Muhammad Waseem named new T20I captain as UAE announce squad for New Zealand series

The United Arab Emirates Players will have an opportunity of rubbing shoulders with some of the finest cricketers in the world as they host New Zealand for a three-match T20I series in Dubai. The two teams will lock horns in the first T20I on Thursday, August 17.

The home side announced a 16-member squad for the series and also named a new captain in Muhammad Waseem. He will take over the reins from CP Rizwan, who was appointed as the T20I captain almost a year ago. Waseem has experience of leading the UAE in ODIs. He was the captain of the UAE side that played in the World Cup Qualifiers a couple of months ago. However, the results were far from what the team would have hoped for as they lost five out of the six matches they played.

The opening batter will hope to inspire his team to fight against a strong New Zealand side that has a good mix of youth and experience. Coming to the UAE side, they have picked the likes of wicketkeeper-batter Vriitya Aravind, batting all-rounder Basil Hameed, experienced pacer Zahoor Khan, and teenage sensation Aayan Afzal Khan in their squad, among others.

In-form Asif Khan could make his T20I debut

The 33-year-old Asif Khan smashed a 41-ball century against Nepal in a Cricket World Cup League 2 clash earlier this year. This was the fourth fastest ton in men's ODI cricket history as he was only behind AB de Villiers, Corey Anderson, and Shahid Afridi.

The right-handed batter has already played 30 ODIs but is yet to make his debut in the shortest format of the game. He would be a player to watch out for in the three-match series. His big-hitting ability could be crucial for the home side to give the New Zealand bowlers a tough time.

UAE squad for T20I series against New Zealand: Muhammad Waseem (captain), Ali Naseer, Ansh Tandon, Aryansh Sharma, Asif Khan, Aayan Afzal Khan, Basil Hameed, Ethan D’Souza, Faraazuddin, Jash Giyanani, Junaid Siddique, Lovepreet Singh, Mohammad Jawadullah, Sanchit Sharma, Vriitya Aravind and Zahoor Khan.

Squad ALERT: We unveil the 16 for the #UAEvNZ series.
Mohammad Waseem to captain.
More details: https://t.co/Vq3aSFqIwx pic.twitter.com/cmYCucYLUb

— UAE Cricket Official (@EmiratesCricket) August 16, 2023