Pakistan to face Afghanistan in the tri-series first match

The Green shirts are ready to take on Afghanistan in the tri-nation T20I series starting today.

The tri-nation T20 series is set to begin in Sharjah with Pakistan taking on Afghanistan in the opening match at 7 pm local time. The series trophy was unveiled in a joint ceremony where Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan, and UAE captain Mohammad Wasim posed together. At a press conference, Salman Ali Agha said that the team has prepared well and is focused on the upcoming matches. He added that the opinions of former players do not matter to him or his squad, as their focus remains on performance. Afghan captain Rashid Khan admitted that his team has not played T20 tournaments for several months, but expressed confidence in delivering a strong performance.

The tri-series will see Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the UAE face each other twice before the final on September 7. Ahead of the tournament, Pakistan trained in Dubai, playing practice matches to gear up for both the series and the Asia Cup, which will run from September 9 to 28 in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Pakistan’s squad for the series includes Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Sufyan Moqim.

The tournament offers Pakistan a chance to test its bench strength before the Asia Cup. With Afghanistan eager to prove themselves and UAE looking to surprise, the tri-series is expected to provide competitive cricket and valuable preparation for the challenges ahead.