Anshy Rath, Babar Hayat and Nizakat Khan are expected to do the heavy lifting with the bat, while 41-year-old offspinner Ehsan Khan remains key with the ball. He is also Hong Kong’s leading wicket-taker in 2026, with 23 wickets in 15 innings.
Rain could have a major say, with showers forecast throughout the day. If the match is washed out, Pakistan will advance as the higher-ranked side.
Pakistan WLWLW (last five completed games, most recent first)
Hong Kong WLWWL
With Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, and Saim Ayub at the top, there will be competition among Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, and Abdul Samad for No.5-6 spots. With the pitch expected to help spinners, Pakistan will look to stock their bowling department with different options, each adding a point of difference – Arafat Minhas with his left-arm orthodox spin and batting depth, Abrar Ahmed with his mystery, and Sufyan Moqim with his left-arm wristspin.
Pakistan (possible): 1 Sahibzada Farhan (capt), 2 Maaz Sadaqat, 3 Saim Ayub, 4 Usman Khan (wk), 5 Haider Ali/Hasan Nawaz, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Arafat Minhas, 8 Abrar Ahmed, 9 Ali Raza, 10 Mohammad Wasim Jnr, 11 Sufyan Moqim
Hong Kong are likely to go with the same combination that beat Oman, with seamer Ayush Shukla retaining his place in the XI after missing the first game.
Hong Kong (possible): 1 Anshy Rath, 2 Nizakat Khan, 3 Babar Hayat, 4 Hafeez Khan, 5 Shiv Mathur, 6 Shahid Wasif (wk), 7 Yasim Murtaza (Capt), 8 Nasrulla Rana, 9 Ehsan Khan, 10 Ayush Shukla, 11 Mohammad Ghazanfar
Rain could have a significant say in the quarter-final. Run-scoring has also not been particularly easy at the venue. Expect a wet outfield or interruptions that could further complicate things. In case of a washout, Pakistan will advance to the semi-finals.
