The Pakistan Cricket Board has named Mohammad Abbas Afridi as captain for the Hong Kong Sixes, with a seven member squad set to travel for the six a side tournament in Hong Kong later this month. The event will be played at the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground from October 30 to November 1, and Pakistan have been drawn in Pool C. The squad will leave for Hong Kong on October 28, two days before the competition begins, giving the group time to settle and prepare for the short format. Supporters who follow cricket through the season can also keep track of our Pakistan sports news for updates on national teams and domestic action.
Full Pakistan squad and team management
The seven players named by the board are Mohammad Abbas Afridi as captain, Abdul Samad, Ahmed Daniyal, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Khawaja Nafay, Muhammad Shahzad and Saad Masood. Raza Kitchlew has been appointed team manager for the tour. With only seven players available for each match day, selection in this format usually values cricketers who can contribute in more than one department, because there is little room to carry a specialist who is used for only a few balls. The presence of a designated manager also points to a compact touring party, where planning around travel, training slots and match day rotation has to be handled tightly over a three day event.
How the tournament is structured
A total of 12 teams will take part in the Hong Kong Sixes this year. The sides have been split into four pools of three teams each, and Pakistan will compete in Pool C during the opening phase. The Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground will host the full tournament, which runs over three days from October 30 to November 1. The six a side format is built for speed, with short innings, rapid fielding changes and little margin for a slow start. That structure means pool matches carry immediate weight, since one poor game can affect qualification for the later rounds in a small group of three.
Why the October 28 departure matters
Pakistan are scheduled to depart on October 28, which leaves a short preparation window before the first fixtures on October 30. For a squad of this size, those two days are important for adjusting to local conditions, confirming batting orders and deciding which combinations to use when overs are limited. In six a side cricket, captains often have to make quick choices about who bowls, who keeps wicket and how to sequence hitters, because the game moves faster than a standard limited overs match. Afridi will therefore have to settle roles quickly, especially with teammates drawn from different domestic and franchise backgrounds coming together for a single short assignment.
What Pool C means for Pakistan
Being placed in a three team pool means Pakistan will play a small number of group matches before any knockout stage, so net run rate and early momentum can become decisive much sooner than in a longer tournament. The board has not announced further fixture details beyond the pool placement and the overall dates in the statements carried by the two sources, so the immediate focus for the squad is preparation rather than speculation about opponents. Readers interested in how Pakistan cricket stories develop across formats can also revisit our earlier report on Sri Lanka and Pakistan cricket talks over the India match, which covered a separate off field development involving the national side.
What happens next for the squad
The next confirmed step is the October 28 departure, followed by the tournament window in Hong Kong. Fans at home will be watching for the final playing combinations once the team reaches the venue, and for clarity on batting positions in a format where every player may be needed to score quickly. Broader national updates continue on our Pakistan national news coverage pages alongside sport. For supporters planning to follow the event from Pakistan or considering travel costs around overseas fixtures, checking the USD to PKR exchange rate today can help with budgeting, although the cricket itself will be decided by how well this seven member group adapts to the pace of six a side play at Tin Kwong Road.
