Pakistan clash with Afghanistan in T20 Tri-series opener today
Pakistan will take on Afghanistan in the opening match of the T20 Tri-series, starting today at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) are the third side in the tournament, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The final of the tournament will be played between the top two sides on Sunday, 7 September. All matches will be staged at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
The 17-member Pakistan squad will be led by Salman Ali Agha, who has captained the team in 18 matches.
Since arriving in the UAE on 20 August, Pakistan have held training sessions and practice matches in Dubai to prepare for the competition.
The series offers all three teams’ valuable preparation ahead of the eight-team ACC Asia Cup, scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from 9 to 28 September.
In head-to-head, Pakistan have played seven T20Is against Afghanistan, winning four, while their only T20I against the UAE came in the 2016 Asia Cup, which Pakistan won.
Salman Agha on the eve of tournament said:
“This tri-series will greatly help us in our preparations for the Asia Cup. I am very excited about it and I know it will be a challenging contest for which we are fully ready.
“Leading the Pakistan team is not only an honour for me but also a great responsibility. The team is playing good cricket at the moment and I am hopeful we will continue to deliver strong performances in the matches ahead.”
Agha’s reaction when a journalist in PC called Afghanistan the second best team
— 𝐀𝐃𝐱 (@was_abdd) August 28, 2025
in Asia 😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/vKd4jQImNn
Pakistan squad
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufyan Moqim.
Afghanistan Squad:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan(c), Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Karim Janat, Mohammad Ishaq, AM Ghazanfar, Abdullah Ahmadzai
Tri-series schedule
29 August – Afghanistan v Pakistan – 7pm local time
30 August – UAE v Pakistan – 7pm local time
1 September – UAE v Afghanistan – 7pm local time
2 September – Pakistan v Afghanistan – 7pm local time
4 September – Pakistan v UAE – 7pm local time
5 September – Afghanistan v UAE – 7pm local time
7 September – Final – 7pm local time