Pakistan captain Salman Agha won the toss in sweltering Dubai and, in keeping with last week’s successful tri-series blueprint, chose to post a total first. “Every game in the tri-series was won by the side setting a target,” he reminded broadcasters before walking off to pad up.
The surface looked dry and a touch abrasive, so Pakistan have picked just one specialist quick – Shaheen Shah Afridi – and paired wrist-spinners Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed. All-rounders Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf can offer seam if required, but spin is clearly the main weapon.
Oman skipper Jatinder Singh admitted he would have batted first as well, adding that his side is a “spin-heavy side”. It is Oman’s first outing since February, and they do so without several regulars after a pay dispute. That disruption leaves question marks, yet the XI still features experienced names such as Aamir Kaleem and Mohammad Nadeem.
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer reckons the simplest plan remains the best: “the first-timers in the Asia Cup should bat first and put a decent total on the board”. Oman will now have to flip that advice on its head and chase whatever Pakistan manage.
Teams
Oman: Aamir Kaleem, Jatinder Singh (c), Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Hassnain Shah, Shah Faisal, Mohammad Nadeem, Zikria Islam, Sufyan Mehmood, Shakeel Ahmed, Samay Shrivastava.
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed.
With both sides stacked with slow bowlers, batting fluency against spin should decide the afternoon. Patience may outweigh fireworks in what is likely to be a draining, 40-degree heat.
