United Arab Emirates (UAE) have sent back their batting all-rounder Muhammad Zohaib home on grounds of 'disciplinary issues'. The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) is yet to reveal the details of the matter. The board intends to share them in due course.
"Muhammad Zohaib has been sent back due to disciplinary issues. More details will be provided in due course. ECB will at this stage not make any further comment on the matter," the board said in a statement on February 9.
Zohaib struggled to score at a brisk pace in the T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up encounters. Against Nepal, he batted at no.3 and managed to score just 19 runs from 26 deliveries. He was set in to bat at no.9 against Italy. As UAE were 28/7 after eight overs, he tried to play out the overs. He scored 16 runs from 22 balls.
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Overall, the 27-year-old has scored 303 runs from 16 T20Is at an average of 20.20 and strike rate of 103.76. His only fifty came against Nigeria in July 2025.
Zohaib was released from the squad ahead of UAE’s campaign opener against New Zealand at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on February 10.
No divide in IND-PAK players in UAE squad
Meanwhile, UAE captain Muhammad Waseem has reiterated what he said during the T20 Asia Cup 2025. Waseem said that there is no divide between India-origin and Pakistani-origin players in the squad.
“No, to be honest, there is no India-Pakistan. We are playing for the UAE and we are always treating ourselves like a family," Waseem said.
"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.
Waseem lauds coach Rajput
In addition, he lauded their head coach Lalchand Rajput who is a former Indian player.
"He has so much experience about India. He is working with the boys; he is telling everything about the pitches and the other things. So it helped us a lot and we are working on that and inshallah you will see tomorrow the same things he told to boys," he added.