Pakistan Set to Clash with Afghanistan in Tri-Series Opener

News Desk

Sharjah: Pakistan will lock horns with Afghanistan in the opening fixture of the much-anticipated Tri-nation T20I series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) completing the three-team lineup.

The week-long tournament, culminating in a final between the top two sides on September 7, is being seen as an important dress rehearsal for the upcoming ACC Asia Cup, scheduled in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from September 9 to 28.

Led by Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan’s 17-member squad has been in the UAE since August 20, engaging in intensive training sessions and practice matches in Dubai to fine-tune their game plan. This will be Agha’s 19th match as captain, and he has described the series as both a “challenge and an opportunity” for his side.

“This tri-series will greatly help us in our preparations for the Asia Cup. Leading Pakistan is a huge honour, and the team is in good form. We’re ready for competitive cricket and confident of strong performances,” Agha said on the eve of the opener.

Head-to-head records suggest an exciting contest: Pakistan and Afghanistan have met seven times in T20Is, with Pakistan winning four, while their only T20I against the UAE came in the 2016 Asia Cup, which Pakistan won convincingly.

Cricket followers will also be watching how Pakistan rotates its pace attack, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, alongside emerging talents like Hasan Nawaz and Sufyan Moqim, ahead of the Asia Cup.

With Sharjah once again hosting regional cricketing rivalries, the Tri-series promises competitive action and crucial momentum for all three teams before they step onto the bigger stage in September.

Pakistan squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.

Tri-series schedule (all at Sharjah Cricket Stadium):

Aug 29 – Afghanistan v Pakistan – 7pm

Aug 30 – UAE v Pakistan – 7pm

Sept 1 – UAE v Afghanistan – 7pm

Sept 2 – Pakistan v Afghanistan – 7pm

Sept 4 – Pakistan v UAE – 7pm

Sept 5 – Afghanistan v UAE – 7pm

Sept 7 – Final – 7pm