PCB announces schedule for Pakistan’s T20I tri-series with Afghanistan, UAE

The tournament will begin on Friday, August 29, with Pakistan facing Afghanistan in the opening clash

PHOTO: AFP

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially announced the schedule for the upcoming T20I tri-nation series involving Pakistan, Afghanistan, and hosts UAE, set to take place at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium from August 29 to September 7.

The tri-series will serve as a warm-up event ahead of the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025, which is scheduled in the UAE from September 9 to 28. All matches will be played under lights, with a 7:00pm local time start.

The tournament will begin on Friday, August 29, with Pakistan facing Afghanistan in the opening clash. Each team will play the others twice during the round-robin stage, with the top two sides progressing to the final, set for Sunday, September 7.

Initially, Pakistan was set to host Afghanistan for a bilateral T20I series this month. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) proposed turning it into a tri-series and shifting it to the UAE. The main aim of this move is to help players get used to UAE conditions ahead of the upcoming ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025.

The Asia Cup, scheduled from September 9 to 28, will be played in the T20 format and will serve as preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February.

The 2025 Asia Cup will feature eight teams divided into two groups. Group A includes Pakistan, India, UAE, and Oman. Group B consists of Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong.

The tournament will begin on September 9 with Afghanistan facing Hong Kong in the opening match.

Pakistan will start their campaign on September 12 against Oman, followed by the much-anticipated clash against India on September 14.

Tri-Series schedule: