Pakistan have unveiled a 15-player squad for the upcoming Asian Games, which get underway on September 19. The leading run-scorer of the T20 World Cup 2026, Sahibzada Farhan, has been appointed captain of the side. Abdul Samad will act as his deputy. In the mega tournament, he scored 383 runs in six matches, at a strike rate of 160.25.
The squad features a mix of established names and emerging talent, with players such as Abrar Ahmed, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood and Usman Khan included in the travelling contingent. Meanwhile, Akif Javed, Ali Raza and Maaz Sadaqat have earned call-ups and are the three uncapped faces in the squad.
While Shan has been a key figure in Pakistan’s Test setup and has also captained the side in red-ball cricket, he is yet to make his T20I debut.
The Pakistan Cricket Board, via its official release, has also confirmed that 14 of the 15-member squad will assemble at the National Cricket Academy and start their training on June 15.ย
Sahibzada Farhan vs Jasprit Bumrah – Round 3
Sahibzada first burst onto the scene during the Asia Cup 2025. In the match against India in Dubai, the opener struggled to live up to the expectations, scoring only 40 runs in 44 balls, but in the process, he managed to hit two sixes against Jasprit Bumrah. Now, even though the Men in Green suffered an embarrassing seven-wicket defeat, the innings against Bumrah became Sahibzadaโs claim to fame.
In the Super Six clash, Farhan played a good knock of 58 runs off 45 balls, but couldnโt save Pakistan from another defeat. On the night of the final, the 30-year-old again hit a half-century, but Pakistan once again finished on the losing side. He hit a six in the summit clash against Bumrah, taking the tally to three. Following which, he shot a documentary as well, describing his thoughts of hitting three sixes to Bumrah.
The two teams met again in the T20 World Cup 2026, when Farhan departed for a four-ball duck, before Bumrah even came to bowl. They will now face each other again in the Asian Games.
Pakistan 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)
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