Abtaha Maqsood’s Personal Details:
Name: Abtaha Mahin Maqsood
Date of Birth: 11th June 1999
Batting Style: Right-hand Bat
Bowling Style: Leg-break
Role: Bowler
Abtaha Maqsood enters the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 as one of Scotland’s most reliable match-winners with the ball, a floaty, clever leg-spinner whose rise from club cricket to global tournaments has been steady and distinctive. At 26, Maqsood brings proven tournament temperament and variation to a Kathryn Bryce-led side that will be looking to build on lessons from their maiden World Cup in 2024 and the momentum from qualifying in Nepal.
Placed in a challenging Group 2 alongside England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and the West Indies, Scotland kick off against Ireland at Old Trafford on 13 June; Maqsood’s ability to control the middle overs and pick up crucial breakthroughs will be central to Scotland’s hopes of springing upsets in an expanded 12-team event.
Abtaha Maqsood’s International Career
A leg-break bowler who bowls with flight and subtlety rather than raw pace, Maqsood has consistently been Scotland’s go-to spinner in T20s. Since her international debut on 7 July 2018 against Uganda in Amstelveen, she has claimed 72 wickets in 74 innings (75 matches) at an impressive average of 17.47 and an economy of 5.59, numbers that underline both her wicket-taking instincts and her ability to apply pressure through tight spells. Her recent form was pivotal in Scotland’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup: she finished the Global Qualifiers in Nepal as Scotland’s second-highest wicket-taker with nine scalps in seven innings, at an average of 15.33 and an economy of 6.27. That consistency continued into the home tri-series opener in Edinburgh, where she delivered tidy figures of 2-0-14-1 against the Netherlands on 28 May 2026 as Scotland won by nine wickets.
Abtaha Maqsood’s cricketing journey is as compelling as her on-field craft. Born to parents who emigrated from Pakistan, she came through the Scottish grassroots system after joining Poloc at age 11 and received early recognition. She was called up to the Scotland under-17s after only four months with the club, debuting at age 12. Balancing sport with academics, she completed a dentistry degree while still grooming her international career, a testament to her discipline and time management. Her athletic background includes a black belt in taekwondo and the honour of being a flag bearer at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, both reflecting a competitive mindset that translates into cricket.
Domestically and in franchise cricket, Maqsood has built valuable experience that complements her international role. She has played for Middlesex, Sunrisers and Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred, where she was a last-minute signing for Birmingham and returned in subsequent seasons; across 15 Hundred matches, she picked up six wickets at an economy of 7.86. In the regional and county circuit, she signed for Sunrisers on a professional contract and in April 2023 produced a standout performance, taking her maiden five-wicket haul in Women’s List A cricket to help her side defeat Southern Vipers by 126 runs.
Ahead of the 2025 domestic restructure, she moved to Essex, further sharpening her skills against quality opposition. What makes Maqsood particularly valuable in Scotland’s set-up is her blend of control and deception. Her leg-spin is delivered with flight and a measured change of pace, inviting batters to drive while tempting top-edge miscues.
Against stronger batting line-ups in Group 2, her capacity to bowl in different phases, powerplay containment early, probing middle overs, and mixing leg-breaks with tighter deliveries, will be a key component of Scotland’s tactical plans. Off the field, she is a visible and inspiring figure: a hijab-wearing cricketer who has navigated dual careers and cultural expectations to become a familiar face for Scottish women’s cricket. Her journey resonates beyond numbers and adds a leadership-by-example dimension to a side aiming to translate competitive displays into wins on the biggest stage.
As Scotland prepare warm-up fixtures in Derby (Netherlands, 6 June; Pakistan, 9 June) and a home tri-series in Edinburgh with Bangladesh and the Netherlands, Maqsood will be central to fine-tuning the variations and match plans required for Old Trafford and beyond. If Scotland is to convert promise into results in this expanded World Cup, Abtaha Maqsood’s leg-spin, economical, wicket-savvy and battle-hardened, will be among their most potent weapons.
Loves all things female cricket