The T20I three-nation Sharjah series got underway with Pakistan choosing to bat first after Afghanistan lost the toss and Fakhar Zaman back in Pakistan squad.. The series, also featuring the UAE, is the first of a hectic month of T20I cricket in the UAE, culminating in the India-associated Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Fakhar Zaman Returns to Strengthen Pakistan’s Top-Order
One of the major pluses for Pakistan is the return of Fakhar Zaman, who was out injured during the last West Indies series. His return provides depth and experience to Pakistan’s opening order, particularly with the side going into a hectic T20 calendar.
Pakistan Stick to Three Specialist Bowlers
Under head coach Mike Hesson, Pakistan maintains its bowler strategy of having only three frontline bowlers- Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem. The remaining bowling burden is on all-rounders such as Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz.
Captain Salman Agha, at the helm of affairs, mentioned the Sharjah wicket didn’t have the normal shine one would expect at this ground, which made him opt for batting first. He wants to set a score defendable at night.
Afghanistan Go Spin-Heavy in First T20I of 2025
For Afghanistan, this is their comeback to T20I cricket after a long hiatus since December 2024. They last played in the Champions Trophy in the early part of the year.
Skipper Rashid Khan picked a spin-heavy XI, with himself, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi included, while youngster spinner Noor Ahmad was omitted. Rashid Khan said he would have liked to bat first if he had won the toss, reflecting on confidence in chasing in Sharjah lights.
Last Match: 2023 Asian Games Semi-Final
These two teams last played each other in the semi-final of the 2023 Asian Games, and Afghanistan won the match. What is interesting is that Sufiyan Muqeem is the lone player from Pakistan’s existing XI who also took part in the said game. The two teams have undergone massive changes in their lineup and approach since then.
Playing XIs in PAK vs AFG
Pakistan:
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Sahibzada Farhan
Saim Ayub
Fakhar Zaman
Salman Agha (capt)
Hasan Nawaz
Mohammad Nawaz
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Mohammad Haris (wk)
Faheem Ashraf
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Haris Rauf
Sufiyan Muqeem
Afghanistan:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
Ibrahim Zadran
Sediqullah Atal
Darwish Rasooli
Karim Janat
Azmatullah Omarzai
Rashid Khan (c)
Mohammad Nabi
Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Fazalhaq Farooqi
Fareed Ahmed
The opening tri-series against Pakistan and Afghanistan paves the way for a thrilling T20I month in the UAE. With Fakhar Zaman returning to the team and both teams trying out various team combinations, this series will be decisive in determining their squads before the Asia Cup.
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