Pakistan Shaheens are set to begin their Men’s Rising Stars Asia Cup journey as they face Oman in the opening T20 match on 14 November at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha.
According to the official statement, “Pakistan Shaheens led by Muhammad Irfan Khan are placed in Group B alongside Oman, India ‘A’ and UAE,” while Group A features “Afghanistan ‘A’, Bangladesh ‘A’, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka ‘A’.”
The PCB confirmed that after the first match, “Pakistan Shaheens will face India ‘A’ on Sunday, 16 November, before playing their final group fixture against UAE on Tuesday, 18 November.”
The tournament format states that “the top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals on 21 November, while the final is scheduled for Sunday, 23 November.”
Ahead of the event, the squad completed preparations in Pakistan. As the board noted, “Pakistan Shaheens underwent a four-day training camp at the Hanif Muhammad High Performance Centre in Karachi from 8 to 11 November.”
Upon arrival in Doha, “the squad also held their first training session… to fine-tune preparations ahead of the event.”
Head coach Ijaz Ahmed Jnr shared detailed insights into the team’s readiness. He said, “Our camp in Karachi went very well where the players were fully focused, disciplined and the sessions were well-structured.”
He added that before traveling, “we observed the local conditions and noted that the pitches here tend to play a little low, so we defined clear roles for each player and worked on specific game plans accordingly.”
Looking ahead to the opener against Oman, he stressed, “In T20 cricket no team can be taken lightly… Our plans are based on detailed analysis and the players are mentally prepared and confident.”
He concluded, “We will stick to our strengths and play positive cricket throughout the tournament.”
The 15-member squad includes: Muhammad Irfan Khan (captain), Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Faiq, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Mohammad Naeem, Mohammad Salman, Mohammad Shahzad, Mubasir Khan, Saad Masood, Shahid Aziz, Sufiyan Moqim, Ubaid Shah, and Yasir Khan.
All Shaheens fixtures will be played in Doha:
- v Oman – 14 November
- v India ‘A’ – 16 November
- v UAE – 18 November
