🏏T20 Asia Cup 2025: UAE vs Pak, 10th Match, Group A at Dubai🏏

🏏T20 Asia Cup 2025: UAE vs Pakistan, 10th Match, Group A at Dubai on 17/09/2025 at 8:00 PM IST🏏

Bruised Pakistan take on UAE in knockout clash

Winner joins India in Super Four round from Group A; loser exits the Asia Cup

It's supposed to be a virtual knockout between UAE and Pakistan on Wednesday for a berth in Super 4s in Asia Cup 2025. It will still be, provided Pakistan take the field.

India's stance on skipping the customary toss and post-match handshakes with Pakistan - conveyed across by match referee Andy Pycroft - has had a cascading effect on entire Group A. Pakistan protested by not showing up for the post-match presentation after the loss to India, their coach called it a "flow and effect" of India's "unsporting behaviour", and the PCB then threatened to not take the field next if Pycroft is the match official for their future games - which he is on Wednesday.

ICC, on its part, has officially struck down PCB's demand, putting the ball in Pakistan's court. Will they stand their ground? Can they afford to? Because, while all of this was unfolding in boardrooms, UAE convincingly beat Oman in Abu Dhabi last night to knock them out of the competition and also send India through to the next round from Group A - meaning only either one of them or Pakistan can now progress. And, a moral dilemma for Pakistan - it's pride at stake either way.

On the field, both Pakistan and UAE humbled Oman and were overwhelmed by India to find themselves in this winners-takes-all contest.

When: Wednesday, September 17 at 6:30 PM Local (8:00 PM IST)

Where: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

What to expect: More heat and humidity, and wickets to spin.

Head-to-Head: UAE have their task cut out in their bid to make history, because Pakistan have won all three games against them in the format. This includes the one in the 2016 Asia Cup. Pakistan also won both matches against UAE of the recent tri-series.

Teams watch

UAE

Injuries/Unavailability: None reported.

Tactics & Match-ups: Pakistan's pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi could be the one they'll look to go after early. Afridi's PowerPlay numbers have dropped significantly this year. He conceded runs at 10.25 and is yet to pick up a wicket in the first-six overs in this tournament. With UAE openers both among runs, this could be an exciting subplot upfront.

Probable XI: Alishan Sharafu, Muhammad Waseem (c), Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wk), Asif Khan, Harshit Kaushik, Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Muhammad Jawadullah, Junaid Siddique

PakistanInjuries/Unavailability: No concerns on that front in Pakistan's camp either.

Tactics & Match-ups: Post 2024 World Cup, only India's spin unit have picked up more wickets than Pakistan's tally of 91 in 29 matches at an average of 18.09. With helpful conditions on offer in Dubai, they're going to be a handful for even the home side. It's going to be a trial by spin for UAE.

Probable XI: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Haris (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed

Did you know?

- UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem is only the second player from an Associate nation to get to 3000 T20I runs after Virandeep Singh of Malaysia.

- Haider Ali has taken a wicket off the first ball of his spell in four out of his 15 T20I appearances.

- Afridi's struggles aside, no pace unit has picked more wickets since the conclusion of 2024 T20 World Cup to beat Pakistan's tally of 102 at 23.12.

In the spotlight

There are days when Fakhar Zaman is impossible to rein in. Though they are less frequent than they used to be, he had one of those the last time these sides faced each other. Stuck at 80 for 5, Pakistan needed someone to take them through the second half of their innings, and Zaman delivered, smashing an unbeaten 77 off 44.

Zaman has had an interesting couple of months with the T20I side. While deemed to have suffered a loss in form, he has found a way to contribute just about every time through high-impact cameos. He has scored 17 or more in eight of his last nine innings, even if seven of those ended between 17 and 28. Though his match-winning potential remains alive, UAE will sense his vulnerability at the top of the order.

Asif Khan announced himself to the wider cricketing public when he blew Pakistan's spinners away at the end of August, smashing six fours and six sixes en route to his 35-ball 77. Since then, however, he has not been able to use his unquestionable power with the bat. His 40 against Afghanistan in a dead rubber was the only other meaningful knock he has played since, with the other four innings producing a combined 12 runs. In a side that lacks power outside the top three, UAE cannot afford to have one out of form for a game of this magnitude.

Pitch and conditions

There are no signs of the hot and humid weather abating in the UAE. The pitch is expected to continue offering plenty of assistance to the slower bowlers.

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan have lost six matches across the men's T20 Asia Cups - the second most defeats for any team in the tournament, with only Hong Kong losing more. Across all formats of the Asia Cup, Pakistan's 26 defeats are also the second most, surpassed only by Bangladesh's 44.
• UAE captain Muhammad Waseem brought up 3000 T20I runs on Monday, more than any current Pakistan player. Fakhar Zaman, who has 2144, is the only Pakistani in the side with more than 1000.

There may not have been handshakes in Pakistan's most recent game at the Asia Cup, but in the one coming up, there will certainly be a goodbye.

One of the two teams - either UAE or two-time champions Pakistan - will be eliminated on Wednesday. Both sides beat Oman comfortably and lost to India heavily, making their fixture in Dubai a knockout game: the winner joins India in the Super Four, while the loser exits.

Pakistan are favoured to win, having beaten UAE twice over the past fortnight, during the recent tri-series in Sharjah. However, there were moments in both those games where UAE appeared to have the upper hand, and it was their inability to sustain these sparks that separated the Associate team from the Full Member one.

Pakistan have also had consistency issues. Against India on Sunday, they had what their coach Mike Hesson called a bad day. But there is a suspicion that Pakistan might have become flat-track bullies. They have racked up wins against inferior opposition over the past few months, but were outmatched against India from the first ball. Questions have intensified since about whether their positive results against weaker oppositions reflect an uptick in quality, or are just a reflection of their kind schedule.

Either way, Pakistan should have enough skill and power to defeat UAE. Their slower bowlers might be what separates the two sides: Pakistan have played two wristspinners, as well as Saim Ayub and Mohammad Nawaz, in each of their previous two fixtures, as well as the final of the recent tri-series. The good news for them is they appear to have settled on an eleven that should see the job through with little fuss.

PAK vs UAE Probable Top Performance

Probable Best Batter

UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem could be the probable best batter in the upcoming game against Pakistan. Waseem has had a decent start to the Asia Cup as he has scored 88 runs in two innings at an average of 44.00. With the UAE having a big chance of qualifying for the next stage of the tournament, Waseem will need to once again produce a solid performance with the bat.

Probable Best Bowler: Junaid Siddique

UAE's Junaid Siddique could be the best bowler in his team's forthcoming game against Pakistan. The right-arm pacer will be looking to continue his fine form after bagging five wickets in two games. Siddique will be riding high on confidence after picking four wickets in the previous clash against Oman.