Pakistan face United Arab Emirates in Dubai on September 17
Pakistan's fate in Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 hinges on UAE match
Pakistan hold one win and one defeat in group stage
Wedged between their own shortcomings and external distractions, Pakistan must lift their game by several notches to tame a tricky UAE side in their Asia Cup 2025 Group A encounter on Wednesday, September 17, at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Pakistan face both external and internal pressures, and their journey to the Super 4s depends entirely on the outcome of this upcoming fixture.
Off-Field, On-Field Challenges For Pakistan
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had sought match referee Andy Pycroft's removal following the "no handshake row" against India on Monday. Reports in Pakistani media indicate the country threatened to pull out of the tournament if the Zimbabwean official was not expelled.
As of now, Pycroft is scheduled to officiate Pakistan’s final league game of the tournament as the match referee. While this move remains largely administrative and seems unlikely to materialise, players may find it challenging to ignore the surrounding noise.
Beyond administrative issues, Pakistan must address more pressing on-field concerns. Pakistan hold one win and one defeat from two matches, placing them second in Group A with two points, ahead of UAE (two points) on net run rate: +1.64 against -2.03. A slip-up here would lead to their early tournament exit.
The seven-wicket thrashing against India revealed a certain brittleness in this Pakistan side. After hammering minnows Oman by 93 runs, world champions India taught Pakistan a lesson in the modern T20 game. Pakistan batters found no answers to the guile of Indian spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, who shared five wickets. Varun Chakravarthy also had them in a knot.
This outing underlined the need for Pakistan's emerging prospects, Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, and Hasan Nawaz, to raise their game against a top-quality opponent. The UAE match offers them a solid opportunity to find their mojo to take their side to the Super 4s, as India has already qualified from this group.
PAK Vs UAE: Opposition Analysis
Similarly, Pakistan bowlers struggled against the aggression and skills of Indian batters. Abhishek Sharma took Shaheen Shah Afridi to the cleaners before captain Suryakumar Yadav applied the finishing touches with a customary flourish.
Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed performed reasonably well, but Mohammad Nawaz, whom coach Mike Hesson once touted as the world's best spinner, and Sufiyan Muqeem will have to find a higher gear in this match.
While the UAE is certainly not India in cricketing terms, they can spring a surprise on their day. They recovered from their shellacking against India with a facile 42-run win over Oman. UAE batters such as captain Mohammed Waseem and Alishan Sharafu are well-versed in the T20 format. They will be eager to prey on a distracted Pakistan unit.
UAE's bowling attack features experienced Junaid Siddique, who can be quite lively, and the parsimonious left-arm spinner Haider Ali. Still, he will require more support from fellow tweakers Dhruv Parashar and Harshit Kaushik.
Pakistan Vs UAE, Asia Cup 2025: Squads
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.
United Arab Emirates: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D'Souza, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Matiullah Khan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra, Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh, Saghir Khan.
(With PTI Inputs)
