Pakistan emerged victorious against the United Arab Emirates in the Asia Cup 2025, securing their place in the Super 4 stage despite facing several issues. The Pakistan team managed to win the match after a period of turmoil and controversies, including threats of a boycott. The team was forced to play after previously demanding the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft. Initially, the team’s batting struggled, putting them at risk of losing. However, the bowlers changed the game and helped Pakistan win by 41 runs.
The match, played at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday, September 17th, was uncertain due to disputes. The Pakistan team and their cricket board wanted to remove match referee Andy Pycroft after a post-match handshake issue against India, which the ICC denied. The Pakistan team threatened to boycott and even arrived late to the stadium, leading to a one-hour delay. A compromise was reached.
When the match began, Pakistan’s batting problems continued. Opener Saim Ayub was out without scoring in the first over for the third time. Other batsmen didn’t perform well and wickets kept falling. By the 15.1st over, Pakistan had lost 6 wickets for 93 runs, but Fakhar Zaman scored a good 50 runs, while the top order failed.
Shaheen Shah Afridi helped the team with the bat, scoring a quick 29 runs, and bringing the total to 146. Junaid Siddique of UAE took 4 wickets and Simranjeet took 3.
UAE’s Alishan Sharafu started strong but was bowled by Shaheen. Captain Muhammad Wasim was also dismissed. Rahul Chopra (35) and Dhruv Parashar (20) had a slow partnership, and the innings ended at 105. Shaheen, Haris Rauf, and Abrar took 2 wickets each for Pakistan. Pakistan, alongside India, moved to the Super 4 stage from Group A.