Pakistan have appointed Sahibzada Farhan as captain for the men’s cricket team at the 2026 Asian Games, which will be staged across Aichi and Nagoya in Japan between September and October.
The 15-player group features four names who have not yet received a Pakistan T20I cap: Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat, and Saad Masood. Abdul Samad will serve as Farhan’s vice-captain.
Pakistan squad for Asian Games 2026 (Japan): 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).
Farhan has appeared in 46 T20 internationals for Pakistan but has never led the national side in either limited-overs format. Samad has five T20I appearances to his name and has not played a T20 international since March of last year, though he was included in the recent one-day series against Australia.
Usman Khan has been chosen as the first-choice wicketkeeper. The selection bears little resemblance to the squad Pakistan sent to the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Several established figures are absent, including regular captain Salman Ali Agha and prominent white-ball performers such as Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Shadab Khan.
The refreshed lineup is largely drawn from Pakistan’s domestic pipeline. Fourteen of the fifteen players are part of the National Cricket Academy white-ball camp, which opens in Lahore on 15 June. That camp is expected to sharpen match readiness ahead of the continental event.
On the competition calendar, the men’s cricket tournament at the Asian Games begins on 24 September. Medal-round fixtures are scheduled for 3 October.
Cricket has featured at the Asian Games on three previous occasions — in 2010, 2014, and 2022. The most recent edition was held in 2023. Pakistan finished fourth that year, recording one victory and two defeats across their campaign.
For Farhan, the appointment marks a first leadership role at this level and a chance to guide a youthful, largely untested group on an international stage. With several senior stars rested or omitted, Pakistan will rely on emerging talent and NCA camp form as they aim to improve on their last Asian Games showing in Japan.