A thrilling tri-nation T20 cricket series featuring Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to begin on August 29th in Sharjah.
The series, which will see seven matches played in just ten days, is a crucial warm-up for the upcoming Asia Cup, which starts on September 9th in the UAE. In this tournament, each team will play the others twice, with the top two teams advancing to the final on September 7th.
Afghanistan Enters as a Strong Contender
After a impressive semi-final run in last year’s T20 World Cup, Afghanistan, led by captain Rashid Khan, is being seen as a favorite. Their biggest strength is their spin attack, which is perfectly suited to Sharjah’s slow pitches. The squad includes five spinners, with stars like Rashid Khan and Mujeeb-ur-Rehman, who have a combined record of 43 wickets at this venue.
Pakistan’s New Strategy Under Hesson
The Pakistani team, under new coach Mike Hesson, is continuing its strategy of testing new players. Once again, star batsmen Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have not been included in the squad, as the team focuses on batsmen with a faster strike rate. Their bowling will rely on spin experts like Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz. Pakistan’s form has been mixed recently, with series wins against Bangladesh and the West Indies but also some losses.
Hosts UAE Aim to Upset
The host nation, UAE, is confident and has made four changes to its squad. Coach Lalchand Rajput stated that after recently winning a series against Bangladesh, his team is now capable of upsetting any major team.
The series kicks off with a highly anticipated match between arch-rivals Pakistan and Afghanistan on August 29th.
Also read: Afghanistan announce squad for Sharjah T20 Tri-Nation cup
