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Dubai has always been a place where South Asian cricketing rivalries sharpen, and now the build-up to the Asia Cup gets its first taste of action with a T20I Tri-series in the UAE. The tournament begins with Pakistan facing Afghanistan at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, a contest that carries both preparation value and psychological weight. For Pakistan, this is about testing a new-look squad without two of their most reliable T20I batters, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. For Afghanistan, this is about returning to the format after a long break and getting match practice ahead of the Asia Cup. Both sides know the timing matters, where experiments, player combinations, and conditions all add up in these warm-up battles, and the goal is to arrive at the Asia Cup with clarity. Pakistan’s camp has taken a deliberate shift in approach. Head coach Mike Hesson has worked with a revamped unit led by Salman Agha, focusing on an aggressive style at the top. Sahibzada Farhan has been in excellent touch, winning three Player of the Match awards in his last six outings, and will likely lead the charge alongside Saim Ayub. Fakhar Zaman has recovered from a hamstring injury and adds experience to the top order. With Babar and Rizwan absent, the responsibility is spread across the group, something the practice sessions in Lahore and Dubai have tried to instil. In bowling, Shaheen Afridi returns as the leader of the attack with Mohammad Wasim, while spinners Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem provide variety. Salman Mirza, fresh from being the top wicket-taker against Bangladesh, adds to the depth. The strategy is clear - batters must go hard early, while the bowling unit banks on pace upfront and spin to control the middle overs.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s build-up has been different. Their players have been based in Abu Dhabi for a training camp, where emphasis has been on fielding and preparation for long tournaments. John Mooney, the newly appointed fielding coach, has been brought in to tighten that part of their game. Rashid Khan leads a squad that is spin-heavy, featuring Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi, and newcomer Allah Mohammad, who could debut in this series. Batting-wise, the return of Ibrahim Zadran boosts stability at the top, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal provide firepower in the first six overs. Their fast-bowling attack with Fazalhaq Farooqi is experienced in UAE conditions. The challenge for Afghanistan is rhythm, as they have not played a T20I since December 2024, so this series doubles as both a testing ground and a much-needed reset before the Asia Cup. The rivalry between these two sides has been competitive in recent years. Afghanistan won their last bilateral T20I series 2-1 in March 2023, and overall in their last five meetings, Afghanistan have won three while Pakistan took two. Sharjah has generally offered low-scoring contests between these teams in T20Is, with totals rarely going beyond 140, making spin the deciding factor. For Pakistan, the question is whether their aggressive top order can hold firm without the experience of Babar and Rizwan. For Afghanistan, it is about whether their spin attack can continue dominating without much recent match practice. The tri-series itself follows a round-robin format, with each team playing the others twice before the final on September 7. Afghanistan’s schedule is tight, as they begin their Asia Cup on September 9 against Hong Kong, barely a day after a potential tri-series final, while Pakistan’s opener comes on September 12. The bigger picture is clear - this match is not just about points in a tri-series, but about shaping confidence, strategy, and balance ahead of a continental tournament. Can Pakistan’s fresh approach under Hesson bring immediate results? Or will Afghanistan’s spin strength once again dictate terms at Sharjah? These questions matter, and the match will tell us who adapts better!
Afghanistan squad:
Rashid Khan (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Abdollah Ahmadzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Pakistan squad:
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufyan Moqim.
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Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s build-up has been different. Their players have been based in Abu Dhabi for a training camp, where emphasis has been on fielding and preparation for long tournaments. John Mooney, the newly appointed fielding coach, has been brought in to tighten that part of their game. Rashid Khan leads a squad that is spin-heavy, featuring Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi, and newcomer Allah Mohammad, who could debut in this series. Batting-wise, the return of Ibrahim Zadran boosts stability at the top, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal provide firepower in the first six overs. Their fast-bowling attack with Fazalhaq Farooqi is experienced in UAE conditions. The challenge for Afghanistan is rhythm, as they have not played a T20I since December 2024, so this series doubles as both a testing ground and a much-needed reset before the Asia Cup. The rivalry between these two sides has been competitive in recent years. Afghanistan won their last bilateral T20I series 2-1 in March 2023, and overall in their last five meetings, Afghanistan have won three while Pakistan took two. Sharjah has generally offered low-scoring contests between these teams in T20Is, with totals rarely going beyond 140, making spin the deciding factor. For Pakistan, the question is whether their aggressive top order can hold firm without the experience of Babar and Rizwan. For Afghanistan, it is about whether their spin attack can continue dominating without much recent match practice. The tri-series itself follows a round-robin format, with each team playing the others twice before the final on September 7. Afghanistan’s schedule is tight, as they begin their Asia Cup on September 9 against Hong Kong, barely a day after a potential tri-series final, while Pakistan’s opener comes on September 12. The bigger picture is clear - this match is not just about points in a tri-series, but about shaping confidence, strategy, and balance ahead of a continental tournament. Can Pakistan’s fresh approach under Hesson bring immediate results? Or will Afghanistan’s spin strength once again dictate terms at Sharjah? These questions matter, and the match will tell us who adapts better!
Afghanistan squad:
Rashid Khan (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Abdollah Ahmadzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Pakistan squad:
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufyan Moqim.
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All posters, please take note of the following guidelines for match threads on PakPassion:
1. No personal insults at other posters, players, officials, coaching staff, etc.
2. No making fun of players', officials', or coaching staff's names.
3. Do not add any references to media, their social media, or post any pictures or screenshots from other sports websites.
4. Stick to commenting on this match. There is no need to bring other countries into the match discussion, as there are plenty of other threads where those discussions can be added.
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