The first quarter-final match between Pakistan and Hong Kong in the men's cricket tournament of the Asian Games 2026 was canceled due to incessant rain. The field at Korghi Sports Park in Nishine became unplayable, making it impossible even to conduct the draw or bowl the first ball.
The cancellation of the match resulted in an automatic win for the Pakistani team led by Sahibzada Farhan. Because Pakistan is a stronger team according to the ICC ranking in the T20I format, they managed to advance to the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Hong Kong's journey in the tournament ended at the quarter-final stage.
The quarter-final between Pakistan and Hong Kong was scheduled for September 28th at 5:30 AM Indian time, with the draw planned for 5:00 AM. However, the rain intensified at Korghi Sports Park before the game could start. Due to the constant bad weather conditions and the wet pitch, there was no chance of the match commencing. Following an assessment of the situation, officials decided to cancel the game.
Since no reserve day was provided for the quarter-final, Pakistan was advanced to the next round based on a higher ranking. The team Pakistan will play against in the semi-finals will be determined after the completion of the other quarter-final matches. Pakistan now needs to await the results of the other playoff matches. Both semi-finals of the Asian Games 2026 will take place at Korghi Sports Park on Thursday, September 1st.
Pakistan initially secured a spot in the tournament's quarter-finals. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh gained direct access to the playoffs based on their rankings. On the other hand, Hong Kong earned a ticket to the quarter-finals through good performances in the group stage, finishing second in Group B. The Hong Kong team achieved a single victory in the group stage against Oman, who finished last in their group. Nevertheless, Hong Kong did not get the opportunity to take the field against Pakistan. The continuous rain dashed all hopes of Hong Kong even before the match began, allowing Pakistan to reach the semi-finals without playing.
The Pakistan squad includes: Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Abdul Sameed (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raju, Arafat Minhaj, Hader Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Majja Sadikata, Mohammed Wasim Jr., Sada Masud, Sam Ayub, Sufian Mukim, and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper).