Matiullah Khan

A hardworking right-arm pacer, Matiullah Khan’s rise to the UAE national side was anything but straightforward. Growing up in Bannu, near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, he faced financial struggles that made chasing his cricketing ambitions difficult. At 16, he moved to the UAE after his brother-in-law helped him find work, a decision that would slowly but surely keep his cricketing dream alive.

His early years were spent juggling long shifts as a truck driver with the need to stay connected to the game. Even after gruelling hours on the road, he made it a point to bowl whenever he could. A transfer within his company to a Sharjah-based role gave him more freedom, and his persistence soon caught the eye of former UAE cricketer Shahzad Altaf. That opportunity was followed by a talent programme where the then UAE coach Aaqib Javed was impressed with his pace and invited him to join practice sessions.

Life threw setbacks along the way, including the loss of his job, but Matiullah refused to let go. He returned to Pakistan briefly before finding his way back to the UAE, where another job eventually gave him the chance to play company cricket. Training sessions at the ICC Academy once again brought him in front of the UAE coaching staff, and from there, he began to find a pathway into higher levels of the game.

His breakthrough came in 2022 when he featured in the Abu Dhabi T10 League with the New York Strikers. Impressive outings there earned him a stint with the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the International League T20. While he could not quite make a big splash across those two seasons, his potential was clear to see, and it eventually led to his T20I debut in 2025. Matiullah missed out on selection for the tri-series ahead of the Asia Cup that year but worked his way back into the squad for the continental event.