Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are set to compete in a T20I tri-nation series ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup. The tri-series will be held from August 29 to September 7 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE — which is also scheduled to host the Asia Cup beginning September 9.
The tri-nation series will provide ideal preparation for all three teams, giving them a chance to get used to the conditions in the UAE ahead of the continental tournament. Played in a round-robin format, each team will face the others twice, with the top two teams advancing to the final on September 7. This ensures a minimum of four matches for every side.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released the official schedule on Friday. Initially, Pakistan was to host Afghanistan for a three-match T20I series in August. However, the PCB proposed transforming the bilateral series into a tri-nation tournament, including the UAE as a third team and shifting the venue to Sharjah to better prepare all participants for the Asia Cup.
The tri-series will feature a total of seven matches, all taking place under lights in Sharjah.
Pakistan are currently playing a T20I series and have started on a positive note with a win in the opening match against the West Indies. Afghanistan, meanwhile, haven’t featured in a T20I since their bilateral series in Zimbabwe at the end of last year. The UAE recently competed in the Pearl of Africa T20I Series, where they narrowly lost their final match to Uganda by eight runs.
Tri-nation Series Schedule:
- Afghanistan vs Pakistan – 29 August
- Pakistan vs UAE – 30 August
- Afghanistan vs UAE – 1 September
- Pakistan vs Afghanistan – 2 September
- UAE vs Pakistan – 4 September
- UAE vs Afghanistan – 5 September
- Final – 7 September
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