Pakistan Opt to Bat First in Tri-Series Opener Against Spin-Heavy Afghanistan

Pakistan Opt to Bat First in Tri-Series Opener Against Spin-Heavy Afghanistan

Pakistan captain Salman Agha won the toss and chose to bat against Afghanistan in the opening match of the UAE T20I tri-series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The third team in the series is hosts UAE, with the tournament marking the beginning of a month-long T20I cricket calendar in the region, including the upcoming Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Salman noted the Sharjah pitch looked unlike typical UAE surfaces, lacking the usual sheen. Believing it to be a good wicket for setting a total, he opted to put runs on the board first.

Under new head coach Mike Hesson, Pakistan maintained their recent trend of going in with just three specialist bowlers: pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, along with left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem. The rest of the bowling responsibility is expected to be shared among all-rounders. Fakhar Zaman returned to the XI after recovering from an injury that had ruled him out of the recent West Indies series.

Afghanistan, meanwhile, returned to T20I action for the first time since December 2024. Led by Rashid Khan, they leaned heavily on their traditional strength — spin — with Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi, and Rashid himself forming the core of their bowling attack. Young spinner Noor Ahmad missed out. Rashid, who admitted he would have bowled first had he won the toss, will rely on his spinners to apply pressure on Pakistan’s batting lineup.

This match marks the first T20I meeting between the two sides since the semi-final of the 2023 Asian Games, where Afghanistan emerged victorious. Notably, only Sufiyan Muqeem remains from Pakistan’s playing XI in that match, underlining the team’s transition under Hesson.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (capt), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan (capt), Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmed

With Pakistan short on specialist bowlers and Afghanistan stacking their side with spin, the match promises a compelling clash of tactics in the Sharjah heat.