SHARJAH: Pakistan to take on Afghanistan in the opening clash of T20I Tri-series, kicking off today at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
In head-to-head, Pakistan have played seven T20Is against Afghanistan, winning four, while their only T20I against the UAE came in the 2016 Asia Cup, which Pakistan won.
Since arriving in the UAE on 20 August, Pakistan have held training sessions and practice matches in Dubai to prepare for the competition.
The 17-member Pakistan squad will be led by Salman Ali Agha, who has captained the team in 18 matches.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) are the third side in the tournament. The final of the tournament will be played between the top two sides on Sunday, 7 September. All matches will be staged at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
The series offers all three teams’ valuable preparation ahead of the eight-team ACC Asia Cup, scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from 9 to 28 September.
Ahead of the opening contest, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha said that “This tri-series will greatly help us in our preparations for the Asia Cup. I am very excited about it and I know it will be a challenging contest for which we are fully ready.
“Leading the Pakistan team is not only an honour for me but also a great responsibility. The team is playing good cricket at the moment and I am hopeful we will continue to deliver strong performances in the matches ahead.”, he added.
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.
Tri-series schedule
29 August – Afghanistan v Pakistan – 7pm local time
30 August – UAE v Pakistan – 7pm local time
1 September – UAE v Afghanistan – 7pm local time
2 September – Pakistan v Afghanistan – 7pm local time
4 September – Pakistan v UAE – 7pm local time
5 September – Afghanistan v UAE – 7pm local time
7 September – Final – 7pm local time
