Pakistan women grab ten-wicket win over UAE in Asia Cup

Pakistan's Gull Feroza (right) plays a shot in their clash with UAE during the Women’s Asia Cup T20 2024 at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Sri Lanka on July 23, 2024. (@TheRealPCB/X)
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Updated 23 July 2024
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Pakistan women grab ten-wicket win over UAE in Asia Cup

  • Opting to field first, Pakistan bowlers made early inroads restricting UAE to 103-8 runs
  • Pakistan in their chase galloped to 107 without a loss in 14.1 overs, with 35 balls to spare

DAMBULLA: Opener Gull Feroza smacked her second consecutive half-century to steer Pakistan to a comprehensive ten-wicket triumph over United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their Women’s Asia Cup T20 2024 encounter at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
Opting to field first, Pakistan bowlers made early inroads into the UAE batting restricting them to 103-8 in 20 overs. Pakistan in their chase galloped to 107 without loss in 14.1 overs, with 35 balls to spare. Pakistan Women have taken a significant step forward toward improving their chance of securing a semifinal berth.
It was Pakistan openers Gul Feroza and Muneeba Ali, who continued their good form from their previous game against Nepal and maintained it in their final league match against UAE. The two opening batters stitched unbeaten partnership of 107 runs, which is also the second century partnership between the pair after they made 105 runs in the previous match.
“57 in the last match, 62* today,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on X. “Gull Feroza is the player of the match again.”

 


Gull who reached her second successive fifty in 46 balls went on to score career best unbeaten 62. Her 55-ball innings was also laced with eight boundaries. Her opening partner, Muneeba got unbeaten 37 on board that came off 30 balls. She also timed the ball through the ropes four times.
The UAE Women’s batting lineup faced a tough challenge against the Pakistan Women’s bowling attack. Theertha Satish top-scored with 40 runs, while Esha Oza contributed 16. Khushi Sharma managed just 12 runs as the UAE innings struggled to gain momentum.
Sadia Iqbal, Nashra Sundhu and Tuba Hassan were the pick of the Pakistan bowlers, claiming two wickets each for 11, 22 and 17 runs, respectively.

 


Pakistan urges pilgrims to complete Saudi biometrics as Hajj preparations gain pace

Updated 30 January 2026
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Pakistan urges pilgrims to complete Saudi biometrics as Hajj preparations gain pace

  • Government warns pilgrims biometric verification is required for Hajj visas
  • Step follows tighter oversight after last year’s Hajj travel disruptions

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government on Friday urged aspiring pilgrims to complete mandatory Saudi biometric verification for Hajj visas, as preparations for the 2026 pilgrimage gather pace following stricter oversight of the Hajj process.

The announcement comes only a day after Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf said regulations for private Hajj operators had been tightened, reducing their quota following widespread complaints last year, when tens of thousands of pilgrims were unable to travel under the private Hajj scheme.

“Saudi biometric verification is mandatory for the issuance of Hajj visas,” the Ministry of Religious Affairs said in a statement, urging pilgrims to complete the process promptly to avoid delays.

“Hajj pilgrims should complete their biometric verification at home using the ‘Saudi Visa Bio’ app as soon as possible,” it added.

The statement said the pilgrims who were unable to complete biometric verification through the mobile application should visit designated Saudi Tasheer centers before Feb. 8, adding that details of the centers were available on Pakistan’s official Hajj mobile application.

Pakistan has been steadily implementing digital and procedural requirements for pilgrims ahead of Hajj 2026, including mandatory training sessions, biometric checks and greater use of mobile applications, as part of efforts to reduce mismanagement.

Saudi Arabia has allocated Pakistan a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2026, with the majority of seats reserved under the government scheme and the remainder allocated to private tour operators.