Haider Shah, a wicketkeeper and batsman, has been selected to replace Muhammad Zohaib in the UAE squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Zohaib was expelled prior to UAE's game against New Zealand on Tuesday for "disciplinary reasons," according to the Emirates Cricket Board. "More details will be provided in due course," the ECB stated. "Zohaib was withdrawn from the squad due to player mental well-being and team welfare issues," the ICC stated in a statement regarding the replacement. Shah, 24, has played 18 Twenty20 Internationals and has a strike rate of 116.66 and an average of 19.25. In the absence of Zohaib, a top-order batter, UAE scored 173 for 6 against New Zealand, in their first game of the T20 World Cup, in Chennai. Tim Seifert and Finn Allen chased it down in 15.2 overs without losing a wicket, proving that the total was woefully inadequate. The UAE plays its remaining three group matches in Delhi: on February 13, they play Canada, on February 16, they play Afghanistan, and on February 18 they play South Africa.