Sharjah will end a 23-year wait for a major one-day international tournament final when Afghanistan and Zimbabwe meet to decide the UAE Tri-Series title. While Afghanistan enters the contest as the clear favorite following a clinical run through the round-robin stage, Zimbabwe is looking to invoke the spirit of its historical successes at the venue to pull off an upset.
The last time Sharjah hosted an ODI tournament final was in 2003, a match that featured Zimbabwe against Pakistan. This return to center stage comes at a time when Afghanistan is playing some of its most consistent cricket in the 50-over format. Hashmatullah Shahidi’s side arrived at the final on the back of five consecutive ODI victories, including comprehensive wins over both Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in the past week.
Afghanistan’s path to the final was punctuated by a seven-wicket demolition of Bangladesh, a match they finished with 87 balls to spare. While Rashid Khan’s leg-spin remains the centerpiece of their strategy, the emergence of a potent pace attack has redefined the team’s dynamic. Yamin Ahmadzai and Azmatullah Omarzai dismantled the Bangladesh top order in their previous outing, allowing Rashid to sweep through the lower half. Rashid enters the final in record-breaking form, having secured back-to-back four-wicket hauls for the first time in his ODI career.
The batting lineup for Afghanistan appears equally settled. Sediqullah Atal has emerged as a significant threat, following up match-saving performances in the Test arena with a century against Zimbabwe on Monday. Ibrahim Zadran has remained consistent at the top, while senior figures Rahmat Shah and Shahidi come into the final fresh from unbeaten knocks. Notably, stars like Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Mohammad Nabi have yet to be fully tested with the bat in this series, suggesting a depth that Zimbabwe may struggle to penetrate.
Zimbabwe, captained by Sikandar Raza, remains a resilient opponent despite a mixed form guide of one win and three losses in their last four completed ODIs. The return of Craig Ervine is expected to provide much-needed stability to a middle order that has relied heavily on Brendan Taylor and Raza. Ervine missed the previous encounter with Afghanistan but is likely to reclaim a spot in the top five, potentially replacing the newcomer Tafadzwa Tsiga, who has struggled at the number three position.
The match-up within the match centers on the duel between Raza and Rashid Khan. Raza has faced Rashid more than any other Zimbabwean batter, and while he has fallen to the leg-spinner seven times in ODIs, he has also scored more boundaries against him than any of his teammates. At 40, Raza is set to become the oldest captain to lead a Full-Member side in an ODI tournament final since Clive Lloyd captained the West Indies in 1985 at the age of 40 years and 165 days.
Bowling will be the key if Zimbabwe is to contain the Afghan hitters. Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans bring necessary experience to the pace department, while Ernest Masuku has provided vital energy when breakthroughs have stalled. Raza and Wellington Masakadza are expected to handle the bulk of the spin duties to counter Afghanistan’s middle-order power.
Afghanistan coach Richard Pybus has urged his team to avoid complacency, noting that Zimbabwe’s experienced core can deliver big performances when it matters most. Pybus emphasized that in a final, records and past results are effectively reset and that his side must play their best cricket to secure the trophy.
Conditions in Sharjah are expected to be typically challenging, with high heat and humidity testing the players’ endurance. However, the venue’s famously short boundaries remain a reprieve for the batters, promising a potentially high-scoring finale if either side can negotiate any early movement from the new ball.
