Pakistan and the UAE will clash in a crucial Group A match of the Asia Cup 2025 on 17 September at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. After crushing Oman by 93 runs in their opener, Pakistan lost to India by six wickets. Therefore, they must defeat UAE to reach the Super 4. India has already secured their place, and Oman is eliminated. Consequently, the winner of this match will join India in the next stage.
Off-Field Controversy
Meanwhile, tensions have flared off the field. Pakistan considered withdrawing from the Asia Cup after the ICC rejected the PCB’s demand to remove match referee Andy Pycroft over the recent handshake row.
Team Form and Strategy
Pakistan must improve their batting, especially after struggling against India. On the other hand, UAE aims to upset Pakistan and claim a historic win. Given the pitch conditions and past results at this venue, both teams are likely to focus heavily on spin.
Key Stats and Records
The highest T20I total at Dubai International Cricket Stadium is 212/2, scored by India against Afghanistan in 2022. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s best score is 187/10 versus Sri Lanka in 2013, a match they lost. The lowest totals include West Indies 55, Pakistan 74 against Australia in 2012, and UAE 57 versus India in 2025.
Babar Azam leads in T20I runs at this venue with 505 runs at 45.90. Among current Pakistan players, Fakhar Zaman has 209 runs in 12 matches. Similarly, UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem has 191 runs in 10 matches in Dubai.
In bowling, Sohail Tanvir holds the record with 22 wickets from 15 matches. Among current Pakistan bowlers, Shaheen Afridi has 11 wickets from 7 matches, while UAE’s Junaid Siddique has 16 scalps at this stadium. According to ESPNcricinfo, teams batting first average 7.41 runs per over, but teams batting second average slightly lower at 7.25.
Overall, both sides are expected to play aggressively, making this match a key contest for Super 4 qualification.
Pitch Report
The Dubai pitch favors spinners, although pacers can enjoy early movement. Batsmen must rotate the strike and handle spin well in the middle overs. Therefore, both teams are expected to deploy spin-heavy line-ups.
Weather Report
The weather will be warm and humid, yet no rain is expected. Hence, conditions should allow uninterrupted play.
Squads
Pakistan: Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.
UAE: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D’Souza, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Matiullah Khan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra, Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh, Saghir Khan.