HIGHLIGHTS Pakistan vs United Arab Emirates, T20I Tri-Series in UAE 2025, 5 T20- Result, Scorecard

Welcome back for the UAE's reply with the bat. The Pakistani players spread out and take their respective fielding positions. Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu are the openers for the United Arab Emirates. Shaheen Afridi to begin with the new ball. Here we go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Right. Pakistan have managed to post a challenging total and the UAE will have to bat out of their comfort zone to hunt this target down. Over-reliance on Muhammad Waseem and Asif Khan have put on a lot of strain on the rest of the batting unit and it is now time for them to step up. FYI, chasing has been extremely difficult in Sharjah and anything more than 150 has not been hunted down in this particular tri-series. It will be a real test of nerves on how the UAE batters handle the pressure against a spirited Pakistani bowling unit. An exciting run chase coming up on the other side. Stay tuned.

Haider Ali of UAE is up for a quick chat. He points out that the pitch had a bit of moisture in it, so they wanted to go hard on the batters as it is a must-win match for them. Admits that they were sloppy in the field which turned out to be very costly for them towards the backend. Says they know how dangerous someone like Fakhar Zaman and Nawaz can be in the death overs. Admits that if those catches had been taken, they could have easily restricted Pakistan to somewhere around 140-150. Ends by saying that they have no choice now and will try hard to win this.

When pressure creeps in such a situation, it either pushes you further down, or a fearless knock from someone lifts the team up. 74/4 became 80/5, but then came the momentum-changing partnership between Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Nawaz towards the backend. Pakistan could have lost a couple of more wickets pretty soon, but both Fakhar and Nawaz being provided a reprieve in two consecutive deliveries meant they took the bowlers to the cleaners in the last five overs. In fact, the last two overs went for 42 runs which totally swung the momentum Pakistan's way.

Two of their batters - Haris and Fakhar - in a bit of a lean patch lately, tried to form an alliance which was crucial from Pakistan's perspective. They looked all but convincing with the ball slightly holding when spin formed a tandem in middle overs. Runs didn't come at a fair clip, and what the UAE bowlers did well was they didn't allow easy singles, and the streak of dots further plugged the scoring rate a bit. In that 7-10 over phase, Pakistan could only muster up 24 runs, while also losing Haris after a scratchy knock.

Credits should be given where it is due. UAE looked disciplined early doors with the new ball. There was just enough evident movement off the deck, which kept the batters honest. Ayub and Farhan tried to take off, but yet again, the opening stand for Pakistan couldn't see through the Powerplay successfully. Junaid and Rohid relentlessly tested those outside edges, drawing out false strokes, and with Agha too, gone early, this pushed Pakistan massively on the back foot. The score after six overs read 50/3, but in all fairness, it was not at all the best of Powerplays for them with the bat.

A very strong finish for Pakistan in the end, but who would have thought that from a precarious position of being 80/5 in the 12th over, the tourists would end up posting in north of 170, without losing a single wicket? A bit of inexperienced bowling in the death overs by the UAE bowlers as they were a bit too predictable in their lines and lengths. And more importantly, they did not vary the pace as they did in the first 15 overs or so, which resulted in Fakhar and Nawaz feasting on anything loose thrown at them.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Fakhar Zaman, FOUR! What a knock from Fakhar! Very full now, outside off. Fakhar Zaman gets the width and the length in the arc, clears the front leg away and smashes it over cover for a cracking boundary. 22 off the final over! PAKISTAN FINISH ON 171/5.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Fakhar Zaman, TOP EDGE, FOUR! Frustrations compounding for Waseem and his men! Short of a length, nipping into the batter, Fakhar Zaman swings to heave across the line, but gets a thick top edge and the ball flies over the keeper's head for a boundary.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Fakhar Zaman, FOUR! Improvisation at its best! Loosener from Jawadullah, a full toss, on middle. Fakhar Zaman again shuffles to the off side and easily scoops it over short fine leg. This time the ball sails over the ropes for half a dozen.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Fakhar Zaman, FOUR! Going from bad to worse for UAE now! Back of a length, outside off. Fakhar Zaman swooshes hard at it, loses the bottom hand off the handle, and the ball is sliced over short third for a boundary.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Fakhar Zaman, FOUR! Excellent batting! Knowing that it is a full delivery, around off, Zaman shuffles a bit, gets his bat under the ball and scoops it effortlessly over short fine leg for a boundary.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Fakhar Zaman, Too full and outside off, Fakhar Zaman drives it to the right of long off for a couple of runs.

Muhammad Jawadullah (2-0-16-0) to bowl the final over.

Junaid Siddique to Mohammad Nawaz, SIX! POWERED AWAY! Nawaz is turning on the heat now! Another execution of yorker goes wrong and it is dished out as a low full toss, outside off. Nawaz crouches low and slaps it flat and over cover for a six. There is a check whether the ball has landed beyond the ropes or bounce just inside. The first replay isn't quite conclusive and a couple of replays come in. In the end, it is called a six.

Junaid Siddique to Mohammad Nawaz, FOUR! This is ordinary bowling! Full toss, outside off. Mohammad Nawaz swings hard to loft it over cover, but gets it off the outside edge, and luckily for him, the ball goes between short third and the keeper for a boundary.

Junaid Siddique to Mohammad Nawaz, FOUR! Innovative and mighty effective! Full from Junaid, straighter one, outside off. Nawaz reads the line and length early, shuffles across off, and scoops it over short fine leg for a one-bounce boundary.

Junaid Siddique to Mohammad Nawaz, FOUR! Important runs for Pakistan! Nawaz moves into his 20s! Misses the yorker by a margin, does Junaid. This is full and outside off. Nawaz gets his front leg away from the line to create space and carves it over the cover-point region for a boundary.

Junaid Siddique to Fakhar Zaman, Low full toss, outside off. Fakhar stands tall and tries to heave across the line, but mistimes off the inner half of the bat. The ball runs to the right of long on. Fakhar pushes hard for the first and looks for the second, but is sent back by Nawaz.

Junaid Siddique to Mohammad Nawaz, The 50 partnership is up between Fakhar and Nawaz! Too full, around off, angling in. Mohammad Nawaz drills it down to long off for a single.

Junaid Siddique (3-0-32-1) to bowl the 19th.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Fakhar Zaman, Full and straight, just outside off. Fakhar Zaman tries to drive it down the ground, but Jawadullah dives to his right and cuts it off.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Mohammad Nawaz, Angled onto the pads, a bit full, Mohammad Nawaz misses the flick and the ball grazes the front pad to run behind to deep fine leg for a leg bye.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Fakhar Zaman, Low full toss, on the stumps, Fakhar Zaman tries to smash it across the line, misses. The ball hits his front pad and rolls into the off side. They get a quick leg bye.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Fakhar Zaman, FOUR! SMASHED! Outside off, on a good length, Fakhar Zaman stands tall and slaps it over backward point for a boundary.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Fakhar Zaman, MISFIED AND FOUR! Dear me, this is just plaguing in the entire UAE fielding unit. FIFTY FOR FAKHAR ZAMAN! His 12th in T20I matches, and has come after a long, long time in this format. An attempted yorker, on the stumps, Fakhar Zaman works it between long on and deep mid-wicket. The fielders do not call and the ball bisects them to breach into the fence.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Mohammad Nawaz, Overpitched, outside off, drilled wide of long off for a single.

Muhammad Jawadullah (1-0-7-0) is back on.

Junaid Siddique to Mohammad Nawaz, Full in length, outside off, Mohammad Nawaz swings with all his might and slices it to deep point for one more. Good comeback, though, from Junaid. Went for a six in the first ball and only conceded four in the next five balls.

Junaid Siddique to Mohammad Nawaz, Full and outside off, drilled through cover and mid off for a couple of runs. Ethan D'souza cuts it off by running to his left from deep point. Had he released the throw to the bowler's end, that could have created a chance with Fakhar struggling to make his ground.

Junaid Siddique to Mohammad Nawaz, Fired full and outside off, Mohammad Nawaz shapes to crash it through cover, but swings too hard, and misses.

Junaid Siddique to Mohammad Nawaz, Lethal yorker, on middle and off. Mohammad Nawaz tries to jam it out, but gets a thick inside edge onto the front pad and the ball rolls on the strip.

Junaid Siddique to Fakhar Zaman, Length, outside off, slapped through the cover region for a single.

Junaid Siddique to Fakhar Zaman, SIX! PUNISHED! Just rubbing a bit of salt on wounds! Too full, on off. Fakhar Zaman finds the ball in the wheelhouse and sends it sailing behind long off for a huge six.

Junaid Siddique (2-0-22-1) is back on.

Haider Ali to Fakhar Zaman, DROPPED AGAIN! Pakistan could have effectively been 108/6 or 108/7, but sloppy from the UAE fielders has given both, Fakhar and Nawaz a lifeline. Full and around off, on a flatter trajectory, Fakhar Zaman tries to hoist it over long on, but does not quite get the timing right. Hits it off the toe end of the bat and the ball dips in front of long on where the fielder completely makes the mess of it and grasses it. Haider Ali is absolutely fuming at the fielder there. A single taken.

Haider Ali to Mohammad Nawaz, IN THE AIR... DROPPED! Now, that is a schoolboy error in the deep, and from a senior pro like Asif Khan. Pitched full and just around off, turning in off the pitch. Mohammad Nawaz premeditates and tries to slog it behind deep square leg, but gets a top edge and the ball flies only as far as Asif who runs a bit to his right at deep square leg, dives toward the ball, but shells it in the end. Maybe, Asif didn't quite judge the ball's trajectory initially and was late to react. A single taken.

Haider Ali to Fakhar Zaman, Darted into the blockhole, on middle. Fakhar gets the front foot away and drills it down to long off for a single.

Haider Ali to Mohammad Nawaz, Around off, pushed towards cover for a quick run.

Haider Ali to Mohammad Nawaz, SIX! AUDACIOUS! Full, around middle and off, Mohammad Nawaz gets down on a knee and goes for the slog sweep. Gets more height than distance but has just enough power to clear the fielder at deep mid-wicket! 100 UP FOR PAKISTAN!

Haider Ali to Fakhar Zaman, How did that miss the stumps? Yorker, outside off, Fakhar Zaman looks to dig it out but misses. The ball goes off the keeper's pads towards short fine leg and the batters pinch a bye.

So from 50/3 in the Powerplay, Pakistan snail around to 47/2 in 9 overs in the middle phase! But they seem to have guaged the situation and feel that 150 can be defended here. Time for the attack then.

Ethan D'souza to Mohammad Nawaz, Goes full and around off, Nawaz plants the front foot forward and carves it along the ground to the right of long off. Muhammad Waseem runs across to cut it off, fumbles a bit to pick up, which allows the batters to cross each other twice. Again, a boundary-less over for Pakistan.

Ethan D'souza to Fakhar Zaman, Similar length and line. Zaman stands tall and slashes it away to deep point for a single.

Ethan D'souza to Mohammad Nawaz, Length, outside off, smashed to the cover region for a single.

Ethan D'souza to Mohammad Nawaz, Quicker ball this time. Short, outside off, Nawaz looks to cut but is beaten by some extra bounce.

Ethan D'souza to Mohammad Nawaz, Looped up, outside off, nearly a yorker, Mohammad Nawaz mistimes it back to the bowler.

Ethan D'souza to Fakhar Zaman, Full, around off, Fakhar Zaman pushes it through point for a single.

Time for a bowling change. Bowler number 6 and spinner number 3 - here's Ethan D'souza - to bowl his offies.

Haider Ali to Mohammad Nawaz, Just outside off, on a yard behind fuller length, Mohammad Nawaz fends it to the off side with soft hands. Fantastic over from Haider. Just 3 singles off it.

Haider Ali to Mohammad Nawaz, Another one that spins in sharply, not too full and bouncing a bit. Mohammad Nawaz rocks back to dab it away, but gets it off the glove as the ball rolls on the pitch.

Haider Ali to Fakhar Zaman, Spins in off the pitch, around off, on a length. Fakhar Zaman waits for it and gently taps it in front of square leg for a quick single.

Haider Ali to Fakhar Zaman, Around off, pushed back to the bowler.

Haider Ali to Mohammad Nawaz, Down the leg side, worked through square leg for a run.

Haider Ali to Fakhar Zaman, Around middle, nudged through square leg for a single.

Mammoth total posted by South Africa. 330/8 is what the Proteas have managed, at Lord's, in the second ODI against England. After being asked to bat first post a delayed start due to rain, a combined batting display saw the visitors power past 300. Matthew Breetzke was among the runs again, with a fine 85, while Tristan Stubbs supported well with an excellent 58, the duo adding 147 for the 4th wicket! For England, Jofra Archer provided the pace, with 4 wickets but they could find a way past the batters once the balls got older.

Dhruv Parashar to Fakhar Zaman, Quick and short, outside off, punched wide of cover for a quick single.

Dhruv Parashar to Fakhar Zaman, FOUR! This time, he gets it through. A welcome boundary for Pakistan, and after 27 deliveries! Length, outside off, Fakhar rocks back, uses the width and cuts it between backward point and short third for a boundary. And this time around, the ball has enough wheels to beat the chase of Junaid Siddique from short third.

Dhruv Parashar to Fakhar Zaman, Flatter delivery, outside off, Fakhar Zaman goes deep in the crease, uses the pace and pins it between backward point and short third. Junaid Siddique from short third chases it before the ropes and the batters cross twice.

Dhruv Parashar to Mohammad Nawaz, Low full toss, just outside off, gently driven to wide long off for a single.

Dhruv Parashar to Mohammad Nawaz, Pulls the length back, around off, Nawaz hangs back and punches it to cover.

Dhruv Parashar to Mohammad Nawaz, Quicker delivery, spinning away, outside off, Mohammad Nawaz tries to cut it away, but fails to lay his bat on ball.

Haider Ali to Mohammad Nawaz, Shortish delivery, on the stumps, this is worked to deep square leg for a single. Another successful over for the UAE. Haider Ali's figures read 2-0-4-2!

Haider Ali to Mohammad Nawaz, This one turns sharply and skids from off, on a length, Nawaz rocks back to block and is hurried to do that.

Haider Ali to Mohammad Nawaz, Nicely tossed up, full and on off. Mohammad Nawaz takes a huge stride forward and pushes it to short mid-wicket.

Mohammad Nawaz walks in next, at number 7, replacing Hasan Nawaz.

Haider Ali to Hasan Nawaz, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Second wicket for Haider Ali in the span of 4 balls! This is the reward for some excellent bowling. This was almost a replica of the first ball of this over. Full, around off, Hasan Nawaz tries his best to not go hard at the ball and comes half forward to defend. But the ball pitches, turns away a hint, takes the outside edge and the keeper, Rahul Chopra, takes a phenomenal catch at lightning speed behind the stumps! Initially, it seemed as if the bowler had cleaned the batter up but then the umpire raised his finger on the caught behind appeal. Hasan Nawaz departs for 4 (6) and Pakistan are now 80/5 after 11.3 overs!

Haider Ali to Hasan Nawaz, A touch shorter now, outside off, Nawaz punches it behind point for a couple.

Haider Ali to Hasan Nawaz, Beautifully tossed up around off, Hasan Nawaz looks to defend by coming forward but the ball rips past the outside edge!

Dhruv Parashar to Hasan Nawaz, The arm ball, short in length, outside off, skids through, Nawaz punches it towards long off for one more.

Dhruv Parashar to Hasan Nawaz, Full and straight, Hasan Nawaz goes right back to defend.

Dhruv Parashar to Fakhar Zaman, Short, outside off, Fakhar Zaman punches it through the covers for a single.

Dhruv Parashar to Fakhar Zaman, Short, outside off, angled in, steered towards backward point.

Dhruv Parashar to Hasan Nawaz, Outside off, dabbed to short third for another single.

Dhruv Parashar to Fakhar Zaman, Short, outside off, cut through point for a single.

DRINKS BREAK. Wow. This is some excellent piece of bowling by the home side. As mentioned in our buildup, the first innings is really difficult for the batters, especially in the first half and Pakistan are just not able to get away. Add to it, UAE have been on the point with their bowling, with only a couple of fielding blemishes of note so far. However, this is the time from where the pitch changes. Will Pakistan make full use of that fact? Hasan Nawaz walks in next, at number 6, replacing Mohammad Haris.

Haider Ali to Mohammad Haris, OUT! LBW! And Haider gets his man! Full and straight, Haris gets down for the sweep this time and misses. Is hit right in front of the sticks and the umpire has no qualms in raising his finger! Four dot balls on the trot built the pressure on Haris as he departs for 14 (17) and Pakistan are now 74/4 after 10 overs!

Haider Ali to Mohammad Haris, Fourth dot ball on the trot and nearly a wicket! Mohammad shapes up for the reverse pretty early and seeing that, Haider fires the fastest delivery of the over, around off stump. Haris continues with his shot and hits this hard, nearly straight to the fielder at backward point! Drops just short.

Haider Ali to Mohammad Haris, Outside off, pushed into the off side. Third consecutive dot ball.

Haider Ali to Mohammad Haris, From around the wicket, slower through the air, full and outside off, Haris gets down on a knee and looks to paddle it fine but misses as the ball comes late and spins past the outside edge.

Haider Ali to Mohammad Haris, Short and wide outside off, Mohammad Haris misses out, cutting it straight to backward point.

Haider Ali to Fakhar Zaman, A slow ball, from over the wicket, around middle and leg, Fakhar Zaman waits for the ball to arrive and nudges it towards short fine leg for a single.

Time for bowler number 5. Here's Haider Ali, a left-arm spinner.

Dhruv Parashar to Fakhar Zaman, Short and wide again, outside off, slapped to deep point for one.

Dhruv Parashar to Mohammad Haris, Short, outside off, punched through point for a run.

Dhruv Parashar to Mohammad Haris, Full and straight, around middle and leg, Haris looks to flick but misses. The ball balloons off his pads and the keeper, Rahul Chopra, dives in front to catch it. He appeals for the catch but the umpire stays mum.

Dhruv Parashar to Mohammad Haris, Full, down the leg side, Mohammad Haris nudges it down the pitch.

Dhruv Parashar to Fakhar Zaman, Short and outside off, punched through point for a single.

Dhruv Parashar to Fakhar Zaman, MISFIELD, FOUR! Poor effort in the field. Landed outside off, Fakhar Zaman looks to cut but gets too close to the ball and ends up slicing it. The ball flies off the outside edge and nearly carries to short third, bouncing just in front. However, the fielder is unable to put his body behind the ball and what should have been a dot, becomes a boundary instead!

Without a doubt, that was a sensational spell from Muhammad Rohid. But has the captain taken a big risk by not keeping him for the death overs? Maybe, he feels that Rohid is good only with the new ball. Dhruv Parashar is back on. 1-0-16-1 so far.

Muhammad Rohid to Fakhar Zaman, A bit too straight, tucked through square leg for a run. 4-0-21-1 for Muhammad Rohid.

Muhammad Rohid to Mohammad Haris, Around off, steered behind point for a single.

Muhammad Rohid to Mohammad Haris, SIX! ADMONISHED! Fractionally short, around middle and off, Mohammad Haris picks the length in a trice and pulls it with aplomb over mid-wicket!

Muhammad Rohid to Fakhar Zaman, Quick single taken! That could have been risky for Pakistan. On a length, around middle and leg, Fakhar drops it towards the leg side and starts running. Both batters start to run initially but then, both stop, on looking at short mid-wicket swooping in. Eventually, the single is decided upon and the fielder has his shy at the bowler's end, but misses. Had he hit, Zaman would have been a goner. Alternatively, could he have gone at the keeper's end?

Muhammad Rohid to Fakhar Zaman, On a length, outside off again, Zaman pushes but misses.

Muhammad Rohid to Fakhar Zaman, On a length, around off, Fakhar Zaman leans and mistimes his punch towards cover.

Time for spin? Nope. Rohid is bowling out!

Muhammad Jawadullah to Mohammad Haris, Back to short stuff, around middle and off, MH mistimes his pull to short mid-wicket.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Mohammad Haris, Much better from the bowler. Nice variation of length. Fuller, outside off, Mohammad is caught napping as he pushes at it late, without moving his feet and nearly edges it behind.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Mohammad Haris, FOUR! Fine shot. Jawadullah is overdoing his short stuff and this time, Mohammad Haris is ready. Around off, Haris gets into position quickly and pulls it through mid-wicket for his first boundary.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Mohammad Haris, A short ball again, down the leg side, Haris looks to tuck it fine by getting across and there is a noise as the ball goes through to the keeper. The bowler-keeper combo appeals for the caught behind, but clearly, that went off the pad.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Mohammad Haris, Banged in short, around middle and off, Mohammad Haris goes for the pull but gets more height than distance. The fielder comes charging in, but overruns the ball. It lands well short of him, but then goes away past him, to his left side. However, the fielder, Ethan D'souza, does well to recover lost ground, dives and stops the ball from touching the ropes. But that slight overrun costs his side a run. Two runs to the total overall.

Muhammad Jawadullah to Fakhar Zaman, Landed outside off, steered behind point for a single.

Whose Powerplay was it then? Pakistan will be happy with getting a half century of runs. But one guesses, United Arab Emirates will be happier with getting one third of the wickets. Here's Muhammad Jawadullah, another left-arm quickie.

Muhammad Rohid to Mohammad Haris, This one shapes back in nicely, from off stump, on a length, but Haris is solid behind it to defend. A wicket and 5 runs from the over, Muhammad Rohid's bowling figures read 3-0-12-1 so far. Pakistan end the Powerplay at 50/3!

Muhammad Rohid to Mohammad Haris, Landed around off, angling away, Mohammad Haris shoulders arms.

Mohammad Haris walks in next, at number 5, replacing his skipper, Salman Agha.

Muhammad Rohid to Salman Agha, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! This is why Rohid was persisted with in the Powerplay! The length is banged in short this time, around middle and the Pakistan skipper is forced to play at that. But the ball bounces steeply and moves away late as well. Since Agha has already committed into the shot, he has a poke and this time, gets a thin outside edge to the keeper, Rahul Chopra. Salman Agha departs for 7 (5) and Pakistan are 50/3 with still 2 balls left in the Powerplay!

Muhammad Rohid to Salman Agha, On a length, a touch wide outside off, Agha lets it go this time.

Muhammad Rohid to Salman Agha, EDGED, FOUR! This should have either gone to the long on fence, or into the gloves of the keeper. Goes to the deep third fence instead. Beautiful delivery, very full, around middle and off, Salman Agha falls over a touch and looks to flick it through the gap between mid on and mid-wicket. But the ball moves away, squares him up and takes the outside edge. However, luckily for him, it goes through the vacant first slip region and beats deep third to his left! 50 UP FOR PAKISTAN!

Muhammad Rohid to Fakhar Zaman, On a length, outside off, Fakhar Zaman steers it through point for a single.

Who will bowl the final over of the Powerplay? Muhammad Rohid gets his third on the bounce.

Junaid Siddique to Fakhar Zaman, Down the leg side, worked through square leg for a run. The over started with a wicket, but ends up going for 10 runs in the last 5 balls. 2-0-22-1 for Junaid Siddique.

Junaid Siddique to Fakhar Zaman, SIX! WHOOSH! That is a cracking hit. A good short ball, outside off, angling away, with decent bounce, Zaman gets on top of the bounce and clubs the pull over long on!

Junaid Siddique to Fakhar Zaman, Landed outside off, a touch wide, Fakhar Zaman thumps it straight to point.

Junaid Siddique to Salman Agha, Down the leg side, tucked behind square leg for a single.

Junaid Siddique to Salman Agha, A bit too straight, around middle and leg, Salman Agha flicks it uppishly through mid-wicket and gets off the mark with a couple.

Skipper Salman Agha walks in next, at number 4, replacing Saim Ayub.

Junaid Siddique to Saim Ayub, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Well, he was playing and missing outside that line of off stump all this while, from the other angle, that is, around the wicket by the right-armer and over the wicket to the left-armer. Eventually, he has nicked off from this angle, from over the wicket. Again, lack of footwork is the issue. On a length, around off, angling away, Saim Ayub looks to drive this through the covers but his feet are not to the pitch of the ball. Gets a thick outside edge, which is snaffled by the keeper, Rahul Chopra. Ayub does not walk off and the UAE players appeal and now, the umpire raises his finger. 11 (10) for Ayub and Pakistan are 35/2 after 4.1 overs!

Will Parashar get another go? Not right now. Junaid Siddique returns. 1-0-12-0 so far.

Muhammad Rohid to Saim Ayub, MISFIELD. Poor running after that. So sloppy cricket overall. Full, outside off, Saim punches it straight to cover. However, the fielder misfields and the ball goes behind. Now, deep backward point has a lot of area to cover to his left. There was enough opportunity for the batters to return for the second but both were happy with the single.

Muhammad Rohid to Saim Ayub, Lovely bowling again. On a length, outside off, Ayub looks to defend but the ball shapes away late and beats the outside edge.

Muhammad Rohid to Saim Ayub, Short, outside off, Saim Ayub punches it through the off side, but does not move his feet and is beaten.

Muhammad Rohid to Fakhar Zaman, Back of a length, outside off, Fakhar opens the face of his bat and guides it behind point for a single.

Muhammad Rohid to Fakhar Zaman, FOUR! Fakhar gets rolling now. On a length, outside off, Zaman punches it through the covers and gets his first boundary of the game.

Muhammad Rohid to Fakhar Zaman, Full and straight, Fakhar Zaman pushes it towards short mid-wicket.

Who had the last laugh? Dhruv Parashar went for 2 sixes in his first 5 balls, but ended the over with a scalp. Guess, the captain would take it, aye?

Dhruv Parashar to Fakhar Zaman, Full, on middle, Fakhar Zaman nudges it through mid-wicket for a single to get off the mark. 16 from the over, but a wicket as well.

Fakhar Zaman walks in next, at number 3, replacing Sahibzada Farhan.

Dhruv Parashar to Sahibzada Farhan, OUT! CAUGHT! What a gift to the home side. This was another half tracker and deserved to go out of the ground. Add to it, there was only one man in the deep on the leg side. Sahibzada Farhan tried to repeat the previous dose, going for another pull. But this time, he got too close to the ball and hence, could not quite direct the ball towards mid-wicket. Ends up hitting it much squarer and Ethan D'souza is waiting with glee to pouch that chance. The bowler is pumped up but he will know in his heart of hearts that he has gotten away with one. Farhan departs for 16 (11) and Pakistan are 28/1 after 2.5 overs!

Dhruv Parashar to Sahibzada Farhan, SIX! The second one of the over. Not the best of balls either. Short, outside off, Farhan rocks back to pull but does not quite hit it cleanly. His top hand comes off the bat, but still, he has enough power to send the ball sailing over mid-wicket.

Dhruv Parashar to Sahibzada Farhan, Better ball. Just short of full, outside off, darting into the right-hander. Sahibzada Farhan stays back to defend but gets a thick inside edge onto his pads, and the ball deflects towards mid-wicket.

Dhruv Parashar to Saim Ayub, Shorter now, outside off, Ayub goes back and punches it through point. The fielder from point tracks the ball and manages to stop it near the ropes. Three runs taken by then.

That ball is not coming back. Or is it? Okay, it has been returned.

Dhruv Parashar to Saim Ayub, SIX! WHAM! That's what Ayub thinks of our question. Full, around off stump, Saim Ayub gets down on a knee and slog sweeps this massively over mid-wicket, onto the road!

Spin is in early! Dhruv Parashar to bowl off spin. Gamble or intended?

Muhammad Rohid to Sahibzada Farhan, Huge shout for LBW, but that seemed to be pitching outside leg. What a start by the left-arm quick though. This one pitched and skid through, catching Farhan in his crease as he looked to flick. Got hit on the pads. Just a run from Rohid's opener.

Muhammad Rohid to Sahibzada Farhan, Full and straight, around middle and off, Sahibzada Farhan defends it into the covers.

Muhammad Rohid to Saim Ayub, Interesting stance. SA is standing around middle stump and before the ball is delivered, gets well across his stumps, almost exposing all his three sticks. Rohid lands around off stump and the batter is able to push it down the ground for a single to get off the mark.

Muhammad Rohid to Saim Ayub, Loose shot this time. The length is pulled back a touch, but the line stays outside off. Saim looks to punch it square on the off side this time, but does not move his feet at all. Connects with thin air.

Muhammad Rohid to Saim Ayub, Lovely ball. This one is much fuller, outside off, in the driving arc of the batter and Ayub straightaway goes for the drive through the covers. But the ball swings away and beats the outside edge.

Muhammad Rohid to Saim Ayub, Good start by the bowler. On a length, outside off, coming in with the angle, Saim Ayub plays at it with soft hands, looking to defend but the ball pitches and then nips away off the seam, beating the outside edge.

That was a profitable over for Pakistan. Muhammad Rohid will bowl from the other end. A left-arm quick he is, a bowling style which has become common in T20 cricket across the globe. Teams definitely go for one left-arm quick option.

Junaid Siddique to Sahibzada Farhan, On a length again, fractionally wider outside off, Sahibzada Farhan punches it through to the covers. Sweeper has some distance to cover, to his right and the batters get a couple. 12 from the opening over!

Junaid Siddique to Sahibzada Farhan, On a length, outside off, punched straight to cover.

Junaid Siddique to Sahibzada Farhan, WIDE. Second of the over as well. Another short ball, but at a good height and well directed. Around off, coming in with the angle and rising towards shoulder height, SF gets outside the line and looks to hook it fine but misses. The bowler and keeper appeal politely for a caught behind but the umpire is not fooled.

Junaid Siddique to Sahibzada Farhan, FOUR! Second of the over. Short, outside off, barely rises upto chest height, Farhan gets on top of the bounce, swivels and pulls it with power through mid-wicket for a boundary.

Junaid Siddique to Sahibzada Farhan, On a length, slightly wide outside off, moving away, Sahibzada shoulders arms.

Junaid Siddique to Sahibzada Farhan, FOUR! WHACK! The first boundary of the night. Short and slightly wide outside off, Sahibzada Farhan punches it in the gap between cover and point and finds the gap and the boundary. On cue, slip moves out.

Junaid Siddique to Sahibzada Farhan, WIDE. Wow. Forget the ball, what a brilliant take that was from the keeper! Full, down the leg side, Farhan misses his flick and the keeper, Rahul Chopra, has already gone down the leg side, to his left. But after pitching, the ball changes direction. However, Chopra, as cool as a cucumber, nonchalantly sticks out his right glove and stops the ball!

Junaid Siddique to Sahibzada Farhan, Very good start from the bowler. Full and around middle and off, hint of outswing, Sahibzada Farhan walks down the track and defends.

THE UAE players get into a quick huddle. They disperse and the umpires take their positions on their field. Out walk the two openers for Pakistan - Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub. As always, it will be Junaid Siddique to start things off. Farhan to face. A slip in place. 'Let's play!' calls the umpire.

UAE head coach, Lalchand Rajput is up for a quick chat with the broadcasters. He reflects that the boys have played really well and have given tough times to the opposition. Admits that they haven't quite managed to cross the line yet, but hopes that day will come soon. Adds it is a huge platform for the boys and they need to enjoy playing cricket. Also details that they do not get plenty of chances to play against Test-playing nations and says they just need to play their best cricket when they enter the field. Adds they have been preparing hard for the upcoming Asia Cup and hopes that the team will find some momentum in the remaining couple of fixtures

United Arab Emirates (Playing XI) - Muhammad Waseem (C), Alishan Sharafu (In for Muhammad Zohaib), Ethan D'souza, Rahul Chopra (WK), Asif Khan, Harshit Kaushik, Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Muhammad Jawadullah (In for Saghir Khan), Muhammad Rohid, and Junaid Siddique.

Pakistan (Playing XI) - Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub (C), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (WK), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza (In for Haris Rauf), and Abrar Ahmed (In for Sufiyan Muqeem).

TOSS UPDATE - The flip of the coin goes in favor of Pakistan and Salman Agha elects to BAT first.

Bored? That’s how every day feels when the weekend refuses to show up. Anyway, while we wait for the toss update from this clash, let’s shift our focus for a bit to the UK, where hosts England are chasing white-ball redemption in a 3-ODI series against South Africa. The Proteas claimed the opening game in style, and right now, the second ODI is in full swing at the Home of Cricket, Lord's. England won the toss and elected to bowl. Already, the first inning is more than halfway through. You can catch every bit of that action by simply switching tabs.

Batting against the new ball has been tricky on the slowish Sharjah surface, as history would suggest too. Once the hardness and shine wear off though, scoring becomes a little more comfortable. Interestingly, the chasing side has come up short in all four games so far, with the average second innings total hovering just north of 150, hinting that batting first has offered the upper hand. Pakistan arrive with their agenda to play better all-round cricket. UAE will take heart from their last clash with Pakistan when they pushed the Men In Green and looked on course in a chase of over 200, but somehow fell short. Will that script change? Stay tuned for the toss and team news.

Momentum has been hard to sustain for the UAE. Too much weight has fallen on Muhammad Waseem and Asif Khan, though Rahul Chopra's effort last time out offered a timely boost. They’ve started brightly - 54 and 66 in the Powerplay - showing plenty of spark against the challenging new ball phase, largely thanks to Waseem’s aggression. But the middle overs have turned into a minefield with wickets falling in clusters. It’s still a young side, still stitching together the right balance in both departments, and will be eager to iron out these wrinkles this time around.

Pakistan remain on top of the table, yet none of their batters sit among the top three scorers or have reached triple figures. Saim Ayub has been the pick of the lot with skipper Salman Agha in support, but the rest of the batting has lacked bite. They’ve coughed up a couple of wickets inside the Powerplay on average, and still chase that elusive solid start. Senior pro Fakhar Zaman and the young dasher Mohammad Haris have both been off the boil, and that’s left a few dents in the batting blueprint. The saving grace has been their bowling, with both wins coming while defending, and Haris Rauf spearheading the charge. But they will need a collective batting effort if they’re to carry this momentum all the way.

Pakistan suffered a stinging setback at the hands of Afghanistan, yet they remain at the top of the table courtesy of a healthier net run rate. A win tonight punches their ticket straight to Sunday’s final. For the UAE, though, with two losses on the trot, this is virtually a do-or-die fixture. Win to keep the flame alive. Lose and bow out. For the home team, it is about testing their depth against stiffer challenges and finding out exactly where they stand. So far, the answers have been hard to come by, but they have indeed displayed some valor and fight. They will want to stride in with sharper plans and a much more polished display.

Action returns to the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium after a day’s break as the Tri-Series in the Emirates rolls on. With less than a week remaining for the upcoming Asia Cup in this nation, teams are preparing hard to refine combinations and gain the momentum for that marquee event. We are in the reverse fixtures, and in Match 5, it’s Pakistan taking on the hosts, the United Arab Emirates. On that note, hello and welcome to our coverage. We are glad to have you all with us.

... MATCH DAY ...

Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates will clash in the fifth match of the T20I Tri-Series in Sharjah, with both teams looking to make an impact. Pakistan, currently at the top in the standings with four points from three games, will be eager to bounce back after their first defeat in the series, an 18-run setback against Afghanistan. A victory over the UAE would all but secure their place in the finals. Pakistan's batting lineup has been impressive, with opener Saim Ayub leading the charge with 83 runs from three innings. Captain Salman Agha has also been consistent, contributing 78 runs across three innings. Hasan Nawaz has provided solidity to the batting lineup, gathering 74 runs from three appearances. The middle order, featuring Mohammad Haris and Mohammad Nawaz, offers attacking intent when needed. Pakistan's bowling unit has been a strength, with Haris Rauf claiming four scalps from two outings. Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz have excelled on the slower surfaces, taking eight wickets between them. However, pace leader Shaheen Afridi will be keen to make a bigger impact in the upcoming fixtures. The UAE, on the other hand, have struggled badly in the tri-series, losing both their opening matches. They still have a mathematical chance of reaching the finals, but it will require big wins in their remaining games. Skipper Muhammad Waseem has carried the batting load, scoring 100 runs from two innings, while Asif Khan has made a significant impact with his rapid scoring. Rahul Chopra has also been a reliable option, and the UAE will count on him to produce something special. The pitch is expected to help spinners, which could play to the advantage of both teams. Pakistan will look to exploit this with their experienced spin department, while UAE's Saghir Khan, who has claimed five wickets so far, could be a key player. With Pakistan looking to bounce back and the UAE fighting to stay alive, the match promises to be an exciting encounter.