Left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal has replaced Fatima Sana in Pakistan’s 15-member squad for the forthcoming 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. “The 28-year-old Sadia will join the squad in China after approval from the technical committee of the Asian Games,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.
Right-arm fast bowler Fatima Sana picked up a niggle during the second ODI against South Africa at the National Bank Stadium on 11 September and was rested in the third ODI against South Africa on Thursday, 14 September.
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The fast bowler later underwent an MRI where the scans and the subsequent assessment by the PCB medical panel concluded that the fast bowler suffered an injury in her right thigh which resulted in her unavailability to the side for the 19th Asian Games. Pakistan women’s team, in a bid to attain a gold medal in the Asian Games for the third time in a row, will travel to China from Lahore via Doha later tonight.
As per the ICC T20I rankings and tournament rule, the Pakistan women’s team will feature in the event from the quarter-finals scheduled to take place from 21 to 22 September. The semi-finals will be played on 24 September, while the final will take place on 25 September. The match for a bronze medal will also take place on Monday, 25 September.
Pakistan squad for Asian Games: Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Anoosha Nasir, Diana Baig, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sundhu, Nataliya Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah and Umm-e-Hani.