Pakistan's Asian Games 2026 squad is out — No Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi

Unlike the Indian side, who have moved towards the experience in their squad for the upcoming Asian Games 2026, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have decided to bring youngsters in their squad for the upcoming competition, under the leadership of the T20 World Cup 2026 star batter, Sahibzada Farhan. 

Farhan has been named the Pakistan captain for the event, which is set to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in September-October this year. Their 15-member squad contains four players yet to be part of the T20Is for the national side.

Sahibzada Farhan: The record-breaking T20 WC star now leading Pakistan at Asian Games 2026

Farhan, who has featured in 46 T20Is at the time of the Asian Games squad announcement, has not yet led them in either white-ball format. Abdul Samad, meanwhile, has been capped five time in the shortest format but hasn’t represented them in the format since March last year. He was part of the ODI squad against Australia recently. 

Farhan made a solid start to his career in the shortest format with a powerful performance in the Asia Cup 2026 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), when they ended up as the runners-up, losing the final to India in Dubai.

The opener continued the impressive batting and finished the T20 World Cup 2026 as the leading run-getter with 383 runs in just six innings at an average of 76.60 and a strike rate of more than 160, thanks to two fifties and a couple of centuries at the best score of unbeaten 100 runs.

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 Usman Khan has been picked as the primary keeper in the squad, which is vastly different from the one they fielded at the T20 World Cup 2026 earlier this year. Their usual players, Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, their regular captain, Salman Ali Agha, have not been considered.

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Shadab Khan has also been kept out of the squad as the Pakistan side kept their eyes on the future stars, in an aim to build their squad and make a strong preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2028 in England.

The new-look side has 14 out of the 15 players, who are part of the NCA camp, set to start in Lahore from June 15. The event will be from September 24, while the medal matches will be played on October 03.

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Cricket has been part of the Asian Games thrice before in 2010, 2014, and 2022. Pakistan finished at the fourth position in the 2022 edition, which was held in 2023, winning one game and losing two.

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Saim Ayub is part of the squad and is anticipated to open the batting. They have also gone with Abrar Ahmed and Haider Ali, who are the future of Pakistan’s cricket. Sufyan Moqim has also been picked after a fine ODI series at home against Australia.

Pakistan’s squad for Asian Games 2026 Japan-

Sahibzada Farhan (c), Abdul Samad (vc), 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 (wk)