stability to a squad that otherwise leans young, which is exactly the point of an Emerging Nations event: it is a development tournament, and the PCB has balanced youth with players who have already worn Pakistan colours at senior level.

Full Pakistan squad

The 14-member squad is: Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (captain, wicketkeeper), Ayesha Zafar (vice-captain), Eman Naseer, Eyman Fatima, Gull Feroza (wicketkeeper), Momina Riasat, Nashra Sundhu, Sadaf Shamas, Saira Jabeen, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda Akhtar.

Twelve players from Pakistan’s previous assignment have kept their places. The two changes are recalls: Sadaf Shamas and Waheeda Akhtar return to the side. The batting group alongside Muneeba and Ayesha features Eman Naseer, Eyman Fatima, Sadaf Shamas, Saira Jabeen and Shawaal Zulfiqar, with Gull Feroza as the second keeper-batter.

Bowling attack: spin leads, pace supports

Left-arm spinner Nashra Sundhu will spearhead the bowling attack. She will be supported by fellow spinners Momina Riasat, Tuba Hassan and Umm-e-Hani, giving Pakistan four spin options for UAE conditions, where slow bowling traditionally plays a big role. Tasmia Rubab and Waheeda Akhtar are the frontline pace options. That balance — four spinners, two specialist pacers, plus part-time options among the batters — is built for Ajman’s pitches and for a tournament where teams play several games in a short window.

Pakistan’s group and road to the final

Pakistan have been placed in Group B alongside defending champions Thailand, Bangladesh, the Netherlands and Zimbabwe. Group A comprises Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland, Papua New Guinea and hosts UAE. The tournament features 30 matches in total.

Each group plays a single round-robin. The top three teams from each group advance to the Super Six stage, where they play three matches each. The top two teams from the Super Six then meet in the final on Wednesday, November 25. For Pakistan, a debut tournament, reaching the Super Six would be a solid return; the group draw is competitive but not impossible, with Thailand — the defending champions — the clear benchmark in Group B.

Recent form: Asian Games bronze behind them

Pakistan arrive at this tournament on the back of a bronze-medal finish at the Asian Games in Japan, and 12 players from that assignment have retained their places. That continuity matters: this is not a scratch side thrown together for a new event, but a settled group that has played together recently and knows its roles. The bronze-medal run is also the most recent form guide for a squad whose players will now test themselves against a wider field of emerging nations.

Camp dates: Lahore first, then UAE

The squad will gather in Lahore on November 6, with a three-day training camp running from November 7 to 9 before the team travels to the UAE. That gives the coaching staff a short, focused window to settle the playing XI and the batting order before the tournament opener. For fans, the camp dates also mark the last domestic window before the squad departs: any late fitness or selection news would be expected to surface during that November 6–9 period.

What this tournament means for Pakistan women’s cricket

The Emerging Nations Trophy is designed for teams outside the established top tier, and Pakistan’s debut in it is a chance to build depth beyond the senior XI. With Fatima Sana away at the WBBL, this tournament also gives Muneeba Ali a captaincy audition at ICC-event level and gives younger batters and spinners a full tournament of international exposure. Strong performances here feed directly into senior-team selection conversations for the next cycle.

Pakistan’s men’s side is in the middle of its own home tri-series — Pakistan beat England by one wicket to seal a final spot — and the women’s programme has its own momentum to protect. A competitive showing in Ajman would keep that momentum going into the new year. For context on Pakistan’s recent home form, Pakistan sealed a T20I series win over Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, while the wider sporting picture includes Manchester City’s 3-0 win at Anfield in the Premier League.

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