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[Saba Sports News] Qasim Akram, the captain of Pakistan A, is focused on a successful campaign at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. The team is set to depart for China on September 30. As one of the top four ICC-ranked sides in Asia, Pakistan Shaheen has directly qualified for the multisport event. They will commence their campaign in the quarter-final stage on October 3 and 4, with the semi-final scheduled for October 6, followed by the final and bronze medal game on the next day.
Pakistan A’s quarter-final match is scheduled for October 3 at the Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field in Hangzhou. The team underwent a five-day training session at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore ahead of the tournament.
Akram expressed his enthusiasm for leading the team in the Asian Games. He believes that the team, which recently won the ACC Emerging Asia Cup, will continue to perform well in the upcoming matches. With this being Pakistan A’s first tour to China, Akram aims for the team to represent their country admirably.
“It is an honor for me to lead the side in the Asian Games,” said Akram. “The players have performed well in the past, winning the ACC Emerging Asia Cup recently, and I am looking forward to the same performance from the players in the upcoming games. We have a good combination and have undergone rigorous training, preparing for whatever challenges spinning wickets may present. So, we are ready for the challenge. This will be our first tour to China, so we will keep things very simple and aim to win matches for the country. I will urge the fans to keep supporting the Shaheens side in the Asian Games.”
Pakistan A Squad: Qasim Akram (captain), Omair Bin Yousuf (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Arshad Iqbal, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mirza Tahir Baig, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Akhlaq (wk), Rohail Nazir (wk), Shahnawaz Dahani, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Usman Qadir.