Persistent rain forced the abandonment of Pakistan’s cricket quarter-final against Hong Kong without a ball being bowled on Monday, allowing the national side to progress to the semi-finals of the Asian Games on the basis of their superior ICC Twenty20 International ranking.

The first quarter-final, scheduled at Korogi Sports Park, was called off at the time of the toss after incessant showers left large parts of the ground under covers. Officials determined there was no realistic chance of play, even in a heavily reduced format.

Pakistan, one of four seeded teams alongside India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh that received a direct entry into the last eight, advanced under tournament regulations that award the higher-ranked side progression in the event of a no-result.

Hong Kong, ranked significantly lower, exited the competition without taking the field.

Hong Kong had reached the quarter-finals by finishing second in Group ‘B’ having defeated Malaysia by eight wickets before suffering a 41-run loss to Oman.

Pakistan had arrived in Japan after a training camp in Karachi and a practice session in Nisshin that was also disrupted by overnight rain and a wet outfield.

The side, captained by Sahibzada Farhan and coached by Mike Hesson, will face the winners of Tuesday’s quarter-final between Bangladesh and Malaysia in the semi-finals, scheduled for Thursday at the same venue.

This would have been the third T20 meeting between the two sides, with Pakistan having prevailed in both previous encounters at the 2022 Asia Cup and the 2023 Asian Games. Pakistan won bronze in the men’s cricket event at the 2010 Asian Games.

The second quarter-final between India and Afghanistan, scheduled to be the later fixture at the same venue was also abandoned without a ball bowled due to rain.

India, being the higher-ranked side, advanced to the semi-finals where they will meet the winners of the quarter-final between Sri Lanka and Nepal.

The semi-finals are set for October 1, with the bronze-medal match and final scheduled for October 3.