Opening batter Sahibzada Farhan will lead Pakistan’s 15-man squad at this year’s Asian Games in Japan, running from 19 September to 3 October. The selectors have opted for a largely developing group, sprinkling in a few names with senior-team experience but leaving out several established T20 regulars.
Fast bowler Ali Raza is the head-turning addition. He has hustled for recognition through two eye-catching PSL seasons and a decisive 4-for-42 in last winter’s Under-19 Asia Cup final against India. Raza’s raw pace and inclination to attack the stumps have persuaded the panel he is ready for the next step.
Also promoted are Maaz Sadaqat and Saad Masood, both of whom have one-day caps, while the more familiar trio of Saim Ayub, Sufyan Moqim and mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed provide a shade of experience. Usman Khan keeps wicket. All-rounder Abdul Samad, five T20Is to his name, has been asked to serve as vice-captain.
The calendar gives this tournament extra weight. Pakistan are scheduled to play far fewer T20Is in 2026 than in 2025; a strong fortnight in Japan may nudge several of these players into the main white-ball conversation. Hasan Nawaz will view it exactly that way. The left-hander, once touted as a long-term opening option, has been out in the cold since a sketchy Asia Cup showing last year. Similar sentiments apply to Haider Ali, whose career arc has followed a familiar burst-of-promise-then-stall pattern.
Pakistan’s last outing at the multi-sport Games, in Hangzhou, ended badly. They slipped to Afghanistan in the semi-final and then missed the podium altogether after losing the bronze play-off to Bangladesh. Head coach (interim) Azhar Mahmood has already acknowledged that “we owe our supporters a sharper, more controlled campaign”. A top-three finish has been set as the baseline expectation.
Squad in full:
Sahibzada Farhan (capt), 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, Usman Khan (wk).
Quick take:
• Farhan’s promotion rewards heavy domestic scoring and steady on-field manner.
• Raza’s inclusion gives the attack a point-of-difference speed option.
• Opportunity knocks for several players sidelined since late 2025.
• Medals, not mere participation, form the internal benchmark after the Hangzhou stumble.
It is a measured, if intentionally experimental, selection. Whether it yields silverware or merely insights for the broader T20 rebuild will become clear once the lights go up in Sapporo this September.
