Scotland has made a last-minute change to their 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup squad due to an injury to legspinner Abtaha Maqsood. This update comes just a day before their first match against Ireland at Old Trafford in Manchester.
Maqsood sustained her injury during the final warm-up match against Pakistan on Tuesday. The 27-year-old’s absence is significant as she is Scotland’s leading wicket-taker in T20I Cricket, with 73 wickets from 78 matches and an economy rate of 5.63.
In her place, Scotland has called up 29-year-old Hannah Rainey. The right-arm seam bowler last played for Scotland in November 2025 and has been competing with Yorkshire in the Tier 1 English domestic league. Recently, she participated in two T20 Blast matches for Yorkshire, picking up two wickets against Durham.
Rainey has 41 T20I appearances to her name, with 25 wickets at an economy of 5.39.
“The whole team and coaching staff are very disappointed for Abtaha. She is a key member of our squad and will be greatly missed during the tournament. We wish her a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her back on the field soon. We’re happy to welcome Hannah to the squad. She brings valuable experience, and this is a great chance for her as we enter an exciting period,” said Scotland head coach Craig Wallace via ESPNcricinfo.
Even though Scotland will be without Maqsood for the tournament, they have other strong bowlers available. Key players like all-rounder Kathryn Bryce, Katherine Fraser, and Priyanaz Chatterji are expected to step up in her absence.