Pakistan announced the team for Asian Games 2026, It will be held in Aichi-Nagoya Japanlater this year. The men’s cricket competition will start on September 24, while the medal matches are scheduled for October 3. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has selected a fresh-looking squad, giving opportunities to several new players while resting a number of established international stars.
The selection reflects Pakistan’s focus on building depth in its white-ball set-up and exposing young talent to the international scene. The squad features seasoned campaigners and promising youngsters, with several players currently part of the National Cricket Academy’s white-ball development programme. Pakistan will look to improve on their performance in the previous Asian Games where they finished fourth after winning one match and losing two.
Sahibzade Farhan will lead Pakistan in the 2026 Asian Games
The biggest announcement from the squad announcement is the appointment Sahibzade Farhan as a captain. The right-handed batsman has represented Pakistan in 46 T20 Internationals and will lead the national team for the first time in a major tournament. Abdul Samad has been named vice-captain and is expected to play a key role in the middle order. Samad recently featured in Pakistan’s ODI set-up, bringing valuable experience to a relatively young squad.
Pakistan have also included four players who are yet to make their T20I debut. Akif Javed, But Reza, Maz Sadagat and Saad Masoud All are in line to win their first international championships during the tournament. Their inclusion highlights the selectors’ intention to test emerging talent in a competitive environment. There are also some exciting young players in the squad Saim Ayub and Arafat Minhasas they have impressed in domestic and franchise cricket over the past few seasons.
Fresh faces headline Pakistan’s new-look team
Unlike Pakistan’s ends T20 World Cup squad, several senior stars were left out of the Asian Games set-up. The usual white ball captain Salman Ali Aghaalong with experienced players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khannot selected for the tournament.
Osman Khan was chosen as the main goalkeeper Abrar Ahmed is expected to lead the spin attack. such promising names are included in the pace department Ahmed Daniyal and Mohammad Salman Mirza. With a balanced mix of youth and experience, Pakistan will hope to make a strong impact in Japan and challenge for a medal. The tournament also provides an excellent opportunity for several players to stake their claim for regular places in Pakistan’s white-ball teams ahead of future international assignments.
Pakistan squad for Asian Games 2026: Sahibzade Farhan (c), Usman Khan (wk), Abrar Ahmad, Ahmed Daniyal, Abdul Samad (vc), Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Salman Mirza, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufyan Moqim.
