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'We just wanted to play' - Afghanistan's Zazai on Asian Games quarter-final abandonment

Continuous downpours and saturated grounds in Nisshin caused the cancellation of the men's Asian Games 2026 quarter-final match between India and Pakistan alongside the contest featuring Afghanistan. Pakistan advanced to the semi-final stage automatically due to their superior seeding ranking after their fixture against Hong Kong was called off.

Similarly, India moved forward because they held a higher spot than Afghanistan in the ICC T20I standings as of July 23, 2026, with officials abandoning the game sixteen minutes before the scheduled toss.

Mohammad Akram Zazai voiced deep frustration over the washout, noting that his squad had prepared thoroughly and felt confident about facing the tournament favourites. He mentioned that the team was familiar with the conditions from playing two prior matches at the same venue and would have welcomed even a shortened five or six-over contest to determine the winner on the field.

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