LAHORE: Pakistan has announced its squad for the inaugural Central South Asian 7s Rugby Championship, scheduled to take place in Tashkent on May 16 and 17.
The tournament, sanctioned by World Rugby under the CASA Rugby Alliance, will feature teams from Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan. The Pakistan Rugby Union (PRU) confirmed on Monday the squad will depart Lahore on May 15. Kashif Khawaja, recently appointed head coach, has overseen preparations and final selection.
Muhammad Mudassir has been named as captain and Umair Khan as vice-captain. Secretary Salman Muzaffar Shaikh expressed confidence in the team’s readiness and described the selection as a strong blend of experience and youth for this historic regional event.
The announced playing squad includes Aamir Shahzad, Anjum Sajjad, Mohsin Raza, Muhammad Aqib Siddiqui, Abbas Bangash, Muhammad Haroon, Faiq Shahzad, Muhammad Afzal, Touqeer Ali and Muhammad Irfan, alongside the captain and vice-captain. Pakistan will play five pool matches as all six teams face each other in a round-robin format, giving the side multiple opportunities to test combinations and match fitness. The CASA Rugby Alliance — formed through collaboration between the rugby unions of Pakistan and India — now comprises 11 member nations including Bangladesh, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Iran.
