United Arab Emirates sealed the 20th and last place at the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, easing past Japan by eight wickets in Al Amerat on Thursday. Chasing 117, openers Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem put on 70 inside ten overs, and Haider Ali’s earlier 3 for 20 meant the result was rarely in doubt.
“We came here with one aim – to book our ticket to India and Sri Lanka,” Waseem told ICC Digital. “The lads stayed calm and did the basics properly.” Head coach Ahmed Raza, himself a veteran of UAE’s 2021 campaign, added: “Qualifying again keeps our momentum going and gives our younger players a stage to trust their methods.”
UAE join Nepal and Oman as the last three sides to come through qualifying. The field now reads:
• Hosts: India, Sri Lanka
• 2024 top-seven finishers: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States, West Indies
• Highest-ranked as of 30 June 2025: New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland
• Regional winners: Canada (Americas), Italy and Netherlands (Europe), Namibia and Zimbabwe (Africa), plus Nepal, Oman and UAE (Asia-EAP)
Former England batter Mark Butcher, speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s Switch Hit podcast, felt the expanded line-up reflected the game’s shifting balance. “Seeing the UAE and Italy in the same tournament as Australia is exactly what an enlarged World Cup should be about,” he said. “It gives Associate nations genuine targets rather than vague hope.”
Tournament format unchanged
The 20 teams will again be split into four groups of five. Two progress to the Super 8s, which subdivide into two groups of four; the top pair from each of those move to the semi-finals and, ultimately, the final.
Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi, whose side secured automatic qualification last year, welcomed the continuity. “Players and fans understand it now, and it keeps every match meaningful,” he said in Kabul earlier this week.
Italy’s captain Gian-Piero Meade, preparing for his country’s first global tournament, struck a cautious note: “The World Cup is a different beast. We’ve proved we belong, but the hard work starts today.”
For UAE, attention turns to building depth before February. Raza was blunt about the challenge. “Conditions in India will test our spin group, while Sri Lanka will ask questions with the new ball. We’ve twelve months to plug those gaps.”
There may be little fanfare around a qualifier in Al Amerat, yet for sides outside the full-member club such victories matter. They keep dreams alive—quietly, purposefully, without hype.
