The UAE men’s cricket team will begin its preparations for next month’s Asia Cup with the Bank Alfala T20I Tri-Series 2025 presented by Inverex Solar Energy on home turf. Veteran opener Muhammad Wasim will captain the 15-member squad, which also features Pakistan and Afghanistan, in the contest, which gets underway at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.
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UAE prepares against India and Pakistan with fitness and confidence
The tournament is ideal preparation for all three teams ahead of the ACC Asia Cup 2025, which begins in the UAE on September 9. The UAE will take on Pakistan in their opener on Saturday, while earlier, Pakistan and Afghanistan will clash in the series opener. UAE captain Muhammad Wasim, speaking to strength and conditioning coach Azharuddin Qureshi during a practice session at the ICC Academy ground in Dubai.
Confidence and fitness are key, says Lalchand Rajput
Chief coach Lalchand Rajput said the tri-series comes at the perfect time for the UAE as they prepare to take on the Asian giants. The team recently returned from a four-nation tournament in Uganda, where every player was given match time to prepare for this phase.
“Beating test-playing nations, especially Bangladesh, has given us a lot of confidence. It is not about overconfidence—it is about believing that we can take on and beat the big teams. Playing Pakistan and Afghanistan before the Asia Cup is the best preparation,” Rajput told the reputed news agency.
Rajput stressed that the team’s focus is on its fitness, fielding, and mental strength to reduce the gap against higher-ranked teams. He is pretty much confident in his team and is sure that they can pull out things under the home conditions and would provide tough competition to other teams.
“We have been training in the evenings to cope with the conditions. Skill, fitness, and fielding are all important at this level. Against big teams, you have to be mentally strong and physically fit. Fitness tests, including the Yo-Yo test, are mandatory, and only fully fit players will be considered,” he said.
The coach believes the UAE’s recent successes have instilled true confidence in them. “If you can beat Bangladesh, why not pull off upsets against other top teams? Anything can happen in T20 cricket. Our players are excited for this challenge.”
Tickets on sale
Tickets for the tri-series are now available online and at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium box office. Tickets for the general stand start at 30 dirhams, while gold and platinum seating start at 100 dirhams. Hospitality packages, including Diamond, VIP suites, and Royal Lounge options, start at 400 dirhams. The gates will open at 4 PM for Pakistan-Afghanistan matches and at 5 PM for UAE matches.
UAE Squad
Muhammad Waseem (captain), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D’Souza, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wicketkeeper), Rohid Khan, and Saghir Khan.
Support staff: Amjad Ezzi (team manager), Lalchand Rajput (head coach), Azharuddin Qureshi (strength and conditioning coach), Manipreet Sidhu (video analyst), and Manish Pradeshi (physiotherapist).
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Schedule for Tri-Series
August 29: Afghanistan vs Pakistan – 7 pm
August 30: UAE vs Pakistan – 7 pm
September 1: Afghanistan vs UAE – 7 pm
September 2: Afghanistan vs Pakistan – 7 pm
September 4: Pakistan vs UAE – 7 pm
September 5: Afghanistan vs UAE – 7 pm
September 7: Final – 7 pm