Pakistan men’s team reach their first-ever Asian Games cricket final

NAGOYA, JAPAN, 1 OCTOBER 2026 —

Pakistan’s men’s cricket team, under head coach Mike Hesson, reached their maiden Asian Games cricket final on 1 October after a six‑wicket victory over Bangladesh in a rain‑affected semi‑final played at Korogi Athletic Park Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, and will contest the gold medal on 3 October against either world champions India or Sri Lanka.

Pakistan batsman Saim Ayub, who scored 21 runs in the semi‑final, said the team’s focus is solely on winning the final irrespective of the opponent, according to his direct quote reported by the Straits Times Sport.

According to the Straits Times Sport, the semi‑final was reduced to 13 overs because the outfield was too wet for play at the scheduled 9 am local‑time start. Pakistan elected to have Bangladesh bat first on a heavily cracked pitch that had been covered for almost a week due to torrential rain at Korogi Athletic Park Stadium. Under clear blue skies, Pakistan’s bowlers had Bangladesh reeling at 21‑3 and then 45‑4 in the sixth over.

Towhid Hridoy steadied the Bangladesh innings with 42 runs off 25 balls, including two fours and four sixes, enabling Bangladesh to post a total of 111‑7, the Straits Times Sport reported. Pakistan’s chase began poorly, losing three early wickets while attempting to score quickly.

The partnership between Abdul Samad and Hasan Nawaz shifted the momentum; they came together at 53‑4 in the seventh over and added an unbroken stand of 59 runs off 32 balls, taking Pakistan to the target. Samad finished unbeaten on 30 off 15 balls, while Nawaz remained on 27 at the close of the innings, according to the Straits Times Sport.

The match was effectively decided in the 10th over when Samad struck 22 runs off five balls bowled by Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman, at a stage when Pakistan still needed 36 runs from 24 balls. Nawaz opened the over with a single to third man, after which Samad hit a towering six over long on followed by four consecutive fours, leaving Pakistan requiring only 13 runs from the remaining 18 balls.

Saim Ayub’s post‑match comment, quoted verbatim by the Straits Times Sport, was: “To be honest, we don’t really care about who will win and who will reach the final. All we care about is winning the final, no matter who we are playing against.”

The Straits Times Sport also noted that Bangladesh will play the loser of the other semi‑final for the bronze medal, also scheduled for 3 October. This sets up the final contest for Pakistan on the same date, with the opponent to be decided between India and Sri Lanka.

Related: Korogi Athletic Park Stadium · Mike Hesson · Nagoya, Japan