PCB announces Pakistan squad for Asian Games 2023, Qasim Akram named captain

Pakistan's team for the Asian Games 2023 was announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday, August 24. The 15-person team for the Hangzhou Games 2023, which start on September 19, will be led by the young all-rounder Qasim Akram. Several foreign stars will also be on the team.

The 19th Asian Games will include cricket, and Pakistan will play right away in the quarterfinals, which start on October 3.

Since the top team is going to the Asia Cup and the ICC World Cup in 2023, the board has put together a second-string team for the men's T20I cricket event in the Asian Games.

The 20-year-old hitting all-rounder Qasim Akram led Pakistan in the ICC Men's U19 Cricket World Cup 2022 and was on Pakistan's team in the recent ACC Emerging Teams Cup 2023. He has done well in local cricket, and he is best known for taking six wickets against UAE in the ACC Emerging Teams Cup.

Omair Bin Yousuf will help Qasim lead the strong 15-person team, which includes eight cricketers who have played on the world level. Pakistan has had Asif Ali, Khusdil Shah, Haider Ali, Shahnazwaz Dahani, and Mohammad Hasnain play in a total of 150 T20Is.

Pakistan 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 and Usman Qadir

Non-travelling reserves – Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan Niazi and Mubasir Khan

Pakistan's men's team won the bronze medal during the Asian Games 2010 in Guangzhou while the women's team won gold on both occasions in 2010 and 2014. However, both teams are likely to face tough competition form Indian cricket teams which are participating in the Asian Games for the first time in their history.