Pakistan Asian Games Squad: Farhan Leads Fresh Faces

Pakistan have turned the page, at least for this tournament. Sahibzada Farhan will captain a new-look side at the Asian Games, with Abdul Samad named his deputy, in a squad that notably omits some of the country’s biggest modern-day stars.

Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah are all missing from the list. The selectors have not clarified whether this is a hard reset or simply a period of rest for the senior core, but the message is unmistakable: this is a stage for the next wave.

Camp in Karachi, flight to Japan

The squad assembled in Karachi on Sunday and will dive straight into preparations with a short, sharp training camp running from Monday, September 21, to Thursday, September 14. The dates are a quirk of scheduling, but the intent is clear: compress as much work as possible into a tight window before departure.

Farhan’s men are scheduled to leave for Japan on Thursday night, carrying both opportunity and uncertainty in their kitbags.

Not everyone will be there from day one. Five players – Usman Khan, Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz and Sufyan Moqim – are expected to join the camp late, once they wrap up their franchise duties at the Caribbean Premier League, which finishes with the CPL final. Their arrival will complete a group that blends domestic promise with franchise-seasoned talent.

Draw keeps India–Pakistan apart… for now

The men’s cricket competition at the Asian Games starts on Monday, September 24, with the region’s heavyweights given a head start. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh all move directly into the quarter-finals.

The draw has done its usual mischief. India and Pakistan cannot meet in the semi-finals; they are placed in such a way that a clash is possible only in the bronze-medal match or the final itself. For fans, it means one thing: any showdown between the two will carry a medal at stake.

Both sides will play their quarter-finals on Monday, September 28, stepping into knockout cricket without the luxury of easing into the tournament.

Full-strength India, experimental Pakistan

While Pakistan arrive with a squad built around emerging names, India have gone the other way. The BCCI has announced a full-strength squad for the Asian Games, with Shreyas Iyer set to captain a power-packed unit.

Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Tilak Varma are all part of the group, under the guidance of head coach VVS Laxman. Gautam Gambhir, meanwhile, will front the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies, leaving Laxman to marshal India’s medal push in Japan.

The contrast is striking: India leaning on established international quality, Pakistan testing depth and temperament.

Pakistan squad: new leaders, hungry fringe

Farhan, who has carved out a reputation as a reliable top-order presence in domestic cricket, now gets his first major shot at leading the national colours in a multi-sport event. Abdul Samad, his vice-captain, adds hitting power and flexibility.

Pakistan’s squad for the Asian Games: 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).

Names like Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Wasim Jnr bring international experience in short bursts, while Haider Ali and Saim Ayub carry the flair and volatility of modern white-ball batting. Around them, a cluster of lesser-known players will try to turn opportunity into permanence.

Whether this proves to be a temporary experiment or the start of a broader shift will only become clear in Japan, under pressure, with medals on the line.