The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced its 15-member squad for the 2026 Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Japan from September 19 to October 14. Opting for a youthful group, the selectors have left out several senior stars, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Salman Ali Agha. Opening batter Sahibzada Farhan has been entrusted with the captaincy, while Abdul Samad, who has represented Pakistan in five T20Is, will serve as vice-captain. The squad selection signals the PCB’s intention to give emerging players an opportunity on a major multi-sport stage while allowing several established names a break from international duty.
At 30, Farhan is one of the most experienced players in the squad. He has scored 1,305 runs in 46 T20Is for Pakistan, including two centuries and 10 fifties. Farhan also enjoyed a standout 2026 T20 World Cup, finishing as the tournament’s leading run-scorer.
Emphasising its focus on emerging talent, the PCB revealed that four members of the Asian Games squad are yet to make their T20I debuts for Pakistan, underlining the opportunities being handed to the next generation.
“Among the 15-member squad, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat and Saad Masood are the four players yet to represent Pakistan in the T20I format. Additionally, 14 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,” PCB stated in a release.
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Meanwhile, Pakistan endured a disappointing campaign at the recently concluded T20 World Cup, with their journey ending in the Super 8 stage. The setback came on the heels of another missed opportunity, as they fell short against India national cricket team in the Asia Cup final. The back-to-back tournament disappointments have intensified the focus on building a stronger squad for future events.
Pakistan Asian Games 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 (wicket-keeper).
Support staff: 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).