UAE send Muhammad Zohaib home for disciplinary reasons
The Emirates Cricket Board has said more "details will be provided in due course"
ESPNcricinfo staff
Feb 9, 2026, 4:22 PM • 10 hrs ago
Muhammad Zohaib has played 16 T20Is, scoring 303 runs at an average of 20.20 and a strike rate of 103.76 • ICC via Getty Images
On the eve of their first match of T20 World Cup 2026, UAE have sent batter Muhammad Zohaib back home for "disciplinary reasons". In a statement issued on Monday, the Emirates Cricket Board said "more details will be provided in due course."
On Tuesday, UAE are set to face New Zealand in Chennai for their first World Cup game since 2022. The loss of one of their top-order batters puts more pressure on a line-up that was bowled out for 81 in its most recent outing - a warm-up game against Italy on Friday.
Zohaib batted at No. 9 in that game. In UAE's previous warm-up game, against Nepal, he scored a 26-ball 19 at No. 3. UAE have already settled on 21-year-old Aryansh Sharma to partner their captain Muhammad Waseem at the top of the order.
Zohaib made his debut for UAE in May 2025. He's played 16 T20Is and scored 303 runs at an average of 20.20 and a strike rate of 103.76.
Waseem spoke about UAE's preparation and their unity - given the squad is made up of both Indian- and Pakistani-origin players - in the lead-up to the New Zealand match. He said the players would take confidence from UAE's win over New Zealand in a T20I in Dubai in 2023.
"Our strategy is very simple," Waseem said. "We beat them before in UAE but this time it's a different venue, different tournament, different ground, and different game also. So we came with another plan right now. So yes, they are a good team and have experience also. But we work very well and we have prepared ourselves like a champion team. We will try to play good cricket against them tomorrow"
About his squad, Waseem said, "there is no India-Pakistan. We are playing for the UAE and we are always treating ourselves like a family. We are living like a family, friends. We are spending time together, eating together. There is no Indian-Pakistani in the UAE team to be honest."