SHARJAH: Afghanistan’s captain Ibrahim Zadran has won the toss and elected to bat first against the United Arab Emirates in the final league clash of the ongoing Tri-Nation T20I Series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
Having already secured a place in the final alongside Pakistan, Afghanistan enters the game with confidence, following a dominant win over the hosts in their previous meeting. For the UAE, this match is a matter of pride, and a final chance to rectify recurring flaws before the curtain falls on their tri-series campaign.
Despite flashes of brilliance from individuals like Alishan Sharafu, Asif Khan, and Rahul Chopra, UAE’s batting woes have been consistent. The top order, led by skipper Muhammad Waseem, often lays a solid foundation, only for the middle order to falter in the crucial overs, leaving the innings disjointed.
With the ball, the UAE bowlers have managed to control long stretches of the innings, but their struggles in the death overs continue to haunt them. A lack of variation and predictability at the end often allows opponents to capitalize on the final few overs, a pattern they will look to break today.
Afghanistan, meanwhile, have leaned heavily on their formidable spin attack. Led by Rashid Khan, the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, the likes of Sharafuddin Ashraf, Noor Ahmad, and Mohammad Nabi have effectively exploited Sharjah’s slow and turning track.
However, their pace department remains a concern, often leaking runs at crucial stages. With the final approaching, the team management may opt to rest key players and test bench strength, especially in the fast bowling unit.
On the batting front, Afghanistan will hope for a turnaround from star opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz. While he has shown glimpses of form with a top score of 38, consistency has eluded him so far, and the team will want their explosive opener firing ahead of the Asia Cup.
Although this match holds no bearing on the final standings, a classic dead rubber – both sides will be keen to iron out weaknesses ahead of bigger challenges. Afghanistan will aim to continue their dominance, while the UAE will look to salvage pride and end their campaign on a high.
One trend that has held throughout the series is the difficulty of chasing, with all five matches won by teams batting first. Will that streak continue, or can UAE rewrite the script and end on a high note?
The stage is set for an intriguing encounter in Sharjah.
Afghanistan Squad
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Seddiqullah Atal, Darwish Rasuli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Farid Ahmad Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad, AM Gajanfar, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Mohammad Ishaq, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Gulbadin Naib.
United Arab Emirates Squad
Muhammad Zohaib, Muhammad Waseem (capt), Ethan D’Souza, Alishan Sharafu, Rahul Chopra (wk), Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Sagheer Khan, Haider Ali, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Harshit Kaushik, Aryansh Sharma, Muhammad Farooq.
