Asia Cup 2025 | 'We are like a family here...': Muhammad Waseem confirms no rift in UAE's team following IND-PAK tensions

"No, we are not talking about that (Indo-Pak tensions) as we play a lot of cricket together. We are like a family here. There is no Indian and no Pakistani. We play for UAE team. We play as a family and live as a family," said Waseem.

The controversy began when Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube did not shake hands with any of the Pakistan players after securing victory over them in the Asia Cup 2025 group stage match.

The start of the match between Pakistan and the UAE was delayed as the "Green Shirts" arrived late on the ground.

Waseem's men could have appealed for a walkover after the delay caused by Pakistan, as the hosts had reported to the stadium on time, which is two hours before the scheduled start.

Speaking on the delay, the UAE skipper said, "First of all, this is not our responsibility or our work. We were focusing on our game. We came here to play the game, and we did that".

"Didn't matter if we were playing on time or we were playing late. Doesn't matter if we are playing at 6:30 or 7:30 pm. This is not our work. This is organiser's work. We came here to play the game and we played the game," he added.

However, Pakistan came victorious by 41 runs against the UAE at the Dubai International Stadium. After securing a win, the "Green Shirts" will now lock horns against arch-rivals, Team India, for the second time in the ongoing continental tournament.

The high-voltage match between India and Pakistan is scheduled to be played on September 21 at the Dubai International Stadium.

(With PTI Inputs)