Growing up in Abu Dhabi in the 80s and 90s, I always used to look forward to the annual cricketing event in Sharjah.

Sharjah Cup, Champions Trophy, Wills Cup, Australasia Cup, Rothmans Trophy, Coca-Cola Cup, Pepsi Cup, there were a plethora of tournaments played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in last two decades of the 20th century.

Pakistan and India squared off 24 times at Sharjah during that period with Pakistan winning 18 times!

At the turn of the century, it all stopped. There were barely any more tournaments in Sharjah. India stopped coming here, and the annual Pakistan vs India fare became a rare commodity.

The only time India have come to the UAE since 2000 was in 2006 for a 2-ODI series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, and later for a few IPL games.

The Dubai Cricket Stadium has been open since 2009 and India has not played there even once.

All this will change from Wednesday.

In the span of 4 days, on the 19th and 23rd of this month, Pakistan will square off against India twice in Dubai!

The Asia Cup has brought back excitement to the same 80s and 90s level.

The 25,000 capacity stadium in Dubai was sold out within minutes for the 19th. Soon after the 23rd was sold out too.

Potentially, the two could meet in the Asia Cup final as well on the 28th, which will make it 3 games in 9 days at a venue where Pakistan and India have never met before.

I have been at the Dubai Stadium at full capacity.

A Pakistan vs Australia T20 a few years ago that ended in a Tie and went into a Super Over, a few PSL games, and a couple of other matches.

The atmosphere there is electrifying to say the least. The noise, the cheering, the music all make it quite deafening.

But I have never been there for a Pakistan vs India match and I can only imagine what it is going to be like this Wednesday.

The stadium is going be full. It might be more than full actually. There will be hoards of people waiting outside trying to get in. There will be a traffic jam around Motor City and Sports City. Parking lots will be full. Cars will be diverted away. There will be some very frustrated fans outside the ground. It will be hot and humid. There will be a lot of hurdles getting to the ground.

But once you will be in, it will all be worth it!

It has to be, it is Pakistan vs India after all, and that too in the UAE after 12 years, and in Dubai for the first time ever!

Pakistan and India have played 26 ODIs against each other in the UAE, out which they played 24 ODIs in Sharjah and 2 in Abu Dhabi.

Those two ODIs in Abu Dhabi in 2006 was the last time the two rivals met in the UAE. It has been 12 years.

They have never played an ODI in Dubai, which seems strange considering the Dubai International Cricket Stadium opened in 2009.

And now they are set to square off twice within 4 days and potentially a third time a week later.

Come Wednesday, 19th September, Pakistan will square off against India for the first time ever in Dubai and for the first time in the UAE in 12 years!

The 25,000 capacity stadium in Dubai was sold out in less than an hour for this match.

I can't wait to be there. I was there for the two games in Abu Dhabi in 2006. I remember being there for at least half of the 24 Sharjah games that Pakistan has played against India.

Those were the days when Pakistan used to dominate India. Out of the 26 matches played in the UAE, Pakistan has won a whopping 19!

Besides their dominance in the UAE, Pakistan has many other things going for them at the moment.

• The last time they played an ODI, it was the Champions Trophy Final in 2017, and Pakistan completely destroyed India.
• The last time they played an Asia Cup ODI match, it was the game in Dhaka in 2014, where Shahid Afridi scarred Ashwin for life.
• UAE is home and a like a fortress for Pakistan.
• India is coming off a demoralizing England tour.
• India has come for this Asia Cup without Virat Kohli.

If all this does not make Pakistan overwhelming favorites for its two games against India in this Asia Cup, I don't know what will.

Pakistan are my favorites for winning the Asia Cup too. The team has been on a roll for some time now. The young and talented cricketers have been performing exceptionally and glory for all of them is right round the corner.

Actually, they got the glory with the Champions Trophy win last year, so an Asia Cup win will only solidify Pakistan's position as one of the top limited overs side currently.

They have a courageous captain, some outstanding openers, one of the best number three batsman in the world currently, a hard hitting middle and lower order, and a destructive bowling line up that possesses unlimited variety and skill.

India and the rest of Asia need to be wary of this talented Pakistan side.

When Pakistan's Asia Cup squad was announced last month, there was little surprise as most of the members were automatic selections. The only choice that created some news was the omission of Mohammad Hafeez and selection of Shan Masood.

But was it a surprise?

Shan has played 12 tests for Pakistan and has been pretty much termed a test match specialist.

He has rarely been given a prolonged run as opener for Pakistan, and hence the limited success, but everyone remembers him for his epic 125 in Palekelle, where he, in the company of the illustrious Younis Khan, led Pakistan to a successful record run chase.

So what led to his selection in the ODI team?

I had the pleasure of meeting Shan Masood this past weekend, thanks to a friend.

While I am usually at the top of records and stats regarding cricket (both international and domestic), but when Shan told me about the record he had established and currently held, I was pleasantly surprised.

Shan told me that he has the highest List A average in the world at the moment, and that his successful domestic season in 2018 led him to a List A average above Michael Bevan's, who had held this record for over a decade.

Shan's 58.2 average is a good 0.4 runs above Bevan's and gives him a record that was considered quite difficult to break.

For the uninitiated, List A includes all ODI Cricket and all domestic 50-over games recognized by the domestic cricket boards.

Shan has had a tremendous domestic season, which resulted in his selection for the Asia Cup that got underway yesterday in the UAE.

In 20 List A games, Shan amassed 1,325 runs at a phenomenal average of 94.6 and a strike rate of 93.8. He has the best average in the format this season, the highest number of fifties, and the joint second highest number of centuries.

No wonder he has been given a chance to represent Pakistan in the limited overs format.

Not surprised any more, are you?

Shan is a record holder and hopefully he can translate this domestic form into some international runs too!

We’re now past a time where you could only bet on football and horse racing, leaving far more options for ways to get involved in sports betting. One of the UK’s most popular sports is cricket but even the immense following from sports fans isn’t enough to prompt as much exposure in terms of bets you can place surrounding it.