The cricketing excitement is set to reach fever pitch as Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates gear up for the inaugural clash in their three-match T20I series on December 29, 2021. As they prepare to lock horns, all eyes are on Sharjah Cricket Stadium – the chosen battleground where the entire series will unfold.
Known for its relatively small boundaries, Sharjah Cricket Stadium has been a hotbed for high-scoring thrillers, especially evident during the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which was hosted behind closed doors amidst the pandemic. The venue, while providing ample entertainment, will now witness a fresh contest as the UAE and Afghanistan take centre stage.
The UAE, taking to the field in the shortest format after a two-month hiatus, have recently tasted bitter disappointment. Their aspirations for a place in the T20 World Cup were dashed following a semifinal loss to Nepal in the Asia Qualifier, closing the door to next year’s mega event set for the West Indies and the USA. Undaunted by the setback, the team is keen on using this series to display high-calibre cricket against a formidable Afghan side.
However, the visitors are grappling with challenges of their own. The absence of superstar Rashid Khan — sidelined due to a back injury that also caused him to miss the Big Bash League (BBL) — is a significant blow to the team’s bowling attack. Further controversy has brewed, with three Afghan cricketers being denied No Objection Certificates to participate in a T20 league, following their request to be excluded from the central contract. This poses questions about the potential involvement of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Fazalhaq Farooqi in the upcoming matches.
A glance at the T20I track record at Sharjah reveals that the average first innings score hovers around 135, going by the venue’s last three cricketing encounters. The highest score successfully chased down on this pitch stands at 133, while the lowest successfully defended scores shoot up to 182, hinting at the ground’s penchant for dramatic cricket.
The cricket series schedule is as follows:
– 1st T20I on December 29
– 2nd T20I on December 31
– 3rd T20I on January 2.
Fans from around the globe can catch the live action set to commence at 4:30 PM IST for all the matches.
Those eager to follow the live progress of this exciting series can tune in via Fancode, which will provide comprehensive live streaming of the matches.
As teams finalize their strategies and line-ups, here are the squads announced for this much-anticipated series:
UAE Squad:
– Mayank, Waseem Muhammad, Sagar Kalyan, Rahul Chopra, Tanish Suri, Muhammad Zuhaib, Akif Raja, Ayman Ahamed, Muhammad Jawadullah, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Aayan Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Nilansh Keswani, Samal Udawaththa, Ali Naseer
Afghanistan Squad:
– Darwish Rasooli, Ibrahim Zadran, Ikram Ali Khil, Mohammad Ishaq, Bahir Shah, Bilal Sami, Hashamtullah Shahidi (C), Reyaz Hassain, Hazratullah Zazai, Najibullah Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Abdul Rahman, Qais Ahmad, Farid Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Yamin Ahmadzai, Saleem Safi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Rahmat Shah, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Ziaur Rahman, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi
With the rosters set and the pitch conditions analyzed, the stage is set for a sporting spectacle in Sharjah. Will the short boundaries yield an avalanche of runs, or will the bowlers defy the odds to script a different tale? As cricket aficionados eagerly await the outcome, the anticipation is tangible — a testament to the ever-unpredictable and enthralling nature of Twenty20 cricket.
