Ashish Ranjan
The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced the squad for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. The tournament is scheduled to take place between September 23 and October 8.
The 20-year-old all-rounder Qasim Akram has been entrusted with the team’s captaincy, marking a significant step forward in his career. With a notable record of 20 first-class matches and 40 T20 appearances, Qasim’s leadership skills were on full display when he led Pakistan to victory in the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2022.
Reflecting on his record-breaking performance against Sri Lanka, Qasim enthusiastically and modestly stated, “I gave a dream performance.”
The uncapped batsman Omair Bin Yousuf has been appointed vice-captain of the squad and will assist Qasim in his captaincy duties. Considering the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, Pakistan has selected a second-string team for the Asian Games, similar to their Indian counterparts.
Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani, Khushdil Shah, Aamir Jamal, Arshad Iqbal, Mohammad Hasnain, and Usman Qadir are notable Pakistani players.
In recent excursions to Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and Australia, Pakistan’s ‘A’ team, the Shaheens, demonstrated their prowess. While they won the ‘unofficial’ Tests against Zimbabwe, they lost the limited-overs series by a score of 2-4. Their victory in the ACC Men’s Emerging Asia Cup, in which they defeated India in the final, demonstrates their aptitude.
Due to the tournament format, the Shaheens will enter the quarterfinals on the 3rd and 4th of October and are poised to deliver an impressive performance. The semi-finals and finals, scheduled for 6 and 7 October, will undoubtedly feature nail-biting contests.
Additionally, the bronze medal match is scheduled for October 7. The Pakistani men’s team has competed in the Asian Games once, securing a bronze medal in Guangzhou in 2010.
Pakistan Shaheens squad: Qasim Akram (c), Omair Bin Yousuf (vc), Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Arshad Iqbal, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mirza Tahir Baig, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Akhlaq (wk), Rohail Nazir, Shahnawaz Dahani, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Qadir.
Non-traveling reserves: Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Imran Jr, Muhammad Irfan Khan Niazi and Mubasir Khan.
