Pakistan Name Sahibzada Farhan as Captain for Asian Games 2026

Pakistan have handed the captaincy to Sahibzada Farhan and announced a youthful 15-member squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Several established white-ball players have not been included, with Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Ali Agha and Shadab Khan all missing from the squad selected by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Abdul Samad has been appointed vice-captain. The squad also includes four players who are yet to make their T20I debuts for Pakistan, namely Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat and Saad Masood.

PCB Turns to a New Generation

The selection reflects a noticeable change in direction following Pakistan’s recent results in major tournaments. Their campaign at the 2026 T20 World Cup ended in the Super 8 stage, while they also suffered defeat against India in the Asia Cup 2025 final.

With those setbacks still fresh, the PCB has decided to back a group of emerging players for the multi-sport event. The men’s cricket competition at the Asian Games is scheduled to begin on September 24, while the medal matches will take place on October 3.

Farhan Handed First Leadership Role

At 30 years of age, Sahibzada Farhan is one of the most experienced members of the squad. Across 46 T20Is for Pakistan, he has scored 1,305 runs, including two centuries and 10 half-centuries. He also finished as the leading run-scorer in the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Despite his experience, Farhan has never captained Pakistan in either of the white-ball formats. Abdul Samad, meanwhile, has represented Pakistan in five T20Is but has not appeared in the format since March last year. More recently, he featured in Pakistan’s ODI series against Australia.

Youth Development Remains the Priority

The squad announcement further highlights the PCB’s stated objective of providing greater opportunities to younger players. In an official release, the board stated: “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.” The makeup of the squad also aligns with the board’s wider development strategy, with most of the selected players already involved in the National Cricket Academy’s white-ball programme ahead of the tournament.

Usman Khan has been chosen as the squad’s primary wicketkeeper. Overall, the group bears little resemblance to the Pakistan squad that featured at the T20 World Cup earlier this year.

Rather than relying on senior players and established leaders, the selectors have placed their faith in a younger core featuring Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Saim Ayub and Sufyan Moqim, alongside the four uncapped players.

Related: ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026: Schedule, Teams And Match List

Asian Games Provide a Long-Term Opportunity

Cricket has been part of the Asian Games on three previous occasions, in 2010, 2014 and 2022. Pakistan finished fourth in the most recent edition, which was held in 2023, recording one win and two defeats during the tournament.

For this edition, the PCB appears determined to use the Asian Games as a platform to speed up its transition process. The board has entrusted Farhan with his first leadership role while surrounding him with a squad made up largely of players already connected to the NCA white-ball setup.

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Pakistan’s squad for the Asian Games 2026:

Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Hasan Nawaz, Abdul Samad (vice-captain), Sufyan Moqim, Haider Ali, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Ahmed Daniyal, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Maaz Sadaqat and Saad Masood.

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