UAE's T20 World Cup Squad: Muhammad Waseem Named Captain, Ex-Pakistan Pacer Joins As Fast Bowling Coach

UAE's star batter Muhammad Waseem will lead the 15-member squad in the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, starting on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. The UAE booked their place in the 20-team tournament after defeating Japan in the Super Six stage of the Asia & East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in Oman last year. The side has previously featured twice in the marquee event, in 2014 and 2022 - bowing out in the group stage on both occasions.

Ahead of the World Cup, the UAE are playing a two-match T20I series against Ireland, followed by warm-up fixtures against Nepal and Italy on February 3 and 6 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Their Group D campaign begins against New Zealand on February 10, before they face Canada (February 13), Afghanistan (February 16), and South Africa (February 18) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

The squad includes three players from the UAE's last T20 World Cup appearance in Australia in 2022 - Waseem, Alishan Sharafu, and Junaid Siddique. Waseem, who has captained the side for the past three years, has led the UAE in 66 of his 92 international matches.

In the support staff led by head coach and former India player Lalchand Rajput, former Pakistan pacer Yasir Arafat has joined as fast-bowling coach, while Zimbabwe's Stanley Chioza will serve as fielding coach.

Arafat, who represented Pakistan in 27 international games across formats, has coached several national teams and franchise sides. He will be with the UAE squad during the Ireland series and the subsequent T20 World Cup

Topics mentioned in this article

United Arab Emirates T20 World Cup 2026 Cricket