Key Takeaways
- Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals of the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket competition.
- The match against Hong Kong was abandoned due to persistent rain.
- Pakistan will face the winner of the Bangladesh vs Malaysia quarter-final on Thursday.
Pakistan has secured a place in the semi-finals of the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket competition after their quarter-final against Hong Kong was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to heavy rain at Korogi Sports Park.
The match, scheduled to take place on October 1, was called off around the time of the toss, with officials ruling out any realistic chance of play due to continuous showers that left large parts of the ground under covers.
Under tournament regulations, Pakistan advanced based on their superior ICC T20I ranking, while Hong Kong were eliminated without taking the field.
Pakistan, captained by Sahibzada Farhan and coached by Mike Hesson, will now face the winner of the quarter-final between Bangladesh and Malaysia, which is also scheduled for October 1, at the same venue.
This will be the third T20 meeting between Pakistan and Hong Kong, with Pakistan having won both previous encounters at the 2022 Asia Cup and the 2023 Asian Games.
The second quarter-final between India and Afghanistan was also abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain, with India advancing as the higher-ranked side and set to face the winner of the Sri Lanka-Nepal quarter-final.
The semi-finals are scheduled for October 1, with the bronze-medal match and final to be played on October 3.
Pakistan’s qualification marks their continued dominance in the Asian Games cricket event, with the team having previously won bronze in the men’s cricket event at the 2010 Asian Games.
