Pakistan Unveils 15-Member Squad for 2026 Asian Games Cricket Tournament
Pakistan's Squad Announcement for Asian Games 2026
Islamabad, June 10: Pakistan has revealed its 15-member team for the upcoming 2026 Asian Games, featuring a mix of seasoned players and fresh talent, as reported by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The lineup includes newcomers Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat, and Saad Masood, all of whom are poised to potentially make their T20I debuts during the event.
Experienced batsman Sahibzada Farhan has been appointed as the captain for this 10-team tournament.
Abdul Samad, a right-handed batter, will serve as the vice-captain of the squad.
The men's cricket event at the 2026 Asian Games is set to take place in a T20 format from September 24 to October 3. A total of ten teams, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Oman, will compete for the gold medal.
Automatic qualifications for the men's cricket competition were granted to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the host nation, Japan.
Pakistan's squad includes: Sahibzada Farhan (c), Abdul Samad (vc), 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.
In related news, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also announced its squad for the Asian Games. Newly appointed T20I captain Shreyas Iyer will lead the Indian team in Japan, with Tilak Varma as vice-captain.
Teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is expected to vie for a spot at the top of the batting order alongside established players like Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan, enhancing the competition within India's batting lineup.
India's squad comprises: Shreyas Iyer (capt), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (vc), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and Jasprit Bumrah.