Sharjah doesn’t forgive timid cricket, and Pakistan brought none of it. In a high-scoring night at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on August 30, 2025, Pakistan overpowered the United Arab Emirates by 31 runs to claim their second straight win in the T20I Tri-Series. Batting first after winning the toss, they stacked up 207 before closing out UAE at 176/8. It was a game anchored by youthful fearlessness, smart middle-overs bowling, and just enough composure at the death. For the hosts, a blistering solo act kept the chase alive, but the support cast didn’t stick around long enough.
This felt like a statement from a Salman Agha-led group that looks comfortable with roles and tempo. Saim Ayub set the tone upfront with a flowing 69 off 38, and Hasan Nawaz doubled down with a clean 56 off 26 that ripped through the field in the middle overs. Mohammad Nawaz chipped in briskly, Faheem Ashraf added late punch, and even though Pakistan lost all ten wickets, 207 proved plenty on a surface that rewarded early courage but punished loose strokes later.
How Pakistan built 207
Sharjah can be quirky—short boundaries square, a tricky length back of a good length, and momentum swings that arrive without warning. Pakistan managed those quirks well. The start was crisp. Saim Ayub’s first few scoring shots told you everything: minimal fuss, full face of the bat, clean lofts down the ground, and quick hands through cover. He didn’t slog; he hit through the line and made the bowlers adjust to him.
Hasan Nawaz walked in and switched the tempo from brisk to breathless. His 56 off 26 wasn’t just fast, it was disruptive. Fielders were dragged wider, lengths went shorter, and suddenly UAE’s plans drifted. This is what modern T20 batting looks like when it clicks—each batter amplifying the last, no time wasted resetting gears. Pakistan’s total owed a lot to that middle-overs burst where twos became fours and mishits still cleared infielders.
Credit to the hosts for pulling it back late. Junaid Siddique and Saghir Khan each grabbed three and, more importantly, nailed enough of their death overs to keep Pakistan from smashing 220-plus. Those wickets mattered—Pakistan were bowled out for 207, and the last 15 balls didn’t go nuclear. In a chase that ended 31 runs short, that mini-fightback is the sort of detail a coach keeps and a batting unit revisits before the next game.
Pakistan’s middle was steady. Mohammad Nawaz’s 25 off 15 was a pocket of sanity between bursts, and Faheem Ashraf’s cameo made sure a stumble didn’t become a slide. Pakistan didn’t need perfection; they needed a platform and a punchy finish. They got both.
UAE’s chase and what it means
UAE needed a flyer to make 208 feel doable. They didn’t quite get it in the first six, and that kept the required rate stubbornly north of ten. Then came the counterpunch: ASF’s 77 off 35, an innings that had the crowd up and the dugout buzzing. Clean hitting, fearless swings, and that one over where the energy in the ground flipped. If there was a path to the upset, it ran straight through his bat.
But Pakistan never let the game spiral. Hasan Ali, even with a few boundaries off him, kept finding wickets at key points and finished with three. Mohammad Nawaz turned the middle phase into a choke point—2 for 21 off his four is how you strangle a chase without fuss. He didn’t chase magic balls. He hit a rhythm, attacked the stumps, and clogged scoring options. Saim Ayub chipped in with a wicket, too, a handy reminder that Pakistan’s parts fit together nicely right now.
Fielding often decides Sharjah games. Pakistan were tidy—angles covered, singles harried, boundaries saved. No circus catches, just less leakage. UAE, by contrast, watched a couple of half-chances go begging earlier, and those little margins grew into a hill when the chase tightened.
There were still plenty of positives for the home side. Junaid Siddique and Saghir Khan’s combined six wickets showed nerve under pressure. They hit hard lengths, found a touch of grip, and didn’t let late-innings panic take over. With the bat, ASF’s surge proved there’s genuine hitting power in this lineup. What they missed was a second batter to stick and swing. The best T20 chases have a handover—one set player to the next. UAE’s handover didn’t happen.
For Pakistan, two wins from two in a short tri-series means control. You can rotate if needed, you can test a matchup, and you can walk into the next game with clarity. The batting order looks balanced, the all-rounders are earning their spots, and the attack has enough variety to cover a flat start or a slow turner. It’s early, but the signs are the kind that coaches love: repeatable skills, not just one-off hot hands.
Here are the snapshots that framed the night:
- Start vs finish: Pakistan’s top order gave them a head start big enough to survive a late lull. That’s how 207 became a par-plus total rather than a par score.
- Middle overs squeeze: Mohammad Nawaz’s spell wasn’t flashy, it was decisive. Two wickets, few freebies, and momentum tilting away from UAE just as the crowd sensed a twist.
- Strike vs stability: Hasan Nawaz’s burst changed field settings and forced UAE to chase the game. After that, even good overs didn’t feel good enough.
- Wicket timing: Hasan Ali’s knack for breaking stands trumped the odd boundary against him. In T20s, wickets beat dot balls when the rate is already high.
- UAE’s positives: Six wickets at the death and a 35-ball 77 are real pillars to build on. If a second batter rides with ASF next time, this chase goes to the wire.
There’s also a broader trend worth noting. Pakistan’s T20 blueprint under Salman Agha looks like this: proactive starts, a floating license for the middle order to attack matchups, and multiple bowling options that let them chase the best phase rather than the best bowler. That’s useful on grounds like Sharjah where one over can redraw the map.
On conditions, the surface had just enough grip to make cross-seam worthwhile and just enough skid to punish full tosses. Pakistan judged length better. When they missed, they missed straight. When UAE missed, Pakistan hit cleanly in the V and put the ball where fielders weren’t. It wasn’t a huge gap, but across 240 legal deliveries, small edges become big outcomes.
Individually, this was a night that pushes Saim Ayub further into the team’s core plans. He didn’t rush; he owned the tempo. Hasan Nawaz looked like the guy you send to break a game open, not just decorate it. Hasan Ali reminded everyone that wicket-taking intent has a place even on batting nights. And Mohammad Nawaz, once again, gave the kind of four-over assurance that frees a captain to gamble elsewhere.
For UAE, there’s no reason to sulk. They’ve got a seam pair operating with belief, a power hitter who just took a top-tier attack apart, and a competitive loss that offers more instruction than a runaway defeat. What they need is glue in the middle—one player to bat through chaos while the hitters rotate around him.
As for the table, Pakistan sit pretty with back-to-back wins and the net run rate cushion that comes with them. The next stop in this tri-series is a big one for the hosts: UAE face Afghanistan on Monday, September 1, 2025, back here in Sharjah. Afghanistan’s spinners often dictate on these pitches, so UAE’s batting plans against spin will be the first item on the whiteboard. If they carry today’s intent into that clash—and give ASF the company he lacked—they’re in business.
One last point that matters beyond the headlines: Pakistan’s willingness to bat first and set a number. Teams sometimes hide behind the chase in T20s, trusting dew or nerves. Pakistan trusted their hitters to clear, their spinners to squeeze, and their fielders to hold their nerve. That mindset travels. In a short series, it also wins you weeks, not just nights.
In sum, Pakistan vs UAE delivered what Sharjah often does: bright strokeplay, middle-overs chess, and a final act where nerve outlasted noise. Pakistan had more of each—and right now, they look every inch the early favorites.