• Source:JND
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PAK vs UAE Asia Cup 2025: Pakistan captain Salman Agha has expressed confidence in his team's ability to take on traditional rivals India in the upcoming Super 4 clash of the ongoing Asia Cup 2025.

After a convincing 41-run win over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their last group match, the Men in Green booked their place in the Super 4 stage.

Barring senior batter Fakhar Zaman (50 off 36 balls), Pakistan's top-order failed once again. Mohammad Haris (18) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (29 not out off 14 balls) used the long handle to push them to 146 for nine. Their bowlers, however, ensured a 41-run win against a young UAE side in the final group league fixture.

In the high-octane Asia Cup tournament, traditional rivals India and Pakistan are set to match for the second time on the cricket field on September 21. This matchup comes against the backdrop of intensified tensions between the two neighbouring nations following the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people. 

“Yeah, we're ready for any challenge. We just want to play good cricket, and if we play good cricket like we’ve been playing for the last few months. I think we'll be good against any side,” said Agha in the post-match presentation.

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In a dramatic turn of events in the Asia Cup 2025, Pakistan initially threatened to boycott the game against the UAE, but ultimately decided to participate. The controversy stemmed from the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) demand to remove referee Andy Pycroft due to his alleged role in the handshake controversy during Pakistan's match against India.

PCB stated that Pycroft had a hand in the no handshakes between the teams, which led to Indian players refusing to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts.

As a result of the standoff, the match was rescheduled to start at 9:00 PM IST, an hour later than the originally scheduled 8:00 PM start time.

Pakistan captain pointed out a critical area of trouble for the team, stating that his inability to bat effectively in the middle overs has been concerning for a few games now.

ALSO READ: PAK vs UAE Asia Cup 2025: Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi's Heroics Guide Pakistan To 146/9 Against UAE

“We got the job done, but we still need to bat better in the middle over. I think that's what is concerning for us for a few games now. We need to look at that. We haven't batted our best yet, but we're still finding a way to score around 150. If we batted well in the middle over, we probably will end up scoring 170-180, no matter which team against we are playing against. So yeah, the middle overs, if we batted well there, we will be very good,” he added.