The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced the squad for the Hong Kong Sixes, with Abbas Afridi named captain for the six-a-side tournament.
The tournament will be held at Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground in Hong Kong from October 30 to November 1. Pakistan will depart for Hong Kong on October 28.
Pakistan will compete alongside 11 other teams in the three-day tournament, featuring 12 sides in total.
The participating teams have been divided into four pools of three teams each, with Pakistan placed in Pool C.
Defending champions Pakistan, who clinched the coveted title last year, their sixth overall, by defeating Kuwait in the final, have been placed in Group C alongside India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Australia, host nation Hong Kong, China and England comprise Group A, while Bangladesh, Scotland and Sri Lanka are in Group B. South Africa, Oman and Afghanistan form Group D.
The opening day will feature nine matches, with the first game between Australia and Hong Kong, China scheduled for 5:45am as per Pakistan Standard Time (PST), followed by Bangladesh’s clash against Scotland at 6:40am.
Holders Pakistan will kick off their campaign against the UAE at 7:35am PST on Friday, October 30, before taking on arch-rivals India at 11:15am on the same day.
The remaining group-stage fixtures will be completed on Saturday, October 31, with the first match between Oman and Afghanistan scheduled for 5:45am PST.
The knockout stage of the Hong Kong Sixes will also get underway on Saturday, with the top-ranked teams from each group progressing to the Cup semi-finals.
The second-placed sides will contest the Plate semi-finals, while the third-placed teams will compete in the Bowl semi-finals.
The final day on Sunday, November 1, will feature the respective finals and placement matches. The Cup final is scheduled for 12:10am PST, while the Bowl and Plate finals will take place earlier at 10:20am and 11:15am, respectively.
Pakistan squad:
Mohammad Abbas Afridi (captain), Abdul Samad, Ahmed Daniyal, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Khawaja Nafay, Muhammad Shahzad and Saad Masood.
