Afghanistan vs Pakistan: Tri-Series Begins in Sharjah

Afghanistan vs Pakistan:

Finally, cricket is back in Sharjah. On Friday night, Afghanistan and Pakistan will clash in the first match of the tri-series. The third team, UAE, will be watching closely, but the spotlight is on Rashid Khan’s men against Salman Agha’s side.

Afghanistan haven’t played a single T20 this year. That’s unusual. Rust could be a problem. Rashid knows it. He has spinners, he has young hitters, but the team needs to get going from ball one.

Pakistan are a different story. They’ve had ups and downs in recent months. Win big one day, stumble the next. Salman Agha will want stability. Players like Fakhar Zaman and Shaheen Afridi give them firepower, but consistency has been missing.

Match Basics

• Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
• Time: 8:30 PM IST (toss at 8:00)
• Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
• Telecast in India: not on TV
• Streaming: FanCode app / website

Squads

Afghanistan: Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Allah Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Farid Malik, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Faheem Ashraf, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.

What to Expect

Sharjah usually produces action. Small boundaries, flat wicket. Big hitters love it. Gurbaz and Fakhar Zaman both enjoy swinging hard. Expect sixes early.

But spin will matter too. Rashid and Mujeeb know these conditions inside out. Pakistan will bank on pace—Shaheen with the new ball, Haris Rauf later. One sharp spell can tilt the match either way.

This isn’t just a warm-up. It’s the start of momentum before the Asia Cup. Both teams want to make a statement. Friday night could be fiery.

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