UAE Cricket faced setbacks in the year 2023 as they failed to qualify for the Asia Cup 2023 and 2024 T20 World Cup. However, the emerging cricketing nation ended the year on a high note. UAE defeated Afghanistan in the 2nd match of the 3-match T20I series on December 31st. Now they aim to begin 2024 with a historic series win. A victory tonight against Afghanistan would mark UAE’s first-ever T20I series win against a Test-playing nation.
Like the previous two matches of the series, Sharjah Cricket Stadium will host the series decider. The last two matches saw the batting first side winning the matches. In the first match, Afghanistan set a challenging target of 203 runs which proved too much for UAE’s batting side. In the next match, UAE batted first and posted 166 runs. Fortunately, they managed to restrict Afghanistan to 155 runs and secured a crucial win.
Sharjah Cricket Stadium T20 Records (Before UAE vs AFG 3rd T20)
As of now, Sharjah Cricket Stadium has hosted 34 men’s T20 international matches. The past T20I records indicate that the team batting first tends to win more often at this venue.
- Matches Played: 34
- Won by the team batting first: 19
- Won by the team batting second: 14
- Matches Tied/No result: 1
- Biggest score while batting first: Afghanistan- 215/6 (20) vs Zimbabwe, 2016
- Lowest score while batting first: Netherlands – 44/10 (20) vs Sri Lanka, 2021
- Biggest total chased: Sri Lanka chased 175 vs Afghanistan, 2022
- Lowest Score Defended: Afghanistan defended 132 vs Scotland, 2013
- Sharjah Cricket Stadium average 1st innings score in men’s T20I: 151
- Sharjah Cricket Stadium average 2nd innings score in men’s T20I: 124
- Best figures for a Pacer: Hamid Hassan (AFG) – 4/22 vs Scotland, 2013
- Best figures for a Spinner: Samiullah Shinwari (AFG) – 5/13 vs Kenya, 2013
- Highest score by a Batter: Mohammad Shahzad (AFG) – 118*(67) vs ZIM, 2016
Sharjah Cricket Stadium Pitch Report for UAE vs AFG 3rd T20I
The Sharjah pitch is unpredictable. Sometimes the venue witnesses high-scoring games while sometimes teams struggle to reach the 160-run mark. A good start can lead a team to a big score here while early blows can lead to collapse. However, the venue has shorter boundaries which favor batters. Usually, mistimed shots on pace bowling clear the ropes here. Power hitters may enjoy their time in the middle here.
Sharjah Pitch holds assistance for spinners and seamers who use variations. Despite its small dimensions, the venue offers catching opportunities. Pacers who solely rely on their pace may face the hammering here.
Looking at the last two matches in the series, the team batting first has had the upper hand. However, UAE’s batting lineup has shown weaknesses. They secured a win in the last game due to a strong bowling performance while defending the target. Considering the challenges of their weak batting lineup in chasing targets, we believe that if UAE wins the toss, they will choose to bat first.
Sharjah Cricket Stadium Last T20 Match Scorecard (Before UAE vs AFG 3rd T20)
As you know, the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan met at the venue last Sunday. Opting to bat, UAE set a target of 167 runs for the visitors. Afghanistan had a promising start during the chase, but after losing both openers Gurbaz and Zazai, their batting lineup collapsed. Despite a brilliant effort from Mohammed Nabi, who played a quickfire innings of 47 runs in 27 balls, the lack of support from other batters resulted in the team being bundled out for 155 runs.
| UAE: 166-7 (20) | Afghanistan: 155-10 (19.5) |
| Aryan Lakra: 63*(47) | Mohammad Nabi: 47(27) |
| Muhammad Waseem: 53(32) | Hazratullah Zazai: 36(27) |
| Tanish Suri: 11(5) | Rahmanullah Gurbaz: 21(17) |
| Qais Ahmad: 3 – 0 – 15 – 2 | Ali Naseer: 4 – 1 – 24 – 4 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai: 4 – 0 – 35 – 2 | Muhammad Jawadullah: 4 – 0 – 26 – 4 |
| Mohammad Nabi: 2 – 0 – 14 – 2 | Akif Raja: 2.5 – 0 – 33 – 1 |
| Match Result: UAE Won By 11 Runs |