Asia Cup 2025, Pakistan vs Oman: Match preview and stats
What's the story
Pakistan will begin their Men's T20 Asia Cup 2025 campaign with a match against Oman on Friday, September 12. The two teams will face off at the Dubai International Stadium, Dubai. This is Pakistan's first match in Group A of the tournament. The other group members are India, Oman, and UAE. Earlier, India beat UAE in the Group A opener on September 10. Here are the details.
Team form
Pakistan in good form ahead of Asia Cup
Pakistan's recent form has been impressive, with the team triumphing in a three-nation T20I series involving the UAE and Afghanistan. Before that, they also beat West Indies away in a three-match series, winning 2-1. However, Salman Agha's men will be wary of their defeat to the USA before their game against India in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which had a major impact on their campaign.
Player lineup
Pakistan's probable playing XI
Pakistan are likely to field a strong XI against Oman, with the probable playing XI including Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Abrar Ahmed. This match will be a chance for players like Farhan to regain form before tougher matches ahead.
Team dynamics
Oman affected by pay dispute ahead of Asia Cup
Oman are a new-look team, having been affected by a pay dispute that has led to many established players no longer being with the squad. The probable playing XI includes Aamir Kaleem, Jatinder Singh (captain), Hammad Mirza, Mohammad Nadeem, Ayaan Khan, Aryan Bisht, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Shakeel Ahmad, Ashish Odedra, Hassnain Shah, and Zikria Islam. This match will be an opportunity for players like Jatinder Singh to shine in the slow conditions expected in Dubai.
Match conditions
Pitch report and the teams' stats in Dubai
The pitch at Dubai is expected to be spin-friendly. The weather remains extremely hot with mid-30s temperatures. Notably, Pakistan have lost four of their last five T20Is in Dubai. The Pakistan cricket team has played 32 T20I matches here in Dubai. They have picked up 17 wins in addition to losing 14. One match has been tied, as per ESPNcricinfo. On the other hand, Oman have played 4 matches here, winning 1 and losing 3.
Stats
Player focus: A look at the stats
In 102 matches (94 innings), Fakhar Zaman has scored 2,104 runs at 23.07. He has hit 12 fifties. In 89 matches, fast bowler Haris Rauf has bagged 124 wickets at 21.30. Meanwhile, Shaheen Afridi owns 108 wickets from 85 matches at 22.15. For Oman, Jatinder Singh has scored 1,399 runs at 24.54. He has 8 fifties under his belt. In 61 matches (42 innings), Mohammad Nadeem averages 20.03 with 641 runs.
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