Muhammad Waseem: Age, Stats, UAE Records and Teams

Who is Muhammad Waseem?

Muhammad Waseem is a UAE international opener whose game is built around fast scoring and six-hitting. He bats right-handed, bowls occasional right-arm medium pace and has led the national side in both ODI and T20I cricket. By August 2026, his senior career covered World Cups, Asia Cup and World Cup qualification, bilateral series, the ILT20, PSL, BPL, Abu Dhabi T10 and an upcoming European T20 assignment.

His name is easy to confuse with other sportspeople. This page concerns ICC player 79405, the UAE batter born on 12 February 1994. He is not Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Wasim Jr, the Pakistan boxer Muhammad Waseem, or the older PCB-listed cricketer of the same name. The birth date, UAE record, right-handed opening role and current Dublin Guardians listing establish the identity used here.

Waseem's career is unusual because it did not begin through an academy-to-national-team route. He played district cricket in Pakistan, moved to the UAE as an adult, worked outside the professional game and earned selection through club and domestic performances. That route matters: the national captain and franchise opener seen in 2026 emerged only after several years of local cricket and residency eligibility.

How old is Muhammad Waseem?

Muhammad Waseem was 32 years old on 24 August 2026. His date of birth is 12 February 1994, and his birthplace is Mian Channu in Punjab, Pakistan. The ICC's current tournament profile also displays age 32, correcting the old 1996 birth year that appeared in the previous This profile draft.

The correction changes more than a number beside his name. It places his UAE debut, captaincy and major franchise seasons in the right stage of his career: he debuted internationally at 27, became national captain in his late twenties and led UAE at the 2026 T20 World Cup shortly before turning 32. A dated age prevents the profile from becoming wrong again after his next birthday.

How did Muhammad Waseem move from Pakistan cricket to the UAE?

Waseem began playing district cricket around Mian Channu and represented Multan Region, but he did not see a clear path into Pakistan's senior domestic system. In 2016, a friend invited him to the UAE for cricket during Ramadan. He performed well enough in local matches to return, establish himself in Dubai and build a new cricket career.

The transition was not instantly professional. Khaleej Times reported that he had come to Dubai looking for work and spent time as a salesman. Club cricket remained the route back to the sport. ESPN later described how he moved from local teams into the UAE's domestic structure, where selectors could assess him during the residency period before international eligibility.

His first prominent franchise breakthrough came in the Abu Dhabi T10. He had been part of Maratha Arabians' 2019 title squad without playing, then made an impact for Northern Warriors in 2021. The National recorded the difficult personal circumstances around that rise and his rapid scoring. Those performances preceded his UAE debut rather than being retrospective proof of an international career.

When did Muhammad Waseem make his UAE debut?

Waseem made his T20 International debut against Namibia at the ICC Academy in Dubai on 5 October 2021. He opened the batting and soon established himself as UAE's main power scorer. His ODI debut followed against Oman at Al Amerat on 5 February 2022.

The international progression was fast. Within five months of his T20I debut, he had scored two T20I hundreds and helped UAE qualify for the 2022 Men's T20 World Cup. His 112 in the Qualifier A final against Ireland remains his highest T20I score. It came after both teams had secured qualification, but the innings still decided the tournament title as UAE chased 160 with seven wickets and eight balls remaining.

He entered the ODI side later than the T20I team and has never played Test cricket. That format boundary is important. UAE's ODI matches carry full international status and are part of List A cricket, while his franchise appearances belong to the wider T20 record. The tables below keep ODI, T20I and tournament subsets separate.

What are Muhammad Waseem's current ODI statistics?

Through UAE's match against Oman on 3 May 2026, Waseem had played 69 ODIs and scored 1,745 runs. He had batted in every match, with a highest score of 119, one century and nine fifties. His average was 25.29 and his strike rate 87.25 from 2,000 balls faced.

The current total adds four Nepal-tri-series innings to the older 65-match snapshot. Waseem scored 34 against Nepal, three against Oman, one in the second Nepal match and nine in the win over Oman. Those 47 runs move the aggregate from 1,698 to 1,745 without changing the century or fifty count.

His ODI bowling is occasional rather than a second primary role. Seven innings produced 71 balls and 92 runs conceded without a wicket. The absence of a bowling wicket does not justify a made-up average or best figure, so those fields remain unavailable. His value in the format comes from opening the batting and, at times, leading the side.

What are Muhammad Waseem's current T20I statistics?

Waseem had played 99 T20 Internationals and scored 3,371 runs through the second match against Nepal on 21 April 2026. He averaged 36.25, struck at 150.97 and had a highest score of 112. The record included three centuries, 26 fifties, 282 fours and 196 sixes.

Those figures make him UAE's leading T20I run-scorer. They also show why his reputation is tied to boundary hitting without reducing the innings to sixes alone: 282 fours supplied more individual boundary events than his 196 sixes, and an average above 36 reflects repeated contributions across nearly 100 matches.

He has bowled only 76 balls in T20Is, taking five wickets for 141 runs. His best return is 2/13, with a bowling average of 28.20 and economy of 11.13. That small, expensive sample supports the description 'occasional medium pace'; it does not make him a statistical all-rounder.

What did Muhammad Waseem do at the 2026 T20 World Cup?

Waseem captained UAE in all four Group D matches at the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup. He scored 102 runs, beginning with an unbeaten 66 from 45 balls against New Zealand in Chennai. UAE made 173 for six, but Tim Seifert and Finn Allen completed a ten-wicket chase for New Zealand.

His remaining scores were four against Canada, 10 against Afghanistan and 22 against South Africa. UAE beat Canada by five wickets for its only win, then finished the group stage without reaching the Super Eights. The 66 was therefore his clear individual batting highlight, while the overall campaign was one win from four matches.

The tournament also produced a disciplinary entry that belongs in the record without sensationalism. After a later T20I against Nepal, the ICC fined Waseem 15 per cent of his match fee and added one demerit point for a Level 1 Code of Conduct breach related to comments about umpiring. He admitted the offence; the ICC said it was his first offence in a 24-month period.

How did Muhammad Waseem become UAE captain?

Waseem first took the UAE captaincy in 2023 and developed into the regular T20I leader. Emirates Cricket described him as having captained 66 of his first 92 T20Is when it named the 2026 World Cup squad. He led the Ireland series immediately before the tournament and remained captain in Nepal in April.

His ODI role has been less permanent. Emirates Cricket named him interim captain for the April-May 2026 World Cup League 2 series in Nepal after regular ODI captain Rahul Chopra was rested, noting that Waseem had previously led in 26 ODIs. Harpreet Singh Bhatia later led the July 2026 Scotland tri-series, so this page does not label Waseem the automatic current captain of every UAE format.

That distinction matters because captaincy is an appointment, not a lifetime player attribute. Waseem's record includes leading UAE to qualification, at a global tournament and in historic bilateral wins, but each future squad must identify its captain again. The profile records completed leadership rather than projecting the next selection.

Why were Muhammad Waseem's ICC monthly awards historic?

Waseem became the first UAE player to win the ICC Men's Player of the Month award when he received the April 2024 honour. He scored 269 runs at the ACC Men's Premier Cup, finished as Player of the Series and made 100 from 56 balls in the final against Oman. UAE won by 55 runs and qualified for the 2025 Asia Cup.

The final hundred was his third in T20Is. He hit six fours and seven sixes as UAE reached 204 for four, then Oman finished on 149 for nine. The award recognised the month as a whole rather than that innings alone, and he beat Shaheen Afridi and Gerhard Erasmus in the final vote.

He won the ICC monthly award again in May 2025. Across three T20Is against Bangladesh he scored 145 runs at a strike rate of 166.66, including 54 and 82 in the first two matches. UAE recovered from losing the opener to win the series 2-1, its first bilateral series victory over Bangladesh. Waseem also scored 169 runs across five ODIs during the month.

What happened in UAE's historic wins over Bangladesh and Namibia?

Waseem scored 82 from 42 balls as UAE chased 206 against Bangladesh in Sharjah on 19 May 2025. The two-wicket win was UAE's first victory over Bangladesh in any international format and levelled the series. UAE won the third match as well, turning one landmark chase into a first series win over the same opponent.

His role in UAE's first T20 World Cup victory was different. Against Namibia at Geelong in 2022, he made 50 as UAE posted 148 for three, then bowled the final over with Namibia needing 14. Waseem dismissed David Wiese and conceded six runs, completing a seven-run win that also eliminated Namibia from the tournament.

These matches show why calling him only a power hitter misses part of the record. The Bangladesh innings anchored a large chase, while the Namibia result required a measured fifty and a pressure over. Neither makes his occasional bowling a regular responsibility, but both are defining UAE wins in which his contribution crossed more than one phase.

Why has Muhammad Waseem won four ILT20 Blue Belts?

The ILT20 Blue Belt recognises the competition's best UAE player. Waseem won it in each of the first four seasons while representing MI Emirates. No other player had matched that sequence by the end of Season 4.

His season returns varied. He scored 367 runs in 11 matches in the inaugural 2023 edition, then won a second Blue Belt during MI Emirates' 2024 championship season. Season 3 brought 183 runs from 10 matches at a strike rate of 132.60. In Season 4 he rebounded to 370 runs at a strike rate of 132 and finished second on the tournament run list.

MI Emirates reached the Season 4 final but lost to Desert Vipers by 46 runs. Waseem scored 26 from 13 balls in the final and ended with 370 runs across 13 innings. The Blue Belt recognised his individual season; it did not turn the runners-up finish into a team title.

The Season 4 belt carried a published USD 15,000 prize. That amount is a specific tournament award, not his salary, full ILT20 contract or net worth. The same caution applies to the USD 300,000 runners-up purse, which was awarded to MI Emirates and does not establish Waseem's personal share.

What was Muhammad Waseem's best MI Emirates innings?

One of Waseem's strongest ILT20 innings was 89 not out from 62 balls against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders on 28 January 2024. He hit eight fours and three sixes as MI Emirates chased 189 with an over remaining and eight wickets in hand.

The innings followed a 110-run opening stand with Kusal Perera, who made 54 from 26 balls. Waseem then batted through the chase and received Player of the Match. The result was MI Emirates' fourth win from five games in a season it eventually won.

The official match report also contains the limited family information suitable for this profile: Waseem said he dedicated the award to his son. It does not give the child's name, age or other private details, so none are inferred here.

How did Muhammad Waseem perform in HBL PSL 11?

Karachi Kings signed Waseem for PKR 1.1 crore before HBL PSL 11. He played five matches and scored 86 runs before leaving the squad on 15 April 2026 for UAE duty. Jason Roy replaced him for the remainder of the competition.

His most important Karachi innings was 38 from 37 balls in a four-wicket win over Lahore Qalandars. Karachi had slipped to 10 for two while chasing 129, and Waseem added stabilising partnerships with Saad Baig and Moeen Ali before Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed him in the 15th over.

The 1.1-crore figure is the franchise's published signing price. It should not be described as after-tax salary, guaranteed cash received or personal wealth. His five matches and 86 runs are also a completed PSL subset, not numbers to add separately to an all-T20 aggregate.

Which team does Muhammad Waseem play for now?

Dublin Guardians is Waseem's current upcoming franchise listing as of 24 August 2026. The official European T20 Premier League team page names him in the 17-player squad as a UAE batter. The inaugural ETPL season was scheduled to begin on 26 August, so squad membership was confirmed but no Dublin appearance, run or result existed at the cutoff.

Dublin's squad also includes Ravichandran Ashwin, James Vince, Daryl Mitchell, Harry Tector, George Dockrell and Josh Little. A strong list of names does not prove an XI or batting order. Waseem's opening role for UAE and MI Emirates makes an opening assignment plausible, but only a published lineup can establish it.

His previous 2026 teams remain part of the same career. He finished ILT20 Season 4 with MI Emirates, played five PSL matches for Karachi Kings and represented UAE in the World Cup and Nepal tours. Moving the current-team field to Dublin Guardians does not erase those completed memberships.

What makes Muhammad Waseem a dangerous T20 opener?

Waseem's defining skill is clean lofted hitting from the top of the order. ESPN reported that he became the first player to hit 100 sixes across international cricket in a calendar year, finishing 2023 with 101: 47 in ODIs and 54 in T20Is. The record joined volume with availability across both white-ball formats.

His method is not simply swinging at every ball. He has described timing as the foundation of his hitting, noting that shots intended to clear the infield often travel for six when struck cleanly. The 112 against Ireland, 100 in the ACC final, 82 against Bangladesh and unbeaten 89 for MI Emirates show different versions of that approach in a chase, a final and franchise cricket.

There is a trade-off. An opener who attacks in the powerplay will also produce low scores, and Waseem had seven ducks in both his current ODI and T20I records. His T20I strike rate above 150 is valuable because it comes with an average above 36, but no statistic guarantees the same result against every attack or on every surface.

What is known about Muhammad Waseem's family and relationships?

The dependable public record confirms only a small amount about Waseem's family. During his 89 not out for MI Emirates in 2024, he said he dedicated the Player of the Match award to his son. Reporting on his early cricket also records support and contact with his family in Pakistan.

No reliable source reviewed on 24 August 2026 published enough information to identify a spouse or establish his current relationship status. A search result about a private marriage in Mecca belongs to Pakistan bowler Mohammad Wasim Jr, not this UAE batter. Repeating it here would be an identity error.

The profile therefore does not name a wife, girlfriend, parents or children beyond the player's own public reference to his son. Absence of published detail does not mean those relationships do not exist; it means a cricket biography should not fill the gap with rumours, copied names or social-media inference.

What is Muhammad Waseem's salary or net worth?

No audited financial statement establishes Waseem's current net worth, total earnings or endorsement income. Biography sites that publish a precise fortune without contracts, tax records or a transparent method are not reliable evidence.

Three narrower figures are public: Karachi Kings announced a PKR 1.1 crore PSL 11 signing price; ILT20 announced a USD 15,000 prize for each Season 4 belt; and MI Emirates received a USD 300,000 runners-up purse. Only the first two are directly attached to Waseem, and neither states his net income after tax, agent fees or other deductions.

Franchise contracts from MI Emirates, Dublin Guardians and his earlier teams were not publicly itemised in the material reviewed. It would be misleading to add a PSL price and tournament award, assume undisclosed contracts and call the result net worth. The accurate answer is that some event-specific values are known while his overall finances remain private.

What records and achievements define Muhammad Waseem's career?

Waseem's strongest record is sustained T20I run-scoring for UAE: 3,371 runs, three centuries and 196 sixes through 21 April 2026. He also made UAE's first T20I hundred in a qualifying final, became the first UAE player to win ICC Men's Player of the Month and later became the country's first two-time winner.

His team achievements include qualification for the 2022 and 2026 T20 World Cups, the 2024 ACC Premier Cup title, UAE's first T20 World Cup match win, its first international win and first series win over Bangladesh, and MI Emirates' 2024 ILT20 championship. Each belongs to a specific team and event rather than an individual trophy count detached from context.

Four consecutive ILT20 Blue Belts supply the clearest franchise-era pattern. The runs behind them were not identical—367, a title-season campaign, 183 and 370—but he remained the league's selected best UAE player across every season from 2023 to 2026.