Pakistan advanced to the semifinals of the men’s cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games after their quarterfinal against Hong Kong was washed out by rain without a single ball being bowled.
Under the tournament’s playing regulations, Pakistan progressed because they are ranked higher than Hong Kong in the ICC rankings. They will face the winner of the fourth quarterfinal between Bangladesh and Malaysia in the semifinals on Thursday.
Rain fell intermittently throughout the day in Nisshin, and the match was called off at the toss. Television coverage showed a large portion of the outfield covered, while heavy rain continued to fall.
Four teams—Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh—were given direct entry into the quarterfinals as seeded sides. Hong Kong, meanwhile, advanced after finishing second in Group B, a three-team group. They beat Malaysia by eight wickets in the group stage but suffered a 41-run defeat to Oman.
Had the match gone ahead, it would have been only the third T20 international between Pakistan and Hong Kong. Pakistan won their previous two meetings, defeating Hong Kong in the 2022 Asia Cup and again at the 2023 Asian Games.
With the washout, Pakistan became the first team to book a place in the semifinals of the men’s cricket tournament.
