Abdul Samad to Lead Pakistan Shaheens in ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming 50-over ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026, which will take place in Qatar from November 19 to 29.
Abdul Samad has been appointed captain of Pakistan Shaheens as they prepare to defend their title in the eight-team tournament. Pakistan have been placed in Group B alongside India A, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Shaheens will begin their campaign against UAE on November 20 before taking on India A on November 22. Their final group-stage match will be against Nepal on November 24.
The semi-finals are scheduled for November 26 and 27, while the final will be played on November 29. Pakistan’s opening match will be a day fixture at the University of Doha Science and Technology Ground, while their remaining matches are scheduled as day-night games at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium.
Apart from captain Abdul Samad, Pakistan’s batting line-up includes Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Haider Ali, Shahzaib Khan, Farhan Yousuf and Shamyl Hussain. Rohail Nazir has been named as the team’s wicketkeeper.
The squad also has a balanced bowling attack. Danish Aziz, Saad Masood and Sufyan Moqim will handle the spin department, while Mohammad Hasnain will lead the pace attack. Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed and Muhammad Imran Randhawa complete the fast-bowling options.
Pakistan will enter the tournament with plenty of confidence, having enjoyed success in both previous formats of the competition. The Shaheens won the 50-over edition in 2023 in Sri Lanka after defeating India A by 128 runs.
They also lifted the trophy in the previous T20 edition after beating Bangladesh A in a closely contested final that went down to a Super Over. This makes Pakistan the defending champions in both formats of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars.
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Pakistan have a strong history in the tournament. They finished runners-up in the first two editions in 2013 and 2017 before winning the title in 2019.
Meanwhile, Group A of this year’s competition features Afghanistan A, Bangladesh A, Hong Kong China and Sri Lanka A.
With a strong squad and a title to defend, Pakistan Shaheens will be looking to continue their winning run and make another successful campaign in Qatar.
Pakistan Shaheens’ 15-member 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.
Pakistan Shaheens’ fixtures
20 November UAE 11:00 am at University of Doha Science and Technology
22 November India A 3:00 pm at West End Park International Cricket Stadium
24 November Nepal 3:00 pm at West End Park International Cricket Stadium
26 November First Semi-final 3:00 pm at West End Park International Cricket Stadium
27 November Second Semi-final 3:00 pm at West End Park International Cricket Stadium
29 November Final 3:00 pm at West End Park International Cricket Stadium
