Pakistan sets up Asia Cup Super 4 clash against India, crushes UAE by 41 Runs – Key turning points

It’s a high-stakes equation with everything on the line: the winner advances to the Super Four with India, while the loser’s tournament comes to an abrupt end. UAE, fresh off a sensational bowling display, have every reason to believe they can pull off a stunning upset. All that’s left is for their batters to stay composed and smart under pressure.

Shaheen Shah Afridi gets the ball rolling but Alishan Sharafu isn’t intimidated for a second—he charges in. However, a timely breakthrough for Pakistan as Shaheen Afridi strikes early, blasting Sharafu’s off stump out of the ground. The fuller delivery just outside off stump tempted Sharafu, who attempted to drag it but ended up smashing it straight onto his stumps.

Simranjeet Singh takes down set batter Fakhar Zaman in the first ball of his over and then takes down Hasan Nawaz on his fourth delivery. Pakistan in troubled waters. This was an excellent over from Singh. PAK 88/5 (14)

Dhruv Parashar has finally broken the partnership between Salman Agha and Fakhar by sending the skipper back to pavilion. With this, Pakistan has lost another important wicket while trying to stabilise after early shocks. PAK 75/3 (12)

Fakhar Zaman turned up the heat on offspinner Dhruv Parashar with audacious strokeplay—first launching him over deep midwicket with a thunderous slog, and then striding down the track to send the ball soaring over the bowler’s head for another towering six. Meanwhile, Agha, still searching for rhythm, finally found some relief at the end of the powerplay, expertly guiding a fuller Rohid delivery fine for a classy boundary. The momentum was shifting, and the intent couldn’t be clearer. Looks like the team is once again gaining the momentum in the clash. PAK 67/2 (10)

Siddique takes his second wicket in his second over. This time his target was Sahibzada Farhan whom he missed in the first over. Men in green are in trouble from the get go. Salman Agha has come in to bat. PAK 11/2 (3)

After taking 2 runs on the first ball of Junaid Siddique, Sahibzada Farhan was given out by the ground umpire on the next delivery. That decision has been reviewed and rightly so. He is saved. But UAE is not backing down. This time, Siddique takes down Saim Ayub on zero. This was a catch taken by Muhammad Rohid. Pak 3/1 (1)

In an official statement, the Pakistan Cricket Board said that match referee Andy Pycroft has apologised to the manager and skipper Salman Agha over the no handshake row with Team India during Sunday’s game. However, ICC has so far issued no official word on the matter.

“The ICC’s match referee, Andy Pycroft, has apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team. Andy Pycroft had barred the captains of India and Pakistan from shaking hands during their match. The Pakistan Cricket Board had strongly reacted to Andy Pycroft’s actions. Andy Pycroft termed the September 14 incident a result of miscommunication and apologised. The ICC has expressed its willingness to conduct an inquiry into the code of conduct violation that occurred during the September 14 match,” the PCB’s statement read.

Pakistan Playing XI: 1 Saim Ayub, 2 Sahibzada Farhan, 3 Mohammad Haris (wk), 4 Fakhar Zaman, 5 Salman Agha (capt), 6 Khushdil Shah, 7 Hasan Nawaz, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar Ahmed

UAE: 1 Alishan Sharafu, 2 Muhammad Waseem (capt), 3 Asif Khan, 4 Muhammad Zohaib, 5 Harshit Kaushik, 6 Rahul Chopra (wk), 7 Dhruv Parashar, 8 Haider Ali, 9 Muhammad Rohid Khan, 10 Simranjeet Singh, 11 Junaid Siddique

UAE captain Muhammad Waseem wins the toss and elects to bowl first vs Pakistan. Andy Pycroft is the match referee for the do-or-die clash.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has squarely blamed match referee Andy Pycroft for the controversy that marred Sunday’s India-Pakistan clash. The flashpoint came when Indian players declined to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts at the toss and again at the end of the game.

In protest, Pakistan skipper Salman Agha skipped the post-match presentation. According to the PCB, Pycroft had told Agha beforehand that there would be no handshakes at the toss — a stance the board says directly violates MCC laws and the spirit of cricket.

The complaint, addressed to ICC general manager Wasim Khan, accused Pycroft of misconduct and pressed for his immediate removal from the remaining Asia Cup fixtures.

High drama unfolded in Dubai on Wednesday as Pakistan’s Asia Cup campaign briefly hung in the balance. The team initially refused to leave its hotel for their must-win clash against the UAE, protesting against match referee Andy Pycroft. The PCB had demanded Pycroft’s removal, but the ICC stood firm, rejecting the appeal twice. Faced with little choice, Pakistan climbed down from its pullout threat and finally made its way to the ground.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Andy Pycroft will remain the match referee for the game. Pakistan team wrote to ICC twice to remove Pycroft as he allegedly permitted Team India to skip handshake after September 14 game. The Pakistan team has arrived at the ground.

The timings of the Pak vs UAE has been shifted by one hour. The match was earlier scheduled to start at 8 pm IST. It will now begin at 9 pm Indian time. After the internal discussions between the PCB officials, the Pak team was asked to leave for the venue. We still don’t know the fate of match referee Andy Pycroft.

PCB chair Mohsin Naqvi posted on X, “We have asked the Pakistan team to depart for the Dubai Cricket Stadium. Further details to follow.”

Team Pakistan have been asked to reach the venue to play against UAE. This comes amid earlier reports of boycotting the Asia Cup over the handshake issue with Team India during the September 14 match. The current game has now been delayed for an hour.

Credit: Geo News

According to Geo news, Pakistan team has been asked to return to Pakistan either by tonight or later tomorrow morning. The local media report said that the team bus was standing outside the hotel to unload the kits and luggage of players. There has been no official confirmation about the boycott from the PCB yet.

While tensions remain ahead of the match, UAE team has arrived at the Dubai international stadium.

Pakistan’s game plans hit an unexpected pause on Wednesday after the ICC turned down the PCB’s request to remove Andy Pycroft as match referee for the ongoing tournament fixtures.

According to the official schedule, the team was slated to depart their hotel at 4.30 pm local time. However, ESPNcricinfo reported that the Pakistan Cricket Board instructed players and staff to remain at the hotel while it deliberates on its next steps.

The PCB had formally sought Pycroft’s removal from this match and the remainder of the tournament but the ICC rejected the appeal. A public statement from the board is expected shortly. This comes after the PCB raised an objection to Team India players leaving the ground without customary hand shaking post the game.

There’s growing uncertainty over tonight’s game in Dubai. According to the Hindustan Times, the deadlock between the ICC and PCB continues over the handshake issue in the game against India. As a result of that, the Pakistan board has now asked its team to stay put and not travel to the stadium.

This one’s a do-or-die game for both the teams. UAE comes fresh from a victory high after defeating Oman in its previous match. Pakistan will face the hosts after losing a match against India last Sunday. The team that wins tonight will join India in the Super-4. It will be interesting clash in Dubai that starts from 8 pm.

Stay tuned to this space for all the latest updates from the game.