Hong Kong Sixes 2026 is nearly here, and South African fans have plenty to look forward to. The 22nd edition runs from 30 October to 1 November 2026 at Mission Road Ground (Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground) in Mong Kok, Kowloon.
Twelve nations will play 30 six-over matches in four groups, with defending champions Pakistan chasing another title. South Africa are in Group D with Afghanistan and Oman, and their opener starts at 05:30 SAST on Friday, 30 October.
Hong Kong Sixes 2026 Teams and Groups
Twelve teams are taking part: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, Hong Kong, India, Oman, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| Group A | Australia, England, Hong Kong |
| Group B | Bangladesh, Scotland, Sri Lanka |
| Group C | India, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates |
| Group D | Afghanistan, Oman, South Africa |
Group C is the headline group because it contains the India v Pakistan clash, while Group A has the Australia v England rivalry. Group D, South Africa’s pool, looks like the most open of the four.
Hong Kong Sixes 2026 Squads: All 12 Teams
Every squad is built around seven players, mixing power-hitters, bowling all-rounders and a few specialist bowlers. Squads below are grouped by role and are subject to late changes, so check the official Cricket Hong Kong channels before match day.
Group A Squads: Australia, England and Hong Kong
Australia (captain: Chris Green)
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Batters | Max Bryant, Nick Hobson, Alex Ross |
| All-rounders | Jack Wood (batting), Chris Green (bowling, captain) |
| Bowlers | Kane Richardson, Matthew Kelly |
England (captain: John Simpson)
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| All-rounders | Fynn Hudson-Prentice (batting), Dan Mousley (batting), Ed Barnard (bowling), Jack Carson (bowling), Martin Andersson (bowling) |
| Wicketkeeper-batter | John Simpson (captain) |
| Bowlers | Nathan Gilchrist |
Hong Kong, China (captain: Yasim Murtaza)
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Batters | Babar Hayat |
| All-rounders | Nizakat Khan (batting), Yasim Murtaza (bowling, captain), Aizaz Khan (bowling), Nasrulla Rana (bowling) |
| Wicketkeeper-batter | Anshuman Rath |
| Bowlers | Ehsan Khan |
Group B Squads: Bangladesh, Scotland and Sri Lanka
Bangladesh (captain: Abu Hider Rony)
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Batters | Sabbir Rahman, Habibur Rahman Sohan |
| All-rounders | Chowdhury Md Rizwan (batting), Ahrar Amin (batting), Abu Hider Rony (bowling, captain), Md Samiun Basir Ratul (bowling), Mrittunjoy Chowdhury (bowling) |
Scotland (captain: Finlay McCreath)
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| All-rounders | Jasper Davidson (batting), Michael Leask (batting), Jack Jarvis (bowling), Finlay McCreath (bowling, captain), Lyle Robertson (bowling) |
| Bowlers | Mackenzie Jones, Safyaan Sharif |
Sri Lanka (captain: Sangeeth Cooray)
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| All-rounders | Sangeeth Cooray (batting, captain), Sachitha Jayatilake (batting), Ravindu Fernando (batting), Vishen Halambage (batting), Movin Subasingha (bowling) |
| Bowlers | Muditha Lakshan, Chamindu Wijesinghe |
Group C Squads: India, Pakistan and UAE
India (captain: Bhuvneshwar Kumar)
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Batters | Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi |
| All-rounders | Krunal Pandya (batting), Shashank Singh (batting), Rahul Tewatia (bowling) |
| Bowlers | Bhuvneshwar Kumar (captain), T Natarajan |
Some listings also name Kulwant Khejroliya as an additional member of the India party.
Pakistan (captain: Abbas Afridi, defending champions)
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Batters | Abdul Samad |
| All-rounders | Irfan Khan (batting), Muhammad Shahzad (batting), Saad Masood (batting) |
| Wicketkeeper-batter | Khawaja Nafay |
| Bowlers | Abbas Afridi (captain), Ahmed Daniyal |
United Arab Emirates (captain: Khalid Shah)
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Batters | Khalid Shah (captain), Ansh Tandon |
| Bowlers | Maroof Merchant, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Zuhaib, Zahid Ali |
Group D Squads: Afghanistan, Oman and South Africa
Afghanistan (captain: Gulbadin Naib)
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Batters | Sediqullah Pacha, Imran Mir |
| All-rounders | Gulbadin Naib (batting, captain), Karim Janat (bowling), Nangeyalia Kharoti (bowling), Farmanullah Safi (bowling) |
| Bowlers | Abdul Rahman |
Oman: the squad had not been confirmed in the sources available at the time of writing. Check Cricket Hong Kong or Oman Cricket for the final seven.
South Africa (captain: Jorich van Schalkwyk).
South Africa at Hong Kong Sixes 2026: Squad, Captain and Coach
South Africa have named a seven-man squad led by Jorich van Schalkwyk, with Wandile Gwavu, the South Africa A coach, in charge of the side throughout the tournament.
Three players are returning from the 2025 edition: Van Schalkwyk, Blake Simpson and Abdullah Bayoumy. The other four, Ayabulela Gqamane, Alindile Mhletywa, Steve Stolk and Heath Richards, are new to this stage.
South Africa Squad for Hong Kong Sixes 2026
| Player | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Jorich van Schalkwyk | Batter | Captain; top run-scorer for SA in 2025 with 122 runs |
| Abdullah Bayoumy | Batter | SA’s leading wicket-taker in 2025 with 4 wickets |
| Steve Stolk | Batter | First Sixes appearance |
| Alindile Mhletywa | Batter | First Sixes appearance |
| Heath Richards | Batter | First Sixes appearance |
| Ayabulela Gqamane | Bowling all-rounder | First Sixes appearance |
| Blake Simpson | Bowling all-rounder | Returning from 2025 |
The squad list does not show a designated wicketkeeper, so watch who takes the gloves on Friday morning. Remember that the keeper does not bowl in this format, which affects how the five-bowler plan comes together.
Players to Watch in the South Africa Sixes Squad
- Jorich van Schalkwyk: Captain, and the batter with the most proven Hong Kong form in this group. His 122 runs in 2025 were the best in the squad.
- Abdullah Bayoumy: Listed as a batter, but his four wickets last year show he can contribute with the ball too, which matters when every fielder has to bowl.
- Blake Simpson and Ayabulela Gqamane: The two bowling all-rounders carry a lot of weight in a six-over game, since they cover both batting and a full over of bowling.
South Africa Hong Kong Sixes 2026 Fixtures and Match Timings (SAST)
Hong Kong does not use daylight saving, so the gap to South Africa is a constant six hours. Early starts for us, then, but nothing too brutal.
| Match | Stage | Date | Hong Kong time | South Africa time (SAST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa v Oman | Group D | Fri, 30 Oct | 11:30 | 05:30 |
| South Africa v Afghanistan | Group D | Fri, 30 Oct | 15:10 | 09:10 |
| Oman v Afghanistan (rival result to watch) | Group D | Sat, 31 Oct | 08:45 | 02:45 |
South Africa v Oman, Hong Kong Sixes 2026
South Africa open their campaign against Oman on Friday, 30 October. Oman are one of the two sides in Group D who will have to fight for a top-two finish, and a fast start here will take pressure off the Afghanistan game. With only two group matches, a good net run rate can decide the pool, so margin matters as much as the result.
South Africa v Afghanistan, Hong Kong Sixes 2026
The Afghanistan match is the big one on paper. Gulbadin Naib captains a side with plenty of all-round depth, including Karim Janat, Nangeyalia Kharoti and Farmanullah Safi, and spin is likely to be a theme. Winning both games would put South Africa in the Cup semi-finals.
Final Thoughts on Hong Kong Sixes 2026 Squads
Hong Kong Sixes 2026 packs a full tournament into three frantic days, and South Africa have a real chance to make some noise.
A seven-man squad led by Jorich van Schalkwyk, backed by coach Wandile Gwavu, must handle Oman and Afghanistan early on Friday morning. Set an alarm for 05:30 SAST on 30 October, check your local broadcaster for coverage, and keep this guide handy for fixtures and squads. Six overs can change everything.
