Despite a crushing seven-wicket defeat to India in the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup, Pakistan women’s team coach Wahab Riaz has controversially said his team remains the strongest contender to lift the trophy.
IMAGE: Wahab Riaz supported Pakistan despite its heavy defeat to India. Photo: ACC/X
Key Points
- Pakistan women’s coach Wahab Riaz controversially named his team the best in the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup despite a heavy seven-wicket defeat to India.
- Pakistan were bowled out for just 55 runs as India chased the target comfortably in 8.4 overs.
- Riaz defended his team’s potential and skill, attributing the defeat to mistakes which they are aiming to rectify in their next match against Hong Kong.
- The coach rejected criticism from former captain Sana Mir over the squad selection, saying the changes were made to bring in new talent for future tournaments.
- Pakistan have a critical game against Hong Kong that they must win to avoid an early exit from the Women’s Asian Cup.
Pakistan women’s team coach Wahab Riaz offered a strange assessment after his team lost to India in the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup on Saturday, saying Pakistan was still the best team in the tournament despite an embarrassing seven-wicket defeat.
Pakistan were bowled out for just 55 runs after opting to bat first before India chased down the target in just 8.4 overs with seven wickets in hand. However, even after such a one-sided defeat, Riaz remained convinced that his team has what it takes to lift the trophy.
Riaz defends team’s potential despite defeat
Despite the decisive defeat, Riaz insisted that he still considered Pakistan to be the strongest team in the tournament.
“I think all the players in our team are very technical and they just need to trust themselves. Our next match is against Hong Kong. We will come back and discuss what we did wrong against India. We will try not to make the same mistakes. I still think Pakistan is the best team in this Asia Cup to win the trophy because the conditions really suit us,” Riaz told reporters at a press conference.
Controversy over line-up selection and future plans
Riaz’s comments come after Pakistan captain Sana Mir publicly expressed disappointment over the team’s selection and preparation. Mir criticized the management for making several changes to the squad, resulting in seven players not participating in the tournament.
When asked about the captain’s comments, Riaz made it clear that he stood by his assessment.
“Sana Mir has her own opinion. I have nothing to do with that opinion. We have made changes keeping the future in mind. The players who have played before have played many World Cups and Asian Cups but we have not achieved results. So it is time to find new faces and bring in new girls to build the team for the upcoming tournaments,” Riaz said.
He also defended the decision to leave several experienced players out of the squad.
“It’s not about who we left behind. We must look at reality. The girls who stayed away did not perform at all. I think we took the right step by inviting new girls to the team,” he said.
The decisive match against Hong Kong is ahead
Pakistan now faces a must-win situation in their next match against Hong Kong. Another defeat could bring the women’s Asian Cup campaign to an early end, making the upcoming match crucial to their hopes of reaching the semi-finals.