The much-anticipated Tri-Nation T20 series begins today, August 29, with the opening clash between Pakistan and Afghanistan at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The match is set to begin at 8:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time (PKT).
This series marks Pakistan’s 15th consecutive T20 match without star duo Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, signaling a transitional phase under the watch of white-ball coach Mike Hesson. Emerging talents like Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Muqeem, Hasan Nawaz, and Salman Mirza may get a golden opportunity to prove their mettle ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup.
Afghanistan, considered strong contenders in this mini-tournament, will bank on their formidable spin attack and are eager to gain momentum heading into the Asia Cup. Notably, Naveen-ul-Haq has been rested in favor of Abdollah Ahmadzai for this series.
The UAE squad has been expanded from 14 to 15 players compared to their recent Pearl of Africa Cup outing in Uganda, where they lost the final to the hosts. Four players have been added: Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, and Muhammad Jawadullah, while Akif Raja, Matiullah Khan, and Zuhaib Zubair miss out.
Captain Agha Salman of Pakistan expressed confidence in his side, noting their strong form across the last three series. “We’ve built a cohesive unit, and this series is another step toward solidifying our game plan for the Asia Cup,” he said.
The tournament in Sharjah will feature several exciting matches, all starting at 8:00 PM PKT. It kicks off on August 29 with Afghanistan facing Pakistan. The following day, on August 30, UAE will take on Pakistan. After a short break, the action resumes on September 1 with a match between Afghanistan and UAE.
The tournament continues with Afghanistan and Pakistan meeting again on September 2. On September 4, Pakistan goes up against UAE for the second time. Then, on September 5, Afghanistan and UAE will face off once more.
The tournament concludes with the final on September 7, where the top two teams from the group stage will compete for the championship, again in Sharjah.