The Pakistan team will be one of the favourites when they begin their men’s cricket event at the Asian Games 2026. They will straightaway play in the quarterfinals on September 28, with their opponents yet to be announced. Apart from them, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh will also directly play in the quarterfinals.
Pakistan has decided to send in a second-string side to the Asian Games 2026 under new captain Sahibzada Farhan. The team doesn’t have the players who were part of the Pakistan team that was drubbed in England recently. Fresh faces have been included since Pakistan failed to win a medal in the last edition in 2022. Today we see three reasons why Pakistan won’t win the gold medal in the Asian Games.
Here are the 3 reasons why Pakistan can’t win a gold medal in the Asian Games 2026:
- Inconsistent form coming into the Asian Games
Pakistan team players, despite being new, are coming into the Asian Games with inconsistent form. Though players who were present in the recent England Test drubbing, the Pakistan team’s form is still under scrutiny. While they have done decently in ODIs in the previous few games, in T20Is, Pakistan has struggled when it comes to Asian opponents.
- Pressure of the India game
The only chance of India and Pakistan playing each other is low, only if they both qualify for the final game for the gold medal. However, despite this, the talk about the Asian Games 2026 cricket event is about India and Pakistan. Without even playing India, Pakistan will be under pressure to play on par with the three-time T20 World Champions. Pakistan had last played India in the Asia Cup 2025 and lost all three games, including the final, in Dubai.
- Sahibzada Farhan captaining a second-string team
Pakistan team captaincy musical chairs continue as Sahibzada Farhan has been handed the leadership role for the Asian Games. He will lead a team full of fresh faces like Maaz Sadaqat, Arafat Minhas, Saad Masood, Ali Raza, and Sufyan Moqim. This team will be challenged by the likes of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, who are more likely to face them in the semi-final. It will be a challenge for Pakistan to win the gold medal with a young, inexperienced side.
