Pakistan advanced to the semi-finals of the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket competition after their quarter-final against Hong Kong, China, was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to persistent rain at Korogi Sports Park.
The match was called off around the time of the toss after continuous showers left large parts of the ground under covers, with officials ruling out any realistic chance of play.
Pakistan progressed under tournament regulations because of their superior ICC T20I ranking, while Hong Kong were eliminated without taking the field.
The Green Shirts were among four seeded teams, alongside India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, that received direct entry into the quarter-finals based on their rankings.
Hong Kong reached the knockout stage after finishing second in Group B, having defeated Malaysia by eight wickets before losing to Oman by 41 runs.
Pakistan arrived in Japan after a training camp in Karachi, while a practice session in Nisshin was also affected by overnight rain and a wet outfield.
The team, captained by Sahibzada Farhan and coached by Mike Hesson, will now face the winner of Tuesday’s quarter-final between Bangladesh and Malaysia in the semi-final on Thursday at the same venue.
The abandoned fixture would have been the third T20 meeting between Pakistan and Hong Kong. Pakistan won both previous encounters at the 2022 Asia Cup and the 2023 Asian Games.
Pakistan also won bronze in the men’s cricket event at the 2010 Asian Games.
The second quarter-final between India and Afghanistan was also abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain. India advanced as the higher-ranked side and will face the winner of the Sri Lanka-Nepal quarter-final.
The semi-finals are scheduled for October 1, while the bronze-medal match and final will be played on October 3.
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