The Pakistan women’s cricket team is gearing up to return to action for the first time since their series losses against the West Indies and England. They will be competing in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, which kicks off on Friday. The tournament will start with a match between Nepal and the UAE. Pakistan’s opening game will be against their long-time rivals and tournament favorites, India, scheduled for the following day.

The tournament places Pakistan’s team, under the leadership of captain Nida Dar, in Group ‘A’, alongside India, the UAE, and Nepal. Group ‘B’ features Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Given their recent form, Pakistan faces a challenging task. They have won only one out of their last 14 matches, which includes both one-day internationals and T20 internationals.

The team’s recent struggles have led to yet another change in their coaching staff. The team has appointed Mohammad Wasim as the new head coach, marking his third appointment in the past year. Junaid Khan and Abdur Rehman have also joined the coaching team as assistant and spin-bowling coaches, respectively. Additionally, the women’s selection committee has seen several adjustments.

For the T20 Asia Cup, Pakistan has made significant changes to their squad, dropping six players from the team that toured England, their previous assignment before this tournament. The 15-member squad spent 11 days at a training camp in Karachi before heading to Sri Lanka. Nida Dar expressed confidence in the team’s preparation and her leadership. She emphasized that the camp helped them address their weaknesses and improve their game.

Nida Dar stated, “As a captain, I am looking forward to giving my best. We worked very hard in camp and tried to overcome all of the team’s weaknesses. Our aim is to play positive and fearless cricket. We intend to remain positive in our approach and showcase our abilities according to the requirements of the conditions here.”

After their match against India, Pakistan will play against Nepal on July 21 and the UAE on July 23. The top two teams from each group will move on to the semi-finals, with the final scheduled for July 28.

In the previous edition of the T20 Asia Cup, held in Sylhet, Bangladesh, in October 2022, Pakistan reached the semi-finals but lost to Sri Lanka by just one run. This performance shows that the team has the potential to compete at a high level, but they will need to perform well to advance further this time.

The tournament squad includes Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sandhu, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, and Tuba Hassan. As they head into the tournament, all eyes will be on how they perform against tough competition and whether they can make a mark in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup.