Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates’ road to the 2025 Asia Cup begins in Sharjah tomorrow, when the tri-nation series among the three sides officially kicks off under the lights.
Spread across six league matches and a final on September 7, the event is seen by all three teams as the ideal preparation ground for the upcoming continental showpiece.
The timing couldn’t be more significant. With the Asia Cup scheduled just days later, the series offers Pakistan’s management one last chance to test combinations, gauge form, and give opportunities to squad players in competitive conditions. Facing Afghanistan—a genuine T20 powerhouse—and the UAE, who continue to push for greater recognition on the world stage, ensures a varied challenge.
All three teams have named their squads for the tri‑series. While Pakistan will carry the same team into the Asia Cup, the UAE and Afghanistan will make alterations. The hosts are yet to name their Asia Cup combination, while Afghanistan have left out Naveen‑ul‑Haq for Abdollah Ahmadzai for this competition.
Pakistan’s squad largely features the same players favored by Mike Hesson since he took over white‑ball coaching duties. This means that Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Muqeem, Hasan Nawaz, and Salman Mirza could all potentially make their debuts in the upcoming Asia Cup, with this tri‑series serving as the proving ground.
| Salman Ali Agha (c) | Mohammad Haris (wk) | Abrar Ahmed | Faheem Ashraf | Fakhar Zaman | Haris Rauf |
| Hasan Ali | Hassan Nawaz | Hussain Talat | Khushdil Shah | Mohammad Nawaz | Mohammad Wasim Jr. |
| Sahibzada Farhan | Saim Ayub | Salman Mirza | Shaheen Afridi | Sufyan Muqeem | |
Afghanistan, touted as favorites to win this mini‑tournament, will rely on their world‑class spinners to make life difficult for the other two teams. Their ambitions include winning a first Asia Cup title, and the tri‑nation series is the perfect platform to put the world on notice.
| 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 |
Despite being the minnows of the three, the UAE will lean on home conditions, and under Muhammad Waseem’s leadership they remain capable of an upset on any given day.
| Muhammad Waseem (c) | Alishan Sharafu | Aryansh Sharma (wk) | Asif Khan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhruv Parashar | Ethan D’Souza | Haider Ali | Harshit Kaushik |
| Junaid Siddique | Muhammad Farooq | Muhammad Jawadullah | Muhammad Zohaib |
| Rahul Chopra (wk) | Rohid Khan | Saghir Khan |
All six group matches and the final will be staged at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium, a venue steeped in subcontinental cricket history. Pakistan and Afghanistan will renew their growing rivalry on August 29, followed by Pakistan’s clash with the UAE on August 30. The teams will play a round‑robin before the top two sides meet in the September 7 final.
Full schedule (all matches 8:00 p.m. PKT, Sharjah):
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 29 | Afghanistan vs Pakistan | Sharjah |
| Aug 30 | UAE vs Pakistan | Sharjah |
| Sept 1 | Afghanistan vs UAE | Sharjah |
| Sept 2 | Afghanistan vs Pakistan | Sharjah |
| Sept 4 | Pakistan vs UAE | Sharjah |
| Sept 5 | Afghanistan vs UAE | Sharjah |
| Sept 7 | Final | Sharjah |
While Pakistan and the UAE have played only a single T20I before this tri‑nation series, Pakistan vs Afghanistan and Afghanistan vs UAE have been far more active rivalries.
Pakistan and Afghanistan will face off in a T20I for the first time since October 2023. While Pakistan dominated this rivalry earlier, Afghanistan has won three of the last four matches played between the two sides. Two of those wins have come at Sharjah, the setting for their clash tomorrow night.
| Total Matches Played | Pakistan Wins | Afghanistan Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 4 | 3 |
Pakistan and UAE have only met once in an international T20 game with the Green Shirt earning an easy 7-wicket win.
| Total Matches Played | Pakistan Wins | UAE Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 |
Afghanistan and UAE have crossed paths many times during Afghanistan cricket team’s formative journey. While Rashid Khan’s men dominate the scales, UAE’s most recent win will give them confidence heading into the tri-nation series.
| Total Matches Played | Afghanistan Wins | UAE Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | 10 | 3 |
Fans in Pakistan will be able to watch the entire tri-nation series on PTV Sports on local cable while following streaming service(s) will provide live coverage of the game on your preferred devices.
| Platform | iOS | Play Store | Desktop/Web |
| Tamasha | LINK | LINK | LINK |
For Pakistan, the tri‑series is more than just a warm‑up—it’s a testbed for new faces to stake a claim ahead of the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup cycle. Players like Hasan Nawaz and Salman Mirza will have a rare chance to showcase their skills under pressure, while established stars aim to find rhythm before the bigger stage.
As the countdown to the Asia Cup narrows, the Sharjah tri‑series promises to set the tone. For Pakistan, it’s not only about results but about sharpening their tools for what lies ahead.