The 1986 Austral-Asia Cup was held in Sharjah, UAE, between April 10–18, 1986. Five national teams took part: Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The 1986 Austral-Asia Cup was a knock-out tournament. Sri Lanka qualified automatically for the semi-finals by virtue of winning the 1986 Asia Cup. Despite losing their first-round match, New Zealand qualified for the semi-finals as the first-round loser with the lesser margin of defeat. Pakistan won the tournament, defeating India in the final, and won US$40,000.