LAHORE:Maaz Sadagat and Hasan Nawaz, who have recently established themselves in Pakistan’s senior Twenty20 International and ODI sides respectively, have been named in the 15-member Pakistan Shaheens squad for the Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament, with Abdul Samad appointed captain for the 50-over tournament in Qatar.
Their inclusion in the developmental side comes after impressive recent performances for Pakistan. Maaz made an immediate impact in the T20I series against Sri Lanka in October, scoring two consecutive half centuries -the latter being a blistering 96 off 51.
The 21-year-old left-hander’s emergence has been equally notable in the longer white-ball format. He scored 75 off 46 balls and took three wickets for 23 runs in the second ODI against Bangladesh in March, earning the player-of-thematch award.
Hasan, meanwhile, has made a strong case for a regular place in Pakistan’s ODI batting order. His 79 off 74 balls against England in the tri-series was among the highlights of his recent run, which also included scores of 37 against Sri Lanka in the series. He finished the tri-series final unbeaten on 37 as Pakistan chased down 326 to win the title.
The Pakistan Cricket Board announced the squad on Tuesday, with the Shaheens set to defend the 50-over title they won in Sri Lanka in 2023. Pakistan are also the reigning champions of the T20 version, having beaten Bangladesh A in a final decided by a Super Over.
The eight-team tournament will feature two groups of four sides. Pakistan are in Group ‘B’ alongside India A, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates, while Group ‘A’ comprises Afghanistan A, Bangladesh A, Hong Kong China and Sri Lanka A.
The Shaheens begin their campaign against the UAE on Nov 20 at the University of Doha Science and Technology ground. They will then face India A on Nov 22 and Nepal on Nov 24, with both matches scheduled at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium.
All three group matches are day-night fixtures except the opening game. The semi-finals will be played on Nov 26 and 27, with the final on Nov 29.
Samad’s batting group also includes Haider Ali, Shahzaib Khan, Farhan Yousuf and Shamyl Hussain, while Rohail Nazir has been named wicket-keeper. The spin options are Danish Aziz, Saad Masood and Sufyan Mogim.
The pace attack comprises Mohammad Hasnain, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed and Muhammad Imran Randhawa.
Daniyal was part of the Shaheens team that won the previous T20 edition, playing a key role in the Super Over triumph.
Pakistan beat India A by 128 runs in the 2023 50-over final. They were runners-up in the first two editions, in 2013 and 2017, before winning the competition in 2019.