A dream for Oman, a chance to gauge for Pakistan

On paper, the Asia Cup match between Pakistan and Oman in Dubai today might seem like a mismatch, but it will offer both sides different points to prove -- Oman looking to mark their first-ever appearance in the continental event with a memorable outing, while Pakistan aim to continue their good run of form before facing archrivals India in their next Group A fixture.

Pakistan enter the tournament on the back of a tri-series win in Sharjah against the UAE and Afghanistan, gaining valuable exposure to Gulf conditions -- already a familiar setting for them, having played many matches there over the past decade.

The Salman Ali Agha-led side won four of their five matches in the tri-series, with their only defeat coming against Afghanistan in the round-robin stage.

Meanwhile, Oman, led by Jatinder Singh, might be short on game time in T20 cricket. Their last outing was a home series against the USA in February, where they lost all three matches.

For Oman, however, simply featuring in the Asia Cup is an achievement in itself. Their skipper Jatinder recently reflected on what this moment means for the nation.

"When we started, our primary goal was to find a job; cricket was always secondary," Jatinder told PTI Videos last week. "Most of us worked office hours and played cricket on the side. But today, representing Oman at the Asia Cup -- it's a dream come true."