The United Arab Emirates (UAE) are one of 12 teams taking part in the Hong Kong Sixes, which begins next week. They have named a strong team, and most bring with them a wealth of international experience.

The United Arab Emirates are placed in Group C with India and Pakistan, two of the toughest teams in the competition. However, the UAE will relish their chances as the format is fickle and they have a solid team to compete hard.

We take a closer look at each player in the UAE team separately.

Asif Khan

Asif Khan, the right-hander who can also bowl some spin, has been named UAE captain for this tournament. He has scored 1155 runs at an average of 38.50 and a strike rate of 82.91 in 34 ODI innings, including six fifty-three centuries, and 656 runs at an average of 28.52 and a strike rate of 139, 27 in 28 T20Is, aided by three half-centuries.

Asif also has some experience playing first-class cricket, scoring four fifties and one century in 55 innings. He is a naturally fast runner and can score quickly, and that is something that is required in the Hong Kong Sixes tournament.

ansh tandon

Among the more inexperienced players in the team, Ansh Tandon is a specialist batsman from the side, although he can bowl some leg spin. He has made 10 appearances for the UAE, one ODI and nine T20Is, but has not been among the runs.

However, his quality is noticeable, which motivated his selection in the team. Recently, he participated in the ILT20 Development Tournament, 2024, a local league based in the United Arab Emirates, but could not make any significant impact.

Khalid Shah

Khalid Shah is another specialist batsman in the team who opens the innings and keeps wickets. He has played just eight T20Is so far, scoring 116 runs at an average of 14.50 and a strike rate of 109.43, with a best of 37.

Recently, Khalid participated in the Emirates D20 Tournament, where his form was not good enough. He will look to turn things around and take a step forward in the main event, where he is expected to start in the team.

Also Read: Australia Squad for Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2024: Dan Christian to James Pattinson

Muhammad Zuhaib

Muhammad Zuhaib is among the team’s specialist players, but has little experience playing for his national team. Zuhaib has appeared in three ODIs and two T20Is but has not got a wicket, even though he has scored 51 runs with the willow.

He has 11 wickets at an average of 20.09 and a strike rate of 15.27 in ten T20 innings, with a four-wicket haul. He is a smart operator, as seen in the ILT20 earlier this year, and hopes to play a crucial role in restricting high-flying batsmen with his variations.

Sanchit Sharma

Sanchit Sharma is a right-arm pacer who played 10 ODIs and four T20Is and grabbed 12 wickets at 35.83 runs apiece. He was with Gulf Giants in the ILT20, where he gained valuable experience playing 11 games in the league.

Currently playing in the Asia Cup for Emerging Teams. Sanchit will bowl tough overs for his team and hopes to slow down the scoring pace.

Akif Raja

Ajuf Raja is among the most skilled players in the team, having made 23 appearances in ODIs and T20Is for the UAE. He has taken 3 wickets at 53.33 runs each in ODIs and 14 wickets at an average of 30.50 in the shortest format.

Akif was part of Dubai Capitals in the ILT20 and was among their top bowlers, showing that he has the quality to perform against quality batsmen. He is also part of the UAE team in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, which must have helped him get into the rhythm against quality teams in the tournament.

Zahoor Khan

Zahoor Khan is among the most experienced players and has participated in 62 ODIs and 57 T20Is. He has 165 wickets at 23.09 runs apiece in 119 matches, including four four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul.

He has also played in three T20 leagues: Lanka Premier League (LPL), International League T20 (ILT20) and Pakistan Super League (PSL). Zahoor has been playing in the ILT20 Development Tournament, 2024, which will help him get into the rhythm of the series.

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