NISSHIN – Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals of the men’s Asian Games 2026 cricket event after their quarter-final against Hong Kong were abandoned without a ball being bowled due to persistent rain in Nisshin.
With no play possible, Sahibzada Farhan-led Pakistan progressed to the last four on the basis of their higher ICC ranking in accordance with the tournament playing conditions.
Pakistan will take on the winners of the fourth quarter-final, which is scheduled to take place between Bangladesh and Malaysia on Tuesday, 29 September.
Both semi-finals will take place on Thursday, 1 October at the same venue.
Earlier, captain Sahibzada Farhan said the team had prepared well for the tournament and was ready to adapt to the conditions.
“We prepared wickets according to the conditions we expect in Japan and tried to practice against spin as much as possible. We also worked on different match scenarios during the camp.
“We have players with experience of international cricket, domestic cricket and the HBL PSL. As professional cricketers, we have to be mentally prepared for all conditions because the weather and playing conditions are not in our control.
“Every match is important for us. We will focus on our first match and take every game seriously.
15-member squad in alphabetical order:
Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Abdul Samad (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufyan Moqim and Usman Khan (wicket-keeper)
