Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will participate in a tri-series of Twenty20 international matches to tune up for next month’s Asia Cup, followed by the Twenty20 World Cup next year, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Friday.

“The tri-series will feature teams from Pakistan, Afghanistan and the UAE from 29 August to 7 September at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium,” the PCB said in a press release.

The T20I tournament will serve as a “launching pad” for the teams to prepare for the Asian Cricket Council’s T20 Asia Cup, scheduled to take place in the UAE from September 9-28, it added.

According to the schedule, the opening match of the tri-series tournament will be played between Afghanistan and Pakistan on August 29. Each team will play the others twice, giving all sides at least four matches before the top two teams qualify for the final, scheduled on September 7.

India and Sri Lanka will co-host the Twenty20 World Cup in February-March next year.

Tournament schedule (all matches at Sharjah Cricket Stadium):

• August 29 — Afghanistan v Pakistan
• August 30 — UAE v Pakistan
• September 2 — Pakistan v Afghanistan
• September 4 — Pakistan v UAE
• September 7 — Final