SHARJAH: Salman Ali Agha is not too concerned by Pakistan’s recent losses.
Instead, Pakistan T20 captain is looking forward to his “quality side with exciting youngsters and amazing seniors” doing well at the upcoming tri-nation series and the subsequent Asia Cup.
The Salman-led team face Afghanistan in a T20 tri-nation series opening match in Sharjah on Friday. The event, a warm-up for next month’s T20 Asia Cup, also includes hosts UAE.
Besides Afghanistan, Pakistan and the UAE, the Asia Cup will also include defending champions India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman and Hong Kong.
Pakistan’s white-ball fortunes are dipping after they crashed out of last year’s T20 World Cup in the group stage before failing to win a match at the ODI Champions Trophy.
This year they lost a T20 series in Bangladesh 2-1 but overcame the West Indies by the same margin.
Pakistan, under Salman, are going through a transition with former skippers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan out of the T20 squad. Both the veteran players have been unable to impress in recent T20 Internationals.
“We’re not too concerned with our rankings or the opinion of the ex-players and the public,” Salman told reporters at the pre-series media conference.
“As a team, we are not thinking about it. We are here to play good cricket and win matches. We are a new team and we are shaping up well.
“We are trying to build a team and this tri-series and then the Asia Cup will be a good opportunity to achieve that. We know both these events will be challenging but we are ready.”
The captain continued, “Leading the Pakistan team is not only an honour for me but also a great responsibility. The team is playing good cricket at the moment and I am hopeful we will continue to deliver strong performances in the matches ahead.”
All three teams in the tri-series will play each other twice, with the top two to face off in a final on Sept 7.
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan said his team have no “specific targets” despite producing groundbreaking performances in recent ICC global events.
Afghanistan reached the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the US and the Caribbean, and narrowly missed out on reaching the last four at the ODI Champions Trophy staged in Pakistan earlier in 2025.
Those performances followed an impressive showing at the 2023 one-day World Cup, when the Afghans produced statement wins over England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
“We do not have specific targets, and we do not want to put extra pressure on our players,” Rashid said on Thursday when asked if Afghanistan were targeting the Asia Cup title.
“Our target is to play the brand of cricket we have played over the years. For us the main target is to put in 200 percent effort on the ground.
“I think we have been doing well in the ICC events and although we haven’t played T20I cricket over the last few months, the guys have been playing in T20 leagues around the world and that has helped.”
Afghanistan beat Pakistan 2-1 in a T20I series at the same venue in 2023.
The 16-man Afghan squad for the tri-series includes fast-rising mystery spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar along with fellow spin bowlers Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid.
The Asia Cup gets under way on Sept 9, as teams ramp up their preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, Rashid has asked for “unity” among supporters when Afghanistan play Pakistan.
The last time Afghanistan and Pakistan met at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, in the 2022 Asia Cup, crowd unrest broke out in the stands after the game.
Special security measures will be in place for the games in Sharjah, including potentially segregating supporters.
Rashid has pleaded with spectators to support their sides, but respect their opposition also.
“It is a message to everyone who ever comes to watch the game in the stadium,” Rashid said.
“This game is something that brings unity, in brings people together, and brings nations together. It shows the right message, a message of peace.
“Everyone coming to the ground should support their team, support the players, and have fun. This game is all about enjoyment.
“We play this game to enjoy it and give entertainment to the crowd. I feel like it is just a game. There is nothing bigger to it.
“For the crowd to come and support their teams, and the respective players, that is what I request of them, and make sure they have fun and enjoy every moment of the game.”
The UAE team look clear underdogs in the tri-series but their skipper Muhammad Waseem is upbeat they can make a mark in the event.
The UAE have claimed scalps of teams like New Zealand and Afghanistan themselves in recent times, and also beat Bangladesh in a T20I series in Sharjah.
The idea that they have home advantage for the series is debatable: Pakistan and Afghanistan have each played home fixtures in the UAE in recent years.
However, Waseem is quietly confident.
“It is home for all three teams, but the way we have prepared, the way we have played for the past couple of years, and the work we have done over the past one and a half months, I think we are going to play good cricket over here,” the skipper said.
Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2025
