ISLAMABAD: Pakistan have suffered a setback at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan as wicketkeeper-batter Muneeba Ali has returned home due to her mother’s illness and will take no further part in the women’s cricket competition.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will not name a replacement for Muneeba, citing logistical challenges and limited time as the tournament is being played in a knockout format and is scheduled to conclude on September 22.
Gull Feroza will continue to take responsibility behind the stumps in Muneeba’s absence, having already kept wicket and opened the batting in Pakistan’s rain-affected quarter-final against Thailand.
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Feroza was Pakistan’s No. 3 batter during the recent Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai. She had also opened alongside Muneeba during the T20 World Cup and finished Pakistan’s final league match against the Netherlands with an unbeaten 63.
Muneeba Ali to miss Asian Games after returning homehttps://t.co/BwYSUxuRjE
— Sports News 24/7 (@Sports247PK) September 17, 2026
Muneeba, one of Pakistan’s senior players, was the team’s only batter to score a half-century during the Asia Cup. She also led Pakistan in the bilateral T20I series against Sri Lanka in July when regular captain Fatima Sana was in the United Kingdom representing Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred.
Pakistan, who have won two Asian Games gold medals, narrowly avoided an upset in their opening match in Japan. In a rain-reduced quarter-final, they chased down Thailand’s 92-run target in 11 overs, reaching the required score with three wickets and two balls remaining.
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The victory booked Pakistan a place in the semi-finals, where they will face the winner of the Sri Lanka-Malaysia quarter-final on Saturday.
The remaining two quarter-finals are scheduled for Friday, with the Asian Games women’s cricket competition set to reach its conclusion on September 22.
