PCB announces schedule for Pakistan's T20I tri-series with Afghanistan and UAE

Lahore (Web Desk): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially announced the schedule for an upcoming T20I tri-nation series featuring Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates. The tournament is set to take place at Sharjah Cricket Stadium from August 29 to September 7.

 According to a statement issued by the PCB, the event has been arranged as a preparatory platform for the participating teams ahead of the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025, which will also be hosted in the UAE from September 9 to 28.

Pakistan will launch their campaign on August 29, facing Afghanistan in the opening match of the series. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 PM Pakistan Standard Time.

The format of the tri-series ensures that each team plays the other twice during the group stage, guaranteeing a minimum of four matches per side. The top two teams on the points table will qualify for the final, which is slated for September 7.

The complete fixture list for the series is as follows: the opener on August 29 will see Afghanistan go up against Pakistan. On August 30, Pakistan will take on the UAE. UAE will then face Afghanistan on September 1. Pakistan and Afghanistan will meet again on September 2, followed by another encounter between Pakistan and the UAE on September 4. Afghanistan will clash with the UAE on September 5. The final, featuring the two best-performing sides, will be held on September 7.

This tri-nation tournament is being viewed as an important lead-up to the Asia Cup, which will be contested in the T20 format as part of the build-up to the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

The Asia Cup will kick off with a match between Afghanistan and Hong Kong on September 9. Pakistan’s campaign in the Asia Cup will start on September 12 when they face Oman, while their final group stage fixture is scheduled for September 17 against the UAE.