On Wednesday, August 27, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the UAE men’s T20I squad for the upcoming Tri-series at home.
Veteran batter Muhammad Waseem will once again lead the side, heading a 15-player squad that’s gearing up to face Pakistan and Afghanistan.
A Perfect Warm-Up Before the Asia Cup
This Tri-series has been slotted in as ideal preparation for the Asia Cup 2025, which kicks off next month. The Asia Cup will run from September 9 to 28 in the UAE and will be played in the T20 format.
A total of eight teams are in the mix this time: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong.
UAE have been drawn in Group A alongside Pakistan, while Afghanistan sit in Group B.
The Tri-series itself begins on August 29 with Afghanistan vs Pakistan, followed by UAE vs Pakistan on August 30. The remaining fixtures, Afghanistan vs UAE, Afghanistan vs Pakistan, Pakistan vs UAE, and Afghanistan vs UAE, will be played on September 1, 2, 4, and 5. The final is set for September 7 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, which will host all games.
Four New Faces in the UAE Squad
The Waseem-led squad has a slightly fresh look, with Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, and Muhammad Jawadullah added in from the previous series. Dropped from the last outing are Akif Raja, Matiullah Khan, and Zuhaib Zubair.
Among the newcomers, only Harshit Kaushik is uncapped. The others have already represented the UAE on the international stage.
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Junaid Siddique brings plenty of experience with 59 ODIs and 71 T20Is under his belt.
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Muhammad Jawadullah has featured in 12 ODIs and 33 T20Is.
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Muhammad Farooq, a leg-spinning all-rounder, has played 8 T20Is and 2 ODIs.
These players will be eager to shine against Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The rest of the squad is filled with familiar names who have been regulars in the UAE setup.
Building Momentum for the Asia Cup
Under the guidance of head coach Lalchand Rajput and skipper Muhammad Waseem, UAE will be aiming for a strong run in the Tri-series. A few good performances here could give them the momentum they need heading into the Asia Cup.
UAE Squad for T20I Tri-Series 2025 (vs Pakistan, Afghanistan):
Squad: Muhammad Waseem (captain), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D’ Souza, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wicketkeeper), Rohid Khan, Saghir Khan.
Support Staff: Amjad Ezzi (team manager), Lalchand Rajput (head coach), Azharuddin Qureshi (strength and conditioning coach), Manipreet Sidhu (video analyst), Manish Pradeshi (physiotherapist).
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