Lahore (Sports Desk): Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowler Salman Mirza has been ruled out of the men’s cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan due to injury.
According to the Pakistan Cricket Board, Salman Mirza suffered a fracture in his left thumb and is undergoing rehabilitation. He is expected to regain full fitness by the first week of October.
Muhammad Wasim Junior has been included in the national squad in place of Salman Mirza. Pakistan’s team will be led by Sahibzada Farhan, while the national squad will depart for Japan after attending a training camp at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre in Karachi from September 21 to 24.
The men’s T20 cricket competition at the Asian Games will begin on September 24 at Kurogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture, while the medal matches will be played on October 3. Pakistan will play its first quarterfinal against a qualifying team on September 28 at Kurogi Sports Park.
Pakistan’s 15-member squad includes Sahibzada Farhan, Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Aaqib Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Wasim Junior, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufiyan Muqeem and Usman Khan.