Captain Farhan not worried about inexperience of Pakistan's Asian Games squad
'There is no pressure on me whether I play as a captain or a player and I will continue to bat how I do' - Sahibzada Farhan • Associated Press
Pakistan have looked to make the most of the intel their head coach Mike Hesson gathered over his reconnaissance visit to the Kōrogi Sports Park in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, by replicating the conditions in their four-day pre-departure camp for the Asian Games Men's T20 Competition. They have not only rolled out pitches similar to the ones at the Asian Games venue, but the players have also looked to widen their skillsets to adapt to the conditions.
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At the forefront has been Sahibzada Farhan, who will lead Pakistan for the first time. "I don't often play sweeps or reverse sweeps, but I have worked on those shots in this camp," he told reporters on the last day of Pakistan's pre-departure camp in Karachi. "We have tried to replicate the conditions which we expect to encounter in the Asian Games and played spin more. We have had two scenario matches as well and the players are looking in good shape … We will not have much time to prepare when we reach Japan so we have put in a lot of effort in this four-day camp so we are well-prepared before we land there."
Pakistan's squad for the men's Asian Games is a combination of players from the senior and Shaheens (Pakistan A) sides. Four of the 15 players, in Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat, and Saad Masood, are uncapped. Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Khan, and Farhan are the only players in the side who were in Pakistan's squad for this year's T20 World Cup.
Farhan, however, feels that the absence of experienced or established players will not be a hindrance as Pakistan hope to win their first-ever men's Asian gold in cricket. "It is not like the players who have been selected for the Asian Games are inexperienced," he said. "They have all played international cricket [or] come into the team after proving themselves in domestic cricket and the PSL. I have a lot of confidence in these players."
That some of these players had been involved in the CPL recently also makes Farhan hopeful of Pakistan's chances. Sufyan Moqim delivered a Player of the Final performance, picking up 4 for 14 for champions Antigua and Barbuda Falcons against Kingsmen Jamaica for whom Sadaqat was a lone warrior, scoring his second century of the playoffs. Sadaqat's team-mate Ayub had also scored a hundred in the league stage of the competition. Wicketkeeper Usman Khan was another Pakistan player to play for Kingsmen in the CPL.
Farhan's captaincy experience in the format is limited to captaining Peshawar in three T20s in the Super Eight National T20 Cup in December 2023. But he is eager to lead his team by example. "It is quite a proud moment to be leading Pakistan," he said, adding that he would be open to the possibility of continuing in the role after the Asian Games. "There is no pressure on me whether I play as a captain or a player and I will continue to bat how I do [in an aggressive manner] … The players observe what their captain does so as a captain you have to lead by example, which I intend to do."
Pakistan, as one of the four seeded sides, will begin their Asian Games campaign in the quarter-finals stage on September 28. Their opponents will be the team that comes second in Group B, which includes Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Oman.
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