The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 15-member squad for the 2026 Asian Games, with opening batter Sahibzada Farhan appointed as Pakistan’s captain. Abdul Samad has been named the vice-captain of the side.
The 2026 Asian Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in September and October later this year. The men’s cricket event will commence on 24 September, while the medal matches will be played on 3 October.
The squad includes four players who are yet to play T20Is for Pakistan: Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat and Saad Masood.
Farhan was the highest run-getter in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026, leading his side to the Super 8s before they were knocked out ahead of the semifinals. Farhan has played 46 T20Is for Pakistan so far but has not yet led them in either white-ball format.
Usman Khan, who was part of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad, has been picked as the primary wicketkeeper in the side.
The PCB stated that the majority of the squad selected for the Asian Games are part of Pakistan’s NCA White Ball Camp. “Fourteen of the 15 players selected for the Asian Games squad are part of the NCA White Ball Camp, which is set to commence in Lahore from Monday, 15 June,” the PCB said in a statement released on Wednesday.
Cricket has been part of the Asian Games three times (2010, 2014, 2022). Pakistan finished fourth in the 2022 edition (held in 2023), winning one game and losing two.
Pakistan’s arch-rivals India recently announced their full-strength side for the Asian Games, set to be led by new T20I skipper Shreyas Iyer.
Pakistan squad for 2026 Asian Games:
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 (wk).
Pakistan’s Support staff for 2026 Asian Games:
Mike Hesson (head coach), Ashley Noffke (bowling coach), Shane McDermott (fielding coach), Muhammad Tahir (physiotherapist), Imran Ullah (trainer), Usman Hashmi (analyst-cum-team operations coordinator).
