Asif Khan credits training and resilience despite UAE defeat

SHARJAH: UAE's hard-hitting middle-order batter Asif Khan, who once represented Lahore in Pakistan's domestic circuit, reflected on his team’s spirited performance against Pakistan in Sharjah.

“As a relatively inexperienced side, we lost due to small mistakes; otherwise, we could have pulled it off,” he said after his blistering 77 off 35 balls kept UAE in the contest.

Khan, born in Pakistan in 1990 and a former Lahore first-class cricketer, praised skipper Muhammad Waseem’s early fireworks and acknowledged the setback caused by his run-out. 

Pakistan grabbed their second win in the T20I tri-series in UAE as they defeated the hosts by 31 runs at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Chasing a challenging total of 208, UAE managed 176-8 despite a solid start.

“Our plan was to save wickets and go for power-hitting in the last overs. It worked, but Pakistan’s bowling held us back,” said Khan in the post-match press conference.

Calling Sharjah UAE's “home ground advantage,” Khan stressed that recent training has boosted confidence ahead of the Asia Cup.

“We gave the big teams a wake-up call. This tournament is preparation for the Asia Cup, and the performance against Pakistan gave us belief.”

Khan also highlighted the role of dew in Sharjah conditions, making second-innings batting easier, and said UAE’s T20 strength lies in disciplined bowling. “If we can restrict opponents to 170-180, we have a real chance.”