Pakistan's less experienced Asian Games squad compared to India is part of the plan, says Aqib

Pakistan have named a mix of young and experienced players for the Asian Games, where they will be one of the ten teams to participate. 

Different approach than India

Director High-Performance of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Aqib Javed, thinks the squad would find the tournament most useful, even though it is less experienced, especially when compared to India, who have named a near full-strength squad.

"As for your point about the team India have announced and the squad we have selected, our approach from the very beginning was that tournaments like these provide an opportunity to give chances to both our core players and promising youngsters," said Aqib, while addressing the media on the sidelines of Pakistan's pre-season red-ball camp.

Farhan to lead Pakistan

Aqib revealed that the plan was to utilize experienced and new players for the competition as he believes the squad is capable of challenging even India's experienced side.

"Our plan was to field a mix of experienced and young players. I am hopeful that, just as these players have beaten India and given them a tough time at the Under-19 and Shaheen-level competitions, they can deliver similar performances at this level as well."

Pakistan earlier announced their squad for the upcoming Asian Games, with Sahibzada Farhan set to lead the team. This will be Farhan's first stint as an international captain for the side, with Abdul Samad deputising him.

Pakistan squad for Asian Games:

Sahibzada Farhan (c), Abdul Samad (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufyan Moqim and Usman Khan (wk).

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