Pakistan A captain Qasim Akram aims for Asian Games medal

Qasim Akram, Pakistan A captain, aims for a successful campaign in the 19th Asian games in Hangzhou, China. The team will depart later on September 30 for China.

Being one of the top four ICC-ranked sides in Asia, Pakistan Shaheen have directly qualified for the multisport event. They will be beginning their campaign from the quarter-final stage, which is scheduled to take place on October 3 and 4, respectively. The semi-final of the competition is scheduled to be held on October 6, whereas the final and the bronze medal game will be taking place on the next day.

Pakistan A team will play their quarter-final on October 3 at the Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field in Hangzhou. The team has undergone a five-day training session at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore where players prior to the tournament.

Akram expressed his excitement to lead the team in the Asian Games. The 20-year-old believes the team which won the ACC Emerging Asia Cup recently, will replicate their performance in the upcoming matches as well. With Pakistan A touring China for the first time, the youngster seeks the team to do the best for the country. 

“It is an honour for me to lead the side in the Asian Games. 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," Akram was quoted as saying by pcb.com.pk.

“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," he added.

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