Karachi, 21 September, 2026 (Nosheen): Pakistan’s men’s cricket team began preparations for the Asian Games 2026 at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Center in Karachi on Monday. The training camp will continue until September 24, with the team scheduled to depart for Japan on Thursday night. According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), five players — Usman Khan, Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz and Sufyan Moqim — are expected to join the camp after completing their Caribbean Premier League commitments. Fast bowler Mohammad Wasim Jnr has replaced Mohammad Salman Mirza, who was ruled out of the Asian Games after suffering a fracture to his left thumb and is currently undergoing rehabilitation. The players will participate in a T20 practice match at the Oval Ground, while the final day of the camp will feature a centre-wicket scenario match. The men’s T20 competition will begin on September 24 at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture, with the medal matches scheduled for October 3. Sahibzada Farhan will captain Pakistan, who will begin their campaign in the quarter-finals on September 28 against a qualifying team at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. The 10-team tournament includes automatic qualifiers India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and hosts Japan, while Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Oman qualified through the preliminary process.