Lahore (Sports Desk): A four-day short training camp for Pakistan’s white-ball cricket team ahead of participation in the 2026 Asian Games has begun at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre in Karachi and will continue until Thursday.
On the first day of the camp, national players took part in various batting, bowling and fielding drills. After basic training during the first two days, a practice T20 match will be played at the Oval Ground on Wednesday, while a scenario-based practice match will be held on the centre wicket on Thursday, with local cricketers also assisting.
After the completion of the camp, the 21-member national squad will depart for Japan on the night of September 24. Usman Khan, Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz and Sufiyan Muqeem will join the team later after completing their league commitments.
Fast bowler Muhammad Salman Mirza has been ruled out of the squad due to a fracture in his left thumb, while Muhammad Wasim Junior has been included in the 15-member squad as his replacement.
The national team will be led by Sahibzada Farhan, while Abdul Samad will be the vice-captain. The squad also includes Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Aaqif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Wasim Junior, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufiyan Muqeem and Usman Khan.
The men’s cricket tournament in Japan will begin on September 24. Six teams will participate in the preliminary stage, with four advancing to the quarterfinals. Pakistan and India, along with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, are scheduled to play in the quarterfinals on September 28 and 29. Both semifinals will be held on October 1, while the gold medal match will take place on October 3.