Pakistan, Afghanistan, UAE to Contest T20I Tri-Series in Sharjah Ahead of Asia Cup

Pakistan, Afghanistan, UAE to Contest T20I Tri-Series in Sharjah Ahead of Asia Cup

In preparation for the upcoming men's T20 Asia Cup, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will feature in a T20I tri-series to be held in Sharjah in August-September, the Emirates Cricket Board confirmed on Friday.

The tri-series comes as a valuable opportunity for the three teams to sharpen their skills and build momentum ahead of the Asia Cup, which runs from September 9 to 28, also in the UAE.

Tri-Series Format

The tri-series will follow a round-robin format, with each team playing the other twice. The top two sides at the end of the league stage will advance to the final. All matches are scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM local time in Sharjah.

Rankings and Context

Among the participating teams, Pakistan are the highest-ranked T20I side at No. 8, followed closely by Afghanistan at No. 9, while UAE are currently ranked 14th.

Originally, Pakistan were expected to host Afghanistan for a three-match T20I series during this window, based on the ICC’s Future Tours Programme. However, those plans have been shelved in favor of this tri-nation contest, offering broader preparation and greater competition.

Road to the T20 World Cup 2026

Both Pakistan and Afghanistan have already secured qualification for the T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan qualified as one of the top-seven finishers (excluding hosts) from the 2024 T20 World Cup, while Pakistan earned their spot by virtue of their ICC ranking as of June 30, 2024.

The UAE, however, still have work to do. They will need to compete in the Asia-East Asia and Pacific Qualifiers, scheduled in Oman from October 8 to 17, for a chance to book their place in the 2026 tournament.

Preparation Ahead of Asia Cup

Pakistan are currently in the middle of a bilateral white-ball series against West Indies and have already secured victory in the opening T20I. Their Asia Cup campaign begins on September 12 against Oman. Afghanistan, who haven’t played a T20I since their tour of Zimbabwe late last year, will kick off their Asia Cup run on September 9 against Hong Kong.

With both World Cup qualification and Asia Cup ambitions in focus, the Sharjah tri-series offers crucial match practice and a platform to assess team combinations ahead of a busy international calendar.

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