SHARJAH: UAE’s hard-hitting middle-order batter Asif Khan, who once represented Lahore in Pakistan’s domestic circuit, reflected on his team’s spirited performance against Pakistan in Sharjah.

“As a relatively inexperienced side, we lost due to small mistakes; otherwise, we could have pulled it off,” he said after his blistering 77 off 35 balls kept UAE in the contest.

Khan, born in Pakistan in 1990 and a former Lahore first-class cricketer, praised skipper Muhammad Waseem’s early fireworks and acknowledged the setback caused by his run-out. 

Pakistan grabbed their second win in the T20I tri-series in UAE as they defeated the hosts by 31 runs at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Chasing a challenging total of 208, UAE managed 176-8 despite a solid start.

“Our plan was to save wickets and go for power-hitting in the last overs. It worked, but Pakistan’s bowling held us back,” said Khan in the post-match press conference.

Calling Sharjah UAE’s “home ground advantage,” Khan stressed that recent training has boosted confidence ahead of the Asia Cup.

“We gave the big teams a wake-up call. This tournament is preparation for the Asia Cup, and the performance against Pakistan gave us belief.”

Khan also highlighted the role of dew in Sharjah conditions, making second-innings batting easier, and said UAE’s T20 strength lies in disciplined bowling. “If we can restrict opponents to 170-180, we have a real chance.”

Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson were spotted together again over the weekend after sparking reconciliation rumours.

The pair were first seen boarding a flight out of Burbank, California, to Vegas, seated in the same row but with an empty seat between them.

Later that evening, they attended the opening night of Ashlee Simpson’s new residency at Voltaire nightclub inside The Venetian.

In a recent video, Jessica and Eric can be seen supporting her sister, Ashlee Simpson, on Friday.

A video shared on TikTok shows Jessica and Eric supporting her sister Ashlee while keeping a low profile.

The two partied with friends throughout the evening but did not engage in PDA. At one point, they even created some distance between themselves once Ashlee began her performance.

Jessica and Ashlee’s parents, Joe and Tina Simpson, were also present at the concert.

The sighting comes months after Jessica revealed in January that she and Johnson were “living separately” following 10 years of marriage, calling the situation “painful.”

Her announcement confirmed months of fan speculation, which was sparked by the fact she had not posted a photo with Eric on social media since 2023.