Haris to lead Pakistan Shaheens in ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup

Staff Report

LAHORE: Mohammad Haris, who has featured in nine T20Is and six ODIs for Pakistan, will lead Pakistan Shaheens in the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup commencing in Oman from 18 October. Before the Shaheens’ departure to Oman on 16 October, the squad will undergo a camp at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre in Karachi from 11 to 15 October. Abdul Samad, Ahmed Daniyal, Yasir Khan and Zaman Khan will represent Pakistan Shaheens for the first time. Samad featured for UMT Markhors in the recently concluded Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup 2024-25 and scored at a strike-rate of 122.88. Ahmed Daniyal playing for Nurpur Lions bagged 10 wickets, while Yasir and Zaman featured for Allied Bank Stallions in four and two matches, respectively.

Eight teams will participate in the event with four teams divided into two groups. All matches will take place at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground in Muscat. Group A consists of Afghanistan ‘A’, Bangladesh ‘A’, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka ‘A’, while defending champions Pakistan Shaheens are slotted in Group B alongside India ‘A’, Oman and UAE. Haris-led Shaheens will take on last year’s finalists India ‘A’ in their opening match on 19 October. Shaheens’ second outing in the tournament will be against hosts Oman on 21 October, followed by their final group match will be against the UAE on 23 October. The top two sides from each group will qualify for the semi-finals scheduled to take place on 25 October. The final will take place on Sunday, 27 October. Usman Wahla, PCB Director International, said: “Pakistan Shaheens are excited to showcase PCB’s emerging talent at the ACC Emerging Teams T20 Asia Cup. We commend the Asian Cricket Council for their continuous efforts to foster player development across member nations. Initiatives like the Emerging Teams T20 Asia Cup are vital for creating opportunities for young talents to grow and excel.”

Pakistan Shaheens squad:

Mohammad Haris (captain), Abdul Samad, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohmmad Imran Jnr, Omair Bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Shahnawaz Dahani, Sufiyan Moqim, Yasir Khan and Zaman Khan

Team management: Umar Rasheed (head coach-cum-manager), Imran Farhat (batting coach), Riffatullah Mohmand (fielding coach), Usman Hashmi (analyst) and Syed Mohammad Asad (physiotherapist).