LAHORE: Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has said that it has been decided to select a youth squad for the Asian Games to expand the country’s player base ahead of the ODI World Cup, which is 15 months away.
speaks Jio NewsHesson explained that the tournament will provide valuable international exposure to budding players.
“We want to expand our player base and spend the next six months evaluating young talent so we can make the right selections for the World Cup,” Hessen said.
“Our ODI side is improving and the Asian Games will provide valuable exposure to younger players. That’s why we chose this combination. It’s a balanced team, with players well-suited to the T20I format,” he added.
Hesson added that the players who missed the test are still in contention, with the Pakistan Super League (PSL) providing another opportunity to strengthen their claims.
He also noted that many members of the Asian Games team had been included in the Pakistan team earlier but were not given enough opportunities at the international level.
“The Asian Games will finally allow them to showcase their talents,” he said.
Asked about India’s strong squad for the tournament, Hessan dismissed suggestions that Pakistan would prepare specifically for an opponent.
“It’s not just India. There are many strong teams,” he explained.
“Afghanistan is always dangerous in T20 cricket, Sri Lanka are improving and Bangladesh are very competitive in spin-friendly conditions. We cannot settle for just one team as many teams are capable of posing a serious challenge. We have picked a well-balanced team,” he concluded.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently announced the 15-member men’s cricket squad for the Asian Games 2026, with experienced batsman Sahibzada Farhan named as the captain for the tournament in Japan.
The cricket tournament will be held in Aichi-Nagoya from September 17 to October 3, while the men’s T20 tournament is scheduled to begin on September 24 at the Koroki Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture. The medal matches will be held on October 3.
Having represented Pakistan in 46 T20 Internationals, Farhan brings considerable experience to the team. The team consists of a mix of established artists and emerging talent. Pacer Akif Javed, batsman Maz Sadaq, pacer Ali Raza and Saad Masood did not make their Pakistan T20 debut.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and hosts Japan have automatically qualified for the 10-team men’s tournament. Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Oman secured the remaining spots through the qualification process.
Pakistan squad for 2026 Asian Games: Sahibzada Farhan (catch), Abdul Samad (VC), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniel, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Mas Sadaq, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufyan Mokim (and).
Sohail Imran
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