Sahibzada Farhan to Lead Pakistan in Asian Games
News Desk
Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday unveiled a 15-member squad for the Asian Games 2026, handing experienced opener Sahibzada Farhan the captaincy for the multi-sport event in Japan.
The cricket competition at the Asian Games will take place in Aichi-Nagoya from September 24 to October 3, with 10 teams competing for the gold medal during the broader Games scheduled between September 19 and October 4.
Farhan, who has played 46 T20 Internationals for Pakistan, will lead the side after scoring 1,305 runs in the format, including two centuries and 10 half-centuries. Abdul Samad has been named vice-captain.
The PCB’s selection reflects a blend of experience and emerging talent, with several uncapped players earning opportunities in the national setup. Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat and Saad Masood are all in line for potential T20I debuts after being included in the squad.
Top-order batter Saim Ayub, wicketkeeper Usman Khan and spinner Abrar Ahmed are among the notable names selected, while Haider Ali and Ahmed Daniyal return to the national fold.
The board also confirmed that 14 members of the Asian Games squad will participate in the National Cricket Academy (NCA) White-Ball Camp beginning in Lahore on June 15 as preparations intensify ahead of the tournament.
The support staff for the campaign will be headed by Mike Hesson as head coach, alongside bowling coach Ashley Noffke and fielding coach Shane McDermott. Muhammad Tahir will serve as physiotherapist, while Imran Ullah joins as trainer and Usman Hashmi takes charge as analyst-cum-team operations coordinator.
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).
