NAGOYA, Japan: Pakistan have qualified for the semi-finals of the 2026 Asian Games men’s cricket competition after their quarter-final against Hong Kong was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to persistent rain at Korogi Sports Park on Monday.
The washout allowed Pakistan to progress to the last four as the higher-ranked team, while Hong Kong’s campaign at the Games came to an end.
Rain ends quarter-final before start
The match was scheduled to begin at 5:00 am Pakistan Standard Time, with the toss planned for 4:30 am, but continuous rainfall and unfavourable conditions forced officials to call off the fixture before play could begin.
Pakistan had entered the knockout stage through direct qualification as one of the four highest-ranked teams, alongside India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
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Hong Kong reached the quarter-finals after finishing second in Group B, securing their place with a victory over Oman.
Pakistan await semi-final opponent
The Sahibzada Farhan-led team will now wait for the completion of the remaining quarter-finals to discover their semi-final opponent.
Both semi-finals are scheduled to be played at Korogi Sports Park on Thursday.
Pakistan are competing in the men’s T20 event with a squad featuring several players with international experience, including vice-captain Abdul Samad, Saim Ayub, Haider Ali, Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Wasim Jnr.
Pakistan squad for 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 (wicketkeeper).
