Pakistan Name Hong Kong Sixes 2026 Squad, Abbas Afridi Captain
Abbas Afridi leads Pakistan's seven-man Hong Kong Sixes 2026 squad. See the full squad, Pool C with India and UAE, and every match time in Pakistan time.
Abbas Afridi will captain Pakistan at the Hong Kong Sixes 2026, the PCB announced on 9 October. The seven-man squad flies out on 28 October. Pakistan play the UAE at 7:35 am and India at 11:15 am Pakistan time on Friday 30 October, both in Pool C.
We read the PCB's squad release on pcb.com.pk on the afternoon of 9 October. Then we opened the tournament's own fixtures page and turned every Hong Kong start time into Pakistan time. Hong Kong is three hours ahead of Pakistan, so an 8:45 am start there is 5:45 am here.
Pakistan arrive as defending champions. The organisers say a win would give Pakistan a record seventh Hong Kong Sixes title.
Pakistan's Hong Kong Sixes 2026 squad has seven players
The PCB named seven players for the Hong Kong Sixes, with fast bowler Abbas Afridi as captain. Raza Kitchlew is the team manager. Only six players take the field in each match, so one player sits out every game.
| Player | Role in squad |
|---|---|
| Mohammad Abbas Afridi | Captain |
| Abdul Samad | Player |
| Ahmed Daniyal | Player |
| Muhammad Irfan Khan | Player |
| Khawaja Nafay | Player |
| Muhammad Shahzad | Player |
| Saad Masood | Player |
| Raza Kitchlew | Team manager |
Two of the seven, Abdul Samad and wicketkeeper Khawaja Nafay, are in the T20I squad now playing Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi. That series ends on 13 October. Neither is in the ODI squad for the tri-series, which ends on 31 October, the same weekend as the Sixes. Ahmed Daniyal and Saad Masood were in the side that won silver at the Asian Games.
No player from the ODI squad is going. That makes sense: Pakistan could be in the tri-series final in Lahore on the day of the Sixes semi-finals.
The PCB release does not give a role for each player, such as batter or bowler. We have not guessed them. The tournament website lists the same seven names on its Pakistan team page.
Pakistan play the UAE and India on Friday 30 October
Pakistan are in Pool C with India and the UAE. Both of Pakistan's pool matches are on the opening day, Friday 30 October, at Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground in Kowloon. The first is against the UAE at 7:35 am PKT and the second is against India at 11:15 am PKT.
The 12 teams are split into four pools of three. Each team plays the other two in its pool once.
| Pool | Teams |
|---|---|
| Pool A | Australia, England, Hong Kong, China |
| Pool B | Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Scotland |
| Pool C | India, Pakistan, UAE |
| Pool D | South Africa, Afghanistan, Oman |
India's side is led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and includes Krunal Pandya, T. Natarajan, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tewatia, Rahul Tripathi and Shashank Singh, according to the tournament's team page. The UAE are captained by Khalid Shah. India play the UAE on Saturday morning, which closes Pool C.
Hong Kong Sixes 2026 times in Pakistan
All Hong Kong Sixes matches start early in Pakistan, between 5:45 am and 1:05 pm PKT. Pakistan's two pool games are at 7:35 am and 11:15 am on 30 October. The Cup final is at 12:10 pm PKT on Sunday 1 November.
| Day | Match | Hong Kong time | Pakistan time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 30 Oct | Pakistan v UAE | 10:35 am | 7:35 am |
| Fri 30 Oct | India v Pakistan | 2:15 pm | 11:15 am |
| Sat 31 Oct | UAE v India | 10:35 am | 7:35 am |
| Sat 31 Oct | Cup semi-final, A1 v C1 | 3:10 pm | 12:10 pm |
| Sun 1 Nov | Cup final | 3:10 pm | 12:10 pm |
The Pakistan times are our own conversion from the Hong Kong times on the official fixtures page. Matches run back to back, about 55 minutes each, so a slow game can push the next one a little later.
Where Pakistan finish in Pool C decides their weekend
Every team keeps playing after the pools. The pool winner goes to the Cup for the title, the runner-up goes to the Plate for fifth place, and the third team goes to the Bowl for ninth. So Pakistan need to top Pool C, most likely by beating India, to defend the trophy.
- Top of Pool C: Cup semi-final against the Pool A winner, Saturday 12:10 pm PKT.
- Second in Pool C: Plate semi-final against the Pool A runner-up, Saturday 11:15 am PKT.
- Third in Pool C: Bowl semi-final against the third team in Pool A, Saturday 9:25 am PKT.
- Cup semi-final winners meet in the final on Sunday at 12:10 pm PKT.
- Cup semi-final losers play for third place on Sunday at 8:30 am PKT.
The Pool A winner will probably be Australia or England, so a Cup semi-final for Pakistan would be against a strong side. Hong Kong, China are the other Pool A team, and they bring their whole Asian Games squad, the organisers say. Their Asian Games quarter-final against Pakistan was washed out by rain, and Pakistan went through.
Six players, six overs: the rules in short
Each side fields six players and bats for six overs. Every fielder except the wicketkeeper bowls one over, and one player may bowl two. That is the organisers' own summary of the format. It rewards big hitting and punishes a single bad over.
- Six players a side, six overs an innings.
- One over per bowler, with one bowler allowed a second over.
- The wicketkeeper does not bowl.
- About 55 minutes for a whole match.
The tournament has a 34-year history, the organisers say. Pakistan won it in 2025, which is why they start as champions.
How to watch Pakistan at the Hong Kong Sixes
No Pakistani broadcaster for the Hong Kong Sixes had been announced when we checked on 9 October. The organisers name Sony Sports as broadcast partner for India only. PTV's new deal with the PCB is for home cricket, and this is an overseas event run by Cricket Hong Kong, China.
Wait for the PCB or the organisers to name a channel or app before paying for any stream. Fans in Hong Kong can buy tickets through the link on the tournament's official website. The home season carries on at the same time, so the Pakistan cricket schedule for October and November is busy: the ODI tri-series with England and Sri Lanka ends on 31 October, the day of the Sixes semi-finals.
Common questions
Who is Pakistan's captain at the Hong Kong Sixes 2026?
Abbas Afridi. The PCB named him captain of a seven-man squad on 9 October 2026.
When is India vs Pakistan at the Hong Kong Sixes?
Friday 30 October 2026 at 11:15 am Pakistan time, which is 2:15 pm in Hong Kong. It is a Pool C match.
When does Pakistan play its first Hong Kong Sixes match?
Pakistan play the UAE at 7:35 am PKT on Friday 30 October, the third match of the tournament.
Where is the Hong Kong Sixes 2026 being played?
At Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground in Kowloon, Hong Kong, from 30 October to 1 November 2026.
Who won the Hong Kong Sixes in 2025?
Pakistan. The organisers list Pakistan as defending champions, chasing a record seventh title.
Is the Hong Kong Sixes shown on TV in Pakistan?
No Pakistani broadcaster had been announced by 9 October. Check the PCB's media releases before the event.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 9 October 2026 at about 14:45 PKT. The squad, captain, team manager, departure date and Pool C placing come from the PCB media release "Abbas Afridi to lead Pakistan in Hong Kong Sixes", dated 9 October 2026, on pcb.com.pk. The pools, fixtures, Hong Kong start times, finals format, rules summary and Pakistan's defending champion status come from the official tournament website, hongkongsixes.live, including its fixtures page, its team pages for Pakistan, India and the UAE, and its release of 3 October 2026. Pakistan times are our own conversion at Hong Kong time minus three hours. No Pakistani broadcaster had been named when we checked.
About the author
Senior Writer, Public Services and Technology
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
