Pak begin Women's U-19 WC campaign today

Pakistan face USA in their opening match as 16-team ICC tournament begins

JOHOR BAHRU:

Komal Khan-led Pakistan team will take on United States of America (USA) in the first of three Group B matches as they begin their ICC Women's U19 T20 World Cup campaign on Saturday, 18 January at the Johor Cricket Academy Oval, Johor, Malaysia.

Pakistan will face England on 20th January and Ireland on 22nd January at the same venue. At the end of the group stage, three teams from each of the four groups A, B, C and D will progress to the Super Six stage.

The bottom-ranked sides from Groups A and D, and B and C will contest in last place play-off on 24th January.

Teams which progress to the Super Six stage will play two matches each and will carry forward their wins, points and Net Run-rate (NRR) which is secured against their fellow Super Six qualifying teams.

The top two sides from each of the Super Six groups will advance to 31 January semi-finals, while the final will take place on 2 February.

Pakistan warmed up for the mega event by facing Nigeria and Australia on 13 and 15 January, respectively at Bayuemas Oval. Komal's outfit beat Nigeria by 11 runs at the YSD-UKM Cricket Oval and then lost to Australia 54 runs (DLS method) at the Selangor Turf Club in Kuala Lumpur.

Earlier, Pakistan team reached Malaysia on Saturday, 11th January following the conclusion of a nine-day intensive training session at Karachi's Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre.

The players trained and played scenario matches in the camp under the supervision of head coach and former Test cricketer Mohsin Kamal and his team of coaches involving Muhammad Hanif Malik and former Pakistan Women's international Nahida Khan.

Komal Khan, Pakistan's Women's U19 captain says:

"Our group has been together for some time now, which has added to the hunger and passion of leaving a mark at the big stage and likewise we have worked really hard on our game in the last couple of weeks.

"I feel the ultimate target will be to bring our best to the middle when we face USA, England and Ireland in our group matches and then look to convert the results in our favour.

"We have got the variety and talent in our bowling and batting departments and with the training and warm-ups done, the prospect of three highly competitive matches in the next five days makes us all excited to perform."

Pak Women's U-19 WC Squad:

Komal Khan (captain) (wicketkeeper batter) (Lahore), Zoofishan Ayyaz (vice-captain) (Wah Cantt), Aleesa Mukhtiar (Muzaffargarh), Areesha Ansari (Kasur), Fatima Khan (Lahore), Haniah Ahmer (Karachi), Maham Anees (Islamabad), Mahnoor Zeb (Mardan), Memoona Khalid (Lahore), Minahil (Faisalabad), Quratulain (Sialkot), Ravail Farhan (Lahore), Shahar Bano (Lodhran), Tayyaba Imdad (Abbottabad) and Wasifa Hussain (Karachi)

Don't rush your comeback, Afridi tells Saim

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has confirmed that young batter Saim Ayub will miss the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 due to a fractured ankle.

Saim sustained the injury on the opening day of the Cape Town Test against South Africa and was initially ruled out for six weeks. He is currently in London undergoing treatment and a detailed evaluation of his condition.

Speaking about Saim's recovery, Afridi shared that he recently advised the young batter not to rush his return to cricket.

"I spoke to Saim Ayub last night," Afridi said in an interview. "He mentioned that he needs three weeks before starting rehab. I advised him to take his time recovering because even a minor injury, if not fully healed, can lead to long-term issues. You're young and have a bright future ahead, so it's better to recover completely," he added.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is closely monitoring Saim's recovery process before announcing the final squad for the Champions Trophy. Despite earlier expressing hope that the talented batter would recover in time, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has assured full support for Saim's treatment.

"Saim Ayub is a valuable asset for Pakistan cricket," Naqvi said. "We are providing him with the best possible medical care and resources. I am praying for his swift recovery and will continue to monitor his progress closely," he added.