Pakistan Name Squad For Asian Games 2023; BIG Players Missing In Team

Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi won't take part in Asian Games 2023 competition to be held in China this year. The team will be led by all-rounder Qasim Akram.

Pakistan cricket team for Asian Games 2023. (Source: Twitter)

Pakistan named the 15-man squad for the cricket tournament in the Asian Games 2023. The big names like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan are missing because the these cricketers will be focussed on winning the ICC Men's World Cup 2023 in India. Asian Games are to be played at Hangzhou in China from September 23 to October 8. Not to forget, India have already announced their squad long before PCB did. The Indian team will feature Ruturaj Gaikwad as the captain of the side.

PCB have picked all-rounder Qasim Akram as the captain of the squad which will go for Asian Games. The cricket tournament is scheduled to be played from September 28 to October 7. Qasim has played 20 first-class matches for Pakistan. He is just 20 and has played 40 T20 games too. Asian Games will also be played in T20 format. There are as many as eight players who have played international cricket for Pakistan. They are amir Jamal (2 T20Is), Arshad Iqbal (1 T20I), Asif Ali (21 ODIs, 55 T20Is), Haider Ali (2 ODIs, 33 T20Is), Khushdil Shah (10 ODIs, 24 T20Is), Mohammad Hasnain (9 ODIs, 27 T20Is), Shahnawaz Dahani (2 ODIs, 11 T20Is) and Usman Qadir (1 ODI, 23 T20Is).

_ Qasim Akram to lead Pakistan Shaheens in the 19th Asian Games, set to take place in Hangzhou, China _

Read more __ https://t.co/dEgBl54Xvx pic.twitter.com/iqYnYm2m7G — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 24, 2023

These eight players recently featured in squad that won the ACC Men's Emerging Team Asia Cup. 

It is to be noted that like India, Pakistan will also enter the quarter-finals directly to be played on October 3 and 4. The semi-finals will be played on 6 October, while the final will take place on 7 October. The match for Bronze medal will also take place on Saturday, 7 October. The last time cricket was part of the Asian Games, in 2010, Pakistan cricket team finished with a bronze medal.

Shahid Aslam has been named the head coach cum the manager of the side while Umar Rasheed will be the bowling coach and Hanif Malik the batting and fielding coach. 

Pakistan squad for Asian Games 2023:

Qasim Akram (captain), Omair Bin Yousuf (vice-captain), 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 and Usman Qadir