Following a T20 series win against West Indies in the USA, Pakistan now shifts its attention towards the tri-series, against the UAE and Afghanistan to be played at the historical Sharjah cricket ground.
From Javed Miandad’s last-ball six against India to Naseem Shah breaking the hopes of Afghanistan in a heated contest, the men in green have a rich history at this ground and will be eager to continue that tradition. This tri-series serves as a preparation ground for the three teams, as looking at the Pakistan tri-series squad, they have come prepared to win this series and to fine-tune their combinations heading into the Asia Cup.
Pakistan Tri-series squad review: Batting
Heading into this Tri-series, there weren’t many changes made to the batting lineup as Mike Hesson, Salman Agha, and the rest of the selectors chose to stick with the same batting lineup that has been used since the series against Bangladesh in Lahore.
Pakistan beat Bangladesh comprehensively in that series, and the batting stood out, notching up scores of 201, 201, and chasing 197 in the final T20, thanks to a sublime century scored by Mohammad Haris.
But since that series, Haris has had an abysmal run. To make it worse, he has not reached a double-digit score since that series.
The wicket-keeper batter will be up against the formidable spin attack of Afghanistan on these challenging surfaces of Sharjah, and he would have to be at his best if he wants to cement his place in the lineup for the Asia Cup.
Pakistan’s openers have done pretty well in the post-PSL international T20s. They have averaged 33 in 6 innings under Mike Hesson, scoring 298 runs at a run rate of 8.64 and strike rate of 142.58. Considering the ever-evolving T20 game, 8.64 may not look quite threatening, but if Pakistan maintains such a run rate in Sharjah, then they can make life difficult for both sides, especially the UAE.
The swashbuckling Saim Ayub looked in good nick in the West Indies series and scored a fifty in the dead rubber against Bangladesh in Mirpur. Consistency is key, and the left-hander will look to add it to his repertoire.
One of the biggest revelations in the middle order has been Hasan Nawaz, who made his debut series as an opener but, following a staggering performance in the PSL, has emerged as Pakistan’s mainstay in the batting order.
Being the only batter of the Pakistan Tri-series squad with a strike rate of 150+ (175.65), a lot will rest on Nawaz’s shoulders to take the Afghan spin quartet in the middle overs in Sharjah.
On the contrary, two players who will have to score at a better rate with the bat are Salman Ali Agha and Fakhar Zaman. Salman, since turning captain, has scored 330 runs at an underwhelming strike rate of 124.53, including 3 fifties.
Moreover, despite possessing the ability to turn the game on its head, Fakhar Zaman has not really been able to replicate that form in the T20 format. For both these batters, this tri-series presents a great opportunity to get into form for the Asia Cup next month.
Pakistan Tri-series squad review: Bowling
The conditions of the UAE, in particular, are familiar to the current lot of Pakistani bowlers. Unlike the batting lineup, which was more or less of what was expected, the bowling lineup sprung a few surprises.
The exclusion of Abbas Afridi raised a few eyebrows in the Pakistan squad, as he was a clever bowler who had a knack for picking crucial wickets out of nowhere and possessed the ability to tonk the ball out of the ground as well.
Even though a few thought Naseem Shah should have been included, the youngster had not appeared in a T20 since November 2024, and his underwhelming performance in this year’s PSL did not help either. On the contrary, Mohammad Wasim returned to the side, having last appeared in a T20 international in January 2024.
His ability to reverse the ball at the death and bowl toe-crushing yorkers helped his cause, while a good tournament for the Pakistan Shaheens in the Top End T20 series (10 wickets in 6 matches at 8.30rpo), where he was the team’s 2nd highest wicket taker, meant he merited a place in the side.
Speaking of death bowling, Shaheen Afridi has conceded at 12.50 runs per over at the death in T20 internationals in 2025. Being one of the top pacers in the world, the left-armer would be eager to shut the critics up and improve his bowling in the final 5 overs of an innings.
The 25-year-old has gotten only 4 wickets in 5 outings post-PSL, at 8.35 rpo. However, he enjoys a great record in the UAE, picking up 14 scalps in 10 outings, conceding 7.26 runs an over.
On the other hand, Haris Rauf has picked up 10 wickets this year and in the UAE, has picked up 16 wickets in 12 matches (7.42rpo). Hence, it must be fair to say that the Middle Eastern country has been a welcoming ground for the Lahore Qalandars duo.
The writing was on the wall for Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem to be in the squad, as they have enjoyed a consistent run with the side, starting from the second half of 2024. Sufiyan specifically, as he has played 13 matches so far in his T20i career, and funnily enough, is yet to play an international T20 at home. The 25-year-old has played in Australia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, New Zealand, and the USA, and has bowled at a highly impressive economy of 5.74 runs an over.
His partner, Abrar, can spin the ball both ways, hence he will be a much bigger threat on the spin-friendly tracks in Sharjah. Meanwhile, Mohammad Nawaz would be the third spin option in the side, and he enjoys a great record in the UAE, picking 11 wickets in 11 matches at 5.63 runs per over. Despite how tumultuous the past few years have been, many would remember the game-changing knock Nawaz played against India in 2022 in Dubai.
To round up the spin attack, Khushdil Shah, Saim Ayub, and captain Salman Agha can bowl a few handy overs in the middle as well.
Perhaps a player to watch out for in not only this bowling attack but also the Pakistan tri-series squad is Salman Mirza. The pacy fellow played just 3 T20s against Bangladesh, after which he was not named in the West Indies series. Many may consider him to be a backup pacer in the current squad, but this tri-series, however, presents him with a golden opportunity to make a case for himself to be picked in the playing eleven for the Asia Cup.
Pakistan Full Squad for Tri Series: Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem
