Scotland’s Women’s T20 World Cup build-up has taken an early knock. Leg-spinner Abtaha Maqsood fractured her right hand in the final warm-up against Pakistan on Tuesday and will miss the entire tournament, which starts for Scotland against Ireland this Saturday.
In comes Hannah Rainey, the Edinburgh-born medium-pacer currently turning out for Yorkshire in the Vitality Blast. She is due to link up with the national squad in Cape Town on Thursday night, giving her two full training sessions before the opener.
Maqsood’s numbers underline the size of the hole. In 56 WT20Is she has 73 wickets, averages 17.72 and concedes a shade over a run a ball. She is, quite simply, Scotland’s most reliable wicket-taker in the format.
“The whole playing squad and coaching staff are absolutely gutted for Abtaha,” Scotland head coach Craig Wallace said. “She’s such an important member of our squad and will be a great loss to us both on and off the pitch during this tournament. We wish her all the very best in her recovery and hope to see her back on the field soon.”
Wallace added: “Hannah now comes into the squad, and we are delighted to welcome her into the group. She obviously has plenty of experience, and this is a great opportunity for her as we head into an exciting few weeks.”
Rainey is no stranger to international cricket. She last played a T20I in late 2025 and owns 25 wickets from 41 appearances, operating at 5.39 runs per over. The 27-year-old offers cutters rather than express pace, a style that has served her well on slower surfaces at regional level.
“Pretty shocking news for the whole team to take,” seamer Chloe Abel said of Maqsood’s injury. “Abtaha is a big part of our team, not only from a performance point of view but also from a values point of view. Tough for her and we hope she’ll be able to stick around and watch some cricket.”
Losing Maqsood strips Scotland of their main spin threat, yet it need not derail their campaign. Early wickets from Rainey could still give Kathryn Bryce the control she likes in the middle overs, and leg-break back-up comes from Katie McGill. Even so, Ireland on Saturday suddenly feels a fraction more awkward.
