Pakistan U19 open Asia Cup title defence against UAE on Friday

Defending champions Pakistan U19 begin their ACC Men's U19 Asia Cup 2026 campaign against the UAE on Friday, 6 November, at Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Muscat, Oman, according to The Express Tribune.

The tournament starts in Oman on Thursday, 5 November. It is a 50-over event with eight teams split into two groups. Pakistan, UAE, India and Nepal are in Group A, while Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Malaysia are in Group B.

After the UAE match, Pakistan play India on Sunday, 8 November. Their last group match is against Nepal on Tuesday, 10 November. The reports list OCA Ground 2 as the venue for the UAE game and OCA Ground 1 for the India and Nepal games.

The top two teams from each group reach the semi-finals, which are on Thursday, 12 November. The final is on Saturday, 14 November.

Farhan Yousaf leads Pakistan, as he did in the previous edition. In that edition Pakistan beat India by 191 runs at the ICC Cricket Academy Ground in Dubai.

The squad has 15 players. Abdul Qadir and Hamza Zahoor are the wicketkeepers. Shahid Anwar is head coach and team manager. The PCB sent the team to Oman before the tournament to assess conditions.

Yousaf said: "Our preparations have been progressing really well." He added: "We are not taking anything for granted and are determined to carry forward the positives from last year with the same hunger, commitment and winning mindset."

He also said: "The morale within the squad is very high and the players are confident heading into the tournament."