In the opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the Netherlands set Pakistan a target of 148 after being bowled out for 147 in 19.5 overs at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. Chasing 148, Pakistan lost their first wicket at 27 runs. Saim Ayub, who made 24, was dismissed by Aryan Dutt, giving the Netherlands an early breakthrough in the chase. Scott Edwards led the Netherlands innings with 37 runs, while Bas de Leede scored 30, Michael Levitt 24, and Colin Ackermann 20. Other contributors included Aryan Dutt (13), Zach Lion-Cachet (9), Roelof van der Merwe (4), Max O’Dowd (5), Logan van Beek (0) and Paul van Meekeren (0). Solid death overs bowling to cap off a strong finish for Pakistan! 💪 Netherlands lose their last six wickets for 20 runs as they are bundled out for 147 🎯#PAKvNED | #T20WorldCup | #BackTheBoysInGreen | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/Q3E2v3bF7t — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) February 7, 2026 For Pakistan, Salman Mirza took three wickets, Mohammad Nawaz, Saim Ayub and Abrar Ahmed claimed two each, and Shaheen Shah Afridi took one. Aryan Dutt also impressed with his off-spin, picking up the first wicket of the innings. Captain Salman Ali Agha said the decision to elect to field first was influenced by the conditions after recent rain, with the team looking to take advantage of the moisture in the pitch. 🚨 TOSS & PLAYING XI 🚨 Pakistan win the toss and opt to bowl first against Netherlands 🏏 Our team for the first match of the ICC #T20WorldCup 2026 🇵🇰#PAKvNED | #BackTheBoysInGreen | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/4Y6mqLK2SY — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) February 7, 2026 “We want to make use of the conditions after the rain,” Agha said. “It is the first time I have seen so much grass on a pitch in Sri Lanka”. He added that Pakistan had opted to field three fast bowlers along with all-rounders in their playing XI. Netherlands captain said his side would also have preferred to bowl first. “This is a big game for us,” he said. “We have been playing in India and Sri Lanka for the past month and a half and are familiar with the conditions here.” The match marks the start of both teams’ campaigns in the tournament. Pakistan has been placed in Group A with India, the United States, Namibia and the Netherlands. Pakistan boycotted their scheduled fixture against long-time rivals India and will now take on the United States on February 10 and Namibia on February 18 at the same venue. Playing XIs Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan(wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed. Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max ODowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards(c/wk), Zach Lion Cachet, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Kyle Klein, Paul van Meekeren.
from Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/TVoHdSX
0 Comments