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How did Wahab Riaz defend the changes made to the Pakistan women's squad for the Asia Cup?

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‘Pakistan best side in this Women's Asia Cup’: Mentor Wahab Riaz brushes aside 55 all-out debacle against India

Pakistan women's team mentor Wahab Riaz said that his team is the best lineup in the ongoing Women's Asia Cup.

Updated on: Sep 6, 2026, 06:30:51 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Much like before, the contest between India and Pakistan turned into an absolute dud of an affair in the Women's Asia Cup on Saturday night. The Fatima Sana-led side didn't turn up at the Dubai International Stadium, and tournament favourites India registered a comprehensive seven-wicket win in the group stage encounter. Pakistan's batting was woeful, to say the least, as the team was bundled out for 55, failing to even play out the full 20 overs.

India defeated Pakistan by seven wickets in the Women's Asia Cup on Saturday. (AFP)

However, after the fixture, Pakistan women's team mentor Wahab Riaz played down the debacle against India, saying he believes that his unit is the best lineup in the Women's Asia Cup to lift the title.

Pakistan captain Fatima Sana showed some fight against India, scalping the wickets of Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana, but India cruised home with seven wickets in hand and 68 balls to spare. Pakistan's qualification for the semis now hangs in the balance, and they need to win their final group stage match against Hong Kong, China.

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Also Read: Pakistan face NRR danger after India rout: What they need in last group match to reach Women's Asia Cup semi-finals

"I believe that all the players in our team are very skilful and they just need to trust themselves. Our next match is against Hong Kong. We will go back and discuss what we did wrong against India. We will try not to commit the same mistakes. I still believe Pakistan is the best side in this Asia Cup to lift the trophy because the conditions really suit us," Riaz told reporters after the match against India.

Disagree with Sana Mir

The former Pakistan pacer Wahab also disagreed with former Pakistan captain Sana Mir, who had lashed out at the management for making wholesale changes in the squad for the Women's Asia Cup, leaving out seven players.

Riaz said that the players who were left out hadn't been performing for a long time, and hence they were shown the door.

“Sana Mir has her own opinion. I have nothing to do with that opinion. We have made changes with the future in mind. The players who were playing before, they have played a lot of World Cups and Asia Cups but we weren't getting the results. So it was time to go with new faces and bring new girls into the mix to build the team for the upcoming tournaments,” Riaz said.

“It is not about who we left behind. We have to look at the reality. The girls who were left out weren't performing at all. I think we did the right move by bringing new girls into the mix,” he added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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