Sahibzada Farhan to lead as Pakistan announces squad for Asian Games 2026

Pakistan has named opener Sahibzada Farhan as captain of its men's cricket squad for the 2026 Asian Games, to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. Abdul Samad has been appointed vice-captain. The tournament features 10 teams and will be staged at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture.

Which senior players have been left out of Pakistan's Asian Games squad?

Pakistan have opted to rest several established white-ball players for the tournament. Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan and Salman Ali Agha are all absent from the squad.

Which uncapped players could make their T20I debut at Asian Games 2026?

Four players in the squad have yet to represent Pakistan in T20 Internationals. Left-arm pacer Akif Javed, fast bowler Ali Raza, batter Maaz Sadaqat and all-rounder Saad Masood could all make their international debuts during the tournament. Their inclusion reflects Pakistan's broader push to develop depth across formats.

The squad's composition also points to longer-term planning by the PCB. Fourteen of the 15 selected players are part of the National Cricket Academy's white-ball camp, which begins in Lahore on June 15. That camp will serve as the primary preparation block before the team travels to Japan.

What is the format and schedule for cricket at Asian Games 2026?

Cricket at the 2026 Asian Games will be played in the T20 format, with matches beginning on September 24. Preliminary-round games run from September 24 to 26, followed by quarter-finals on September 28 and 29, and semi-finals on October 1. The bronze medal match and final are both scheduled for October 3.

The 10 competing nations are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Oman. All matches will be played at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture.

How did Pakistan perform at the previous Asian Games in 2023?

At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, India won gold after a rain-affected final against Afghanistan was abandoned and awarded to the higher-seeded team. Pakistan, captained by Qasim Akram, finished fourth after losing to Bangladesh by six wickets in the bronze medal play-off under the DLS method.

Pakistan squad: Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Abdul Samad (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufyan Moqim and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper).