UAE announces squad for triangular T20I series ahead of Asia Cup

NEW DELHI: Muhammad Waseem will lead UAE in the upcoming triangular T20I series against Afghanistan and Pakistan, which will be played in Sharjah from August 29 to September 7. The series will serve as an important preparation for the Men’s T20 Asia Cup, starting on September 9, also in the UAE, as per ESPNcricinfo.

Four players have been added to the mix this time Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, and Muhammad Jawadullah while Akif Raja, Matiullah Khan, and Zuhaib Zubair have missed out.

Kaushik, a 28-year-old left-handed middle-order batter who also bowls part-time left-arm spin, is yet to make his international debut, while Siddique, Farooq, and Jawadullah have played for their national team. Siddique, the 32-year-old medium pacer, has been one of UAE’s leading bowlers over the years, having played 59 ODIs and 71 T20Is with an impressive tally of 76 and 96 wickets respectively, besides featuring in leagues like the International League T20 (ILT20) and Global T20 Canada. Jawadullah, the 26-year-old left-arm quick, has been a regular in UAE’s bowling attack with 11 wickets in 12 ODIs and 54 wickets in 33 T20Is, while Farooq, the 32-year-old leg-spinning all-rounder, has picked up nine wickets in eight T20Is and also played two ODIs.

The core of the squad remains largely unchanged, with experienced players like Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, and Rahul Chopra, while Muhammad Zohaib, UAE’s best performer with the bat in the Pearl of Africa Cup, will once again be central to their plans alongside Saghir Khan.

The UAE, coached by former India opener Lalchand Rajput, will open their tri-series campaign against Pakistan on August 30, followed by matches against Afghanistan on September 1, Pakistan again on September 4, and Afghanistan on September 5. The final will be played on September 7, just two days before the start of the Asia Cup, where the UAE finds itself in a challenging group alongside India, Pakistan, and Oman. The squad for the continental event will be announced soon.

UAE squad for T20I tri-series: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma (wk), Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D’Souza, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wk), Rohid Khan, Saghir Khan. (ANI)