"There is no India-Pakistan, we are playing for UAE": Muhammad Waseem emphasizes team unity ahead of New Zealand clash

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 9 (ANI): UAE captain Muhammad Waseem, ahead of this side's ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 clash against New Zealand, highlighted his team's unity and preparation, emphasising their diverse squad, which includes players of Indian and Pakistani origin.
Waseem said the team would draw confidence from their previous T20I win over New Zealand in Dubai (2023), showcasing their potential. Waseem also said there is no India-Pakistan rivalry in their team, as they are playing for the UAE and always treat them like family.
UAE will lock horns with New Zealand on Tuesday. UAE lost both their warm-up games heading into the tournament against Nepal and Italy.
"Our strategy is very simple. We beat them before in the UAE, but this time it's a different venue, a different tournament, a different ground, and a different game also. So we cameup 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," Waseem told the reporters.
"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," he added.
Meanwhile, a day before the UAE's T20 World Cup fixture against New Zealand, the Emirates Cricket Board have sent batter Muhammad Zohaib back home for "disciplinary reasons".
United Arab Emirates Squad: Aryansh Sharma(w), Muhammad Waseem(c), Alishan Sharafu, Harshit Kaushik, Mayank Kumar, Dhruv Parashar, Muhammad Arfan, Haider Ali, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh, Sohaib Khan, Muhammad Farooq. (ANI)