The Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday announced fast bowler Ali Raza as a replacement for the injured Akif Javed in the Pakistan Shaheens squad for the upcoming ACC Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026 in Qatar.
Medical examinations and an MRI scan confirmed a knee injury to Akif Javed, leading the selection committee to decide against risking his fitness and instead recommend a structured rehabilitation programme.
Akif will undergo a strength and conditioning regimen followed by a phased bowling programme at the National Cricket Academy under the supervision of the board's medical department.
The eight-team tournament is scheduled to take place in Doha from November 19 to 29, with defending champions Pakistan Shaheens placed in Group B alongside India, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates.
Middle-order batter Abdul Samad will captain the squad, which also features Ahmed Daniyal, Danish Aziz, Farhan Yousuf, Haider Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Hasnain and Mohammad Imran Randhawa.
The remaining members of the squad include wicketkeeper Rohail Nazir, Saad Masood, Shahzaib Khan, Shamil Hussain and Sufiyan Muqeem.
Pakistan Shaheens will begin their campaign against the United Arab Emirates on November 20 at the University of Doha for Science and Technology, with the match starting at 11:00 am Pakistan time.
Their second group fixture will be against arch-rivals India A on November 22 at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium at 3:00 pm.
The team will complete their group-stage matches by facing Nepal on November 24 at the same venue, with a 3:00 pm start time.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, which are scheduled for November 26 and 27, leading up to the tournament final on November 29 at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium.
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