Asia Cup: UAE win toss, opt to field against Pakistan; Pycroft remains match referee

Dubai [UAE], September 17 (ANI): UAE captain Muhammad Waseem won the toss and opted to bowl against Pakistan in the group stage match of the Asia Cup.

The toss was delayed by an hour as Pakistan team left late for the stadium and waited for clearance from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The Pakistan board had threatened to pull out of the contest after the International Cricket Council turned down their plea to remove match referee Andy Pycroft.

Pakistan had cancelled the pre-match press conference on Tuesday but held the practice session.

In an earlier match, India refused to shake hands with Pakistan players after securing a landslide 7-wicket win in Dubai on Sunday. India’s stance was linked to the strained relations between the two nations in the wake of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, during which 26 tourists were killed on April 22 by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists.

Pakistan had pulled out of the post-match presentation.

The clash between Pakistan and UAE is a must-win game for both sides. A victory for either side will guarantee their spot in the Super Four. Pycroft is serving as the match referee in the match.

After winning the toss, UAE skipper Waseem explained his decision to bowl first.

“Going to bowl first. Today, the way the weather is, dew will play a role. Will try to restrict them to a low total. It’s a do-or-die game. We had a good game in Abu Dhabi. Different pitch and a different game today. Jawadullah is out and Simranjeet is in.”

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha acknowledged that his side wanted to bat first.

“We wanted to bat first and put them under scoreboard pressure. It’s a great day for us to play a perfect game. They’re a very good side. If we execute our plans for longer periods, we have a chance against any side. Two changes. Sufiyan and Faheem aren’t playing.”

United Arab Emirates (Playing XI): Alishan Sharafu, Muhammad Waseem(c), Asif Khan, Muhammad Zohaib, Harshit Kaushik, Rahul Chopra(w), Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh, Junaid Siddique

Pakistan (Playing XI): Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Haris(w), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha(c), Khushdil Shah, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed. (ANI)

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