UAE all-rounder Mohammad Zohaib sent home for disciplinary reasons

In the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the United Arab Emirates cricket team suffered a huge blow a day before their match against New Zealand. The UAE Cricket Board released their batsman Mohammad Zohaib ahead of the match for disciplinary reasons.

On February 9, it was reported that Mohammad Zohaib is no longer part of the UAE cricket team for the 2026 T20 World Cup. He will return home as the Cricket Board decided to release him from the main squad.

UAE team to face New Zealand

On Tuesday (February 10), the UAE team will start their campaign for the 2026 T20 World Cup. They will face the strong New Zealand team. This will be their first World Cup appearance since 2022.

Your daily dose of cricket!

Despite the setback, the Emirates may miss the 22-year-old as he is still far from being called an in-form cricketer. Despite being given multiple opportunities, Mohammad Zohab struggled to showcase his talent in the national cricket team, both with the ball and with the ball.

Data shows that Zohaib made his debut for the UAE team in May 2025. Since then, he has played 16 T20Is and scored 303 points with an average of only 20.20 and a strike rate of 103.76.

Captain appears confident despite setback

Ahead of the match against New Zealand, UAE captain Mohammad Waseem highlighted the team’s unity and preparation. He believes that with a balanced squad and quality from India and Pakistan, they can put on a good show against a strong New Zealand side.

It is worth mentioning that the UAE team successfully defeated the New Zealand team in 2022. With this game, they can gain some much-needed confidence ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. 21-year-old Aryansh Sharma is expected to replace Zohaib and form the captain’s pair.

Plan to deceive New Zealand

“Our strategy is very simple. We have beaten them before in the UAE but this time it’s a different venue, a different match, a different pitch and a different game. So we have come up with another plan now,” Wasim said.

“So, yes, they are a good team and have experience. But we have worked well and we have prepared like a championship team. We will try to play good cricket against them tomorrow,” he further added.

New Zealand vs UAE T20 World Cup 2026 match will be held at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai at 3 pm. The match is expected to be played on a clay court, which will be very challenging for the UAE cricket team as they are not used to this nature of the surface.

New Zealand defeated Afghanistan by 5 runs in their last match. They will continue to play tomorrow and continue their winning momentum.

Source link