It’s time for Rashid Khan and his Afghanistan lineup to be favorites in a Twenty20 international cricket tournament.

Afghanistan has a formidable, spin-heavy squad for the tri-series that starts Friday and also features Pakistan and the host United Arab Emirates. It's a tune-up for next month's Asian Cup, which is also being staged in the UAE.

Last year Afghanistan reached the T20 World Cup semifinals before losing to South Africa, a run to the the last four that underlined its strength in the shortest format of international cricket.

Seven T20 games over the next 10 days at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium will involve the teams competing against each other twice before the top two qualify for the Sept. 7 final.

The slow pitches of Sharjah Cricket Stadium are unlikely to produce any bi

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