Pakistan Battles UAE in Crucial 5th T20I of Tri-Series

Sharjah, UAE — Pakistan captain Salman Agha won the toss and chose to bat first against Muhammad Waseem‘s United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the fifth match of the T20I Tri-Series on Thursday.

The match is significant for both teams; Pakistan recently lost to Afghanistan by 18 runs, while the UAE also suffered a defeat to Afghanistan by 38 runs. Currently, Afghanistan leads the table with two wins, while the UAE sits at the bottom and must win to remain in contention for the finals.

Saim Ayub has been Pakistan’s standout performer in the series, scoring a total of 83 runs with an average of 27.67. UAE’s Muhammad Waseem leads for his team with 100 runs from two matches. On the bowling front, Saghir Khan has five wickets for the UAE, while Pakistan’s Haris Rauf has four wickets.

The match began at 8:30 PM IST, with conditions ideal for cricket. The pitch is expected to slow down as the game progresses, which may benefit Pakistan in the initial overs. The UAE will look to restrict their opponents early.

The playing XI for UAE includes Muhammad Waseem (captain), Asif Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Rahul Chopra (wicketkeeper), Ethan DSouza, Harshit Kaushik, Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Rohid Khan, and Junaid Siddique. Pakistan’s lineup features Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (captain), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Salman Mirza.

Former Indian cricketer Madan Lal commented on Pakistan’s recent performance, noting their instability since their T20 World Cup final appearance in 2022. The success of Afghanistan, which reached the semi-finals in the last T20 World Cup, has increased the competitive landscape of the tournament.

As the match unfolds, fans eagerly anticipate which team will secure its place in the finals, with Pakistan aiming to recover momentum ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup.