Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup to Begin in Oman on October 18
The highly anticipated ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup is set to kick off in Oman on October 18, with Pakistan Shaheens being led by Mohammad Haris. Haris, who has previously represented Pakistan in nine T20Is and six ODIs, will guide the team in the competition. The squad is set to depart for Oman on October 16, following a training camp held at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre in Karachi from October 11 to 15.
Several players, including Abdul Samad, Ahmed Daniyal, Yasir Khan, and Zaman Khan, will be making their debut for Pakistan Shaheens in the tournament. These players have recently showcased strong performances in domestic competitions. Abdul Samad, for instance, stood out in the Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup 2024-25 with an impressive strike rate of 122.88. Meanwhile, Ahmed Daniyal claimed 10 wickets playing for Nurpur Lions, while Yasir and Zaman contributed to Allied Bank Stallions.
The tournament will see eight teams competing, divided into two groups. All matches will be played at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground in Muscat. Group A includes Afghanistan ‘A’, Bangladesh ‘A’, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka ‘A’. Defending champions Pakistan Shaheens are placed in Group B alongside India ‘A’, Oman, and the UAE.
Pakistan Shaheens will begin their campaign with a high-stakes clash against last year’s finalists, India ‘A’, on October 19. Their second match will be against Oman on October 21, followed by a game against the UAE on October 23. The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals on October 25, with the final scheduled for October 27.
Pakistan Shaheens Squad:
- Mohammad Haris (captain)
- Abdul Samad
- Ahmed Daniyal
- Arafat Minhas
- Haider Ali
- Haseebullah
- Mehran Mumtaz
- Mohammad Abbas Afridi
- Mohammad Imran Jnr
- Omair Bin Yousuf
- Qasim Akram
- Shahnawaz Dahani
- Sufiyan Moqim
- Yasir Khan
- Zaman Khan
Jayasuriya Appointed as Sri Lanka’s Full-Time Head Coach
In other cricket news, Sri Lanka’s legendary cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya has been officially appointed as the full-time head coach of the national team. Jayasuriya, who had been serving as interim coach since June, succeeds Chris Silverwood following Sri Lanka’s early exit from the T20 World Cup.
Jayasuriya’s recent successes as interim coach, including a Test win against England and a home series sweep against New Zealand, have earned him the position until March 2026. Under his guidance, Sri Lanka also secured a historic ODI series win against India for the first time in 27 years. The former player, who has represented Sri Lanka 586 times across all formats, is expected to bring his wealth of experience and leadership to the team in the coming years.