Pakistan’s men’s cricket squad departed for Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on September 24, 2026, to compete in the 20th Asian Games. Led by captain Sahibzada Farhan and head coach Mike Hesson, the 15-member team features a developmental roster blending youth and experience.
The squad includes four uncapped T20I players: Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat, and Saad Masood. The bowling department underwent a late change before departure as Mohammad Wasim Jnr was added to replace Mohammad Salman Mirza, who was ruled out of the tournament after suffering a fractured left thumb during a training camp in Karachi.
Pakistan has opted for a developmental side for the event, while India has sent a full-strength squad including Jasprit Bumrah and Shreyas Iyer. Coach Mike Hesson noted the challenge posed by the regional rivals before the team’s departure. “India are the benchmark in terms of white-ball cricket at the moment and our challenge is to catch up to that,” Hesson said.
Captain Sahibzada Farhan, the leading run-scorer of the 2026 T20 World Cup, emphasized that the squad’s focus remains on performance. “Senior or junior does not matter. The players who perform are the ones who make the team,” Farhan stated.
Due to their ICC ranking, Pakistan has qualified directly for the quarter-finals. The team is scheduled to play its first match on September 28 at the Korogi Athletic Park in Nisshin against the winner of Pool B.
Analysis suggests the PCB is evaluating Farhan for future long-term leadership, particularly with senior players such as Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi rested for this competition. Farhan’s ability to maintain his T20 form while managing a young squad in Japan is expected to influence the board’s captaincy plans for the next World Cup cycle.
