Sharjah, Aug 28 (AP) It's a moment of reckoning for Rashid Khan and his Afghanistan squad as they step into the Twenty20 international cricket tournament as favorites.
With a powerful and spin-focused lineup, Afghanistan is poised for success in the tri-series commencing this Friday, featuring Pakistan and the host nation, the United Arab Emirates. This competition serves as a preparatory ground for the upcoming Asian Cup, also to be held in the UAE next month.
Last year saw Afghanistan making an impressive run to the semifinals of the T20 World Cup, where they succumbed to South Africa, but not without showcasing their strength in this shortest format of international cricket.
The Sharjah Cricket Stadium will be the battleground for seven T20 matches over the next 10 days. The competing teams will face each other twice, with the top two advancing to the final on September 7.
Given the slow pitches of Sharjah Cricket Stadium, scoring big might be challenging — a 200-run score has been achieved only four times in 41 T20 internationals at this 16,000-capacity venue.
Afghanistan's Advantage
Afghanistan has strategically loaded its squad with five spinners, including the uncapped AM Ghazanfar, to capitalize on the slow nature of the pitches. Both Rashid Khan and mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman have proven formidable at Sharjah, maintaining an economy rate of under six runs per over in a combined 23 T20s, along with collecting 43 wickets.
Veteran allrounder Mohammad Nabi brings a treasure trove of experience with 25 T20 matches at Sharjah, claiming 16 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6.49.
Left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad has also demonstrated remarkable performances in the IPL, representing Chennai Super Kings. Afghanistan’s spin arsenal is expected to pose significant challenges to opposition batters.
Pakistan's Prospects
Pakistan boasts its own array of spinners. Specialist spinners like Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem are complemented by off-spinners Saim Ayub and captain Salman Ali Agha, along with left-arm option Mohammad Nawaz. If conditions favor slower bowling, each can deliver a full quota of overs in a T20 matchup.
New limited-overs coach Mike Hesson has opted to leave out seasoned players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan as he seeks quick-strike players for the start of the innings.
Babar and Rizwan have been absent from T20 competitions since December, while Pakistan is grooming prospects like Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Haris, and Saim Ayub to harness quick runs during the batting powerplay as the squad shapes up for next year's T20 World Cup.
Hesson encouraged Babar to enhance his batting against spin and increase his scoring rate to reclaim his spot in the T20 lineup.
Since Hesson's appointment, Pakistan has experienced mixed results. They dominated Bangladesh 3-0 at home but were later defeated 2-1 in the reciprocating series in Dhaka. In Florida, Pakistan managed a 2-1 victory over West Indies amid ongoing experiments with new batting and bowling combinations.
UAE Aims for an Upset
The UAE has made four changes following its loss to hosts at the Pearl of Africa Cup in Uganda, bringing in uncapped left-handed batter Harshit Kaushik, leg-spin allrounder Mohammad Farooq, and fast bowlers Junaid Siddique and Mohammad Jawadullah.
Coach Lalchand Rajput remains optimistic about the UAE’s potential. After securing a T20 series win against Bangladesh at home in May, Rajput believes his team can challenge any Test-playing nation in the format's shortest version.
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