Pakistan Vs Afghanistan, UAE T20I Tri-Series 2025: Final Win A ‘Confidence Builder’ For Asia Cup 2025, Says Mike Hesson

Pakistan coach Mike Hesson believes his side's Tri-Nations series win was a "confidence builder" ahead of the Asia Cup, which begins on Tuesday.

The Asia Cup, taking place in the UAE, will see eight teams – consisting of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, as well as newcomers, the UAE, Oman and Hong Kong – split into two groups of four.

The 17th edition is the first time that eight teams will compete in the tournament, while it is just the third time in its 41-year history that the Asia Cup will be played in the T20 format.

The top two teams from each group will then progress to the Super Four stage, a round-robin contest between the four teams, with the top two teams then qualifying for the final, which is scheduled for September 28.

India and Sri Lanka won the previous two editions when it was played in the shortest format, in 2016 and 2022, respectively, but Pakistan will be keen to make sure they are in the mix.

Pakistan won their Tri-Nations series, which also included the UAE, beating Afghanistan by 75 runs in Sunday's final, and lost just one of their matches throughout the tournament.

In fact, they have only lost two of their last nine T20Is, having also recorded a 2-1 series win over West Indies in early August.

Pakistan begin their Asia Cup campaign against Oman on Friday, with India and the UAE also in Group A, and Hesson knows just how important their recent victories are for morale.

"We have beaten Afghanistan in conditions that suited their spin attack, which was a real confidence builder," said Hesson on Monday. "Heading into the Asia Cup, this was also very important for us.

"An eight-team Asia Cup is great for Asian cricket, and it's a true test, it expands the game in the region, and it allows us to see players we don't face often.

"Our pool is challenging with Oman, UAE and India, so we need to adapt quickly. The key is not to get distracted by external pressures."