By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: Pakistan’s men’s T20 cricket team touched down in Dubai on Wednesday, gearing up for a tri-series and the Asia Cup, both set to unfold in the United Arab Emirates, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced.
The tri-series, pitting Pakistan against Afghanistan and the UAE, kicks off on August 29, while the Asia Cup follows from September 9.
The squad flew in from Pakistan in four separate groups “to ensure a smooth and organised arrival of players and support staff in Dubai,” according to state broadcaster PTV.
In a post on X, the PCB detailed the team’s immediate plans: a pre-series training camp running from August 21 to 27, with the first session slated for Thursday at the ICC Cricket Academy.
That academy will act as the “primary training facility” for the players, PTV reported, though the team is also lined up for a T20 practice match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
All sessions and warm-up games will stay in Dubai under the official schedule, the broadcaster added, noting: “This setup is designed to provide players with the ideal environment and facilities to prepare thoroughly ahead of the two major tournaments.”
The arrival comes just days after the PCB shook up the squad on Sunday, dropping star batsmen Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, mainstays in the shortest format who last featured in December.
Head coach Mike Hesson, addressing a press conference, attributed their omission to the strong showings from others in the lineup. Hesson, who stepped in as coach in May, has overseen three T20 series so far: a 3-0 home whitewash, a 2-1 defeat away to Bangladesh, and a 2-1 victory over the West Indies in the United States.
All-rounder Salman Agha takes the captain’s armband for this tour, with the squad bolstered by the comeback of fast bowlers Mohammad Wasim and Salman Mirza. Pakistan squad: Salman Agha (captain), Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Hasan Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim.
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