Pakistan do a Pakistan, flirt with disaster against Netherlands on opening day
T20 World Cup 2026: Babar Azam's fielding magic teased a new professional era, but a classic middle-order collapse forced Pakistan to scramble for a heart-stopping, narrow victory over the Netherlands in their opening match in Colombo on Saturday.
It was quintessential Pakistan. The 2009 champions flirted with disaster before surviving a self-inflicted heart-stopper against the Netherlands in their T20 World Cup 2026 opener in Colombo on Saturday, February 7. Chasing a modest 148, Pakistan were cruising before a sudden cluster of wickets made the pursuit look improbable. It took a late-overs blitz from Faheem Ashraf to see them across the line by the narrowest of whiskers.
T20 World Cup PAK vs NED: Highlights | Full Scorecard
The rub of green went Faheem and Pakistan's way as the big-hitter was dropped on 7 in the second ball of the penultimate over when they still needed 23 off 11 deliveries with only three wickets in hand. Max O'Dowd put down a chance in Logan van Beek's over, which turned into a nightmare for the Dutch. Bolstered by the reprieve, Faheem went hell for leather, smashing two more sixes and a boundary, bringing the equation down to five from six deliveries.
"We have to do it the hard way," Pakistan captan Salman Ali Agha said when asked how they had let the game that was comfortably in their reach drift into a James Bond-like thriller.
"Credit to Faheem. We tried well, knew they'd come hard. Held things really well. 147 we'd take on this pitch.
"In the first 10 overs we batted well, then the two wickets fell and pressure came in. We need to absorb better. Conditions – Not easy to start, once we get in it gets easier. Once a batter gets set, they need to finish the game. We didn't do that today. We want to change that," he said.
It was a crucial win for Pakistan, especially in the context of their threat to boycott the February 15 match against India. Had Pakistan lost on Saturday, their chances of reaching the Super 8 stage would have taken a significant hit, with the team set to forfeit two points and suffer a major blow to their net run rate.
PAKISTAN, BUT TIDY
For the best part of the afternoon, it appeared the world was hurtling towards the apocalypse. Quite simply, Pakistan were failing to be Pakistan on the opening day of a major ICC event. They bowled with discipline, called clearly for their catches, and patrolled the boundary without a single comical collision. They held nine chances in total, including an early ‘Catch of the Tournament’ contender from Babar Azam. After bundling the Netherlands out for 147, Pakistan looked set for an early night, coasting at 98 for 2 in the 11th over.
However, this is Pakistan, and they seemingly consider it a duty to provide maximum entertainment—especially when facing lower-ranked opposition on the grandest stage. If you were hoping for a drama-free opening day from cricket’s Unquiet Ones, you were sorely mistaken.
After a brisk start provided by Saim Ayub, Pakistan floundered. Between the 10th and 15th overs, the innings ground to a halt; they managed just 21 runs, lost three crucial wickets, and endured a boundary drought lasting 29 deliveries.
The rot started when they lost a well-set Sahibzada Farhan, who had looked like taking the game away from the Dutch with a steady 31 off 47 balls. Paul van Meekeren struck the decisive blow, removing the opener with a well-directed bouncer. Even then, the alarm bells weren't quite ringing—Pakistan still appeared to have the chase well in hand.
BABAR DISAPPOINTS WITH THE BAT
Babar Azam, who was dropped from the T20I side last year, struggled to rotate the strike through the middle overs, managing just 14 runs off 18 deliveries. On air, the legendary Wasim Akram — long accustomed to watching Pakistan snatch defeat from the jaws of victory — sensed a tense finish with razor-sharp foresight, questioning Babar’s strike rate during his 45-run third-wicket partnership with Farhan.
Much to the disappointment of the Pakistan camp, Babar fell in the 13th over, unable to push on and make amends for his slow start.
At 100 for 5, Pakistan were under mounting pressure as Paul van Meekeren and Roelof van der Merwe tightened the screws through the middle overs. The strain increased when all-rounders Shadab Khan (8) and Mohammad Nawaz (6) were dismissed in quick succession.
Just when it appeared Pakistan were set to lose the opening match of a T20 World Cup for the second successive edition, Faheem produced a timely rescue act.
PAKISTAN CLINICAL ON THE FIELD
Earlier in the day, fast bowler Salman Mirza shone, picking up three wickets after replacing Naseem Shah in the XI.
While Shadab went wicketless despite giving away just 26 runs in four overs, fellow spinners Nawaz (2 for 38), Abrar Ahmed (2 for 23) and Saim (2 for 7) ensured Netherlands did not run away with it and build on their good start.
The highlight of the morning at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) was a moment of pure athletic desperation that instantly went viral. In the fourth over, Dutch opener Michael Levitt — who had been taking the attack to Shaheen Afridi — launched a ferocious lofted drive off Mohammad Nawaz, seemingly destined for the long-off boundary.
Babar Azam, however, had other ideas. Sprinting at full tilt, he plucked the ball inches from the rope and, realising his momentum would carry him beyond the boundary cushion, cleverly flicked it back into play. Shaheen Afridi completed the relay catch from mid-on to dismiss a stunned Levitt for 24. Babar later showed it was no one-off by taking a sharp, low chance to remove the dangerous Bas de Leede for 30.
Backed by Abrar Ahmed’s middle-overs squeeze and Saim Ayub’s late double strike, Pakistan’s fielding remained uncharacteristically airtight. The Men in Green held on to their chances, taking nine catches in total — including safe efforts from wicketkeeper Usman Khan and captain Salman Ali Agha — as the Netherlands collapsed, losing their final seven wickets for just 42 runs after a promising start.
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It was quintessential Pakistan. The 2009 champions flirted with disaster before surviving a self-inflicted heart-stopper against the Netherlands in their T20 World Cup 2026 opener in Colombo on Saturday, February 7. Chasing a modest 148, Pakistan were cruising before a sudden cluster of wickets made the pursuit look improbable. It took a late-overs blitz from Faheem Ashraf to see them across the line by the narrowest of whiskers.
T20 World Cup PAK vs NED: Highlights | Full Scorecard
The rub of green went Faheem and Pakistan's way as the big-hitter was dropped on 7 in the second ball of the penultimate over when they still needed 23 off 11 deliveries with only three wickets in hand. Max O'Dowd put down a chance in Logan van Beek's over, which turned into a nightmare for the Dutch. Bolstered by the reprieve, Faheem went hell for leather, smashing two more sixes and a boundary, bringing the equation down to five from six deliveries.
"We have to do it the hard way," Pakistan captan Salman Ali Agha said when asked how they had let the game that was comfortably in their reach drift into a James Bond-like thriller.
"Credit to Faheem. We tried well, knew they'd come hard. Held things really well. 147 we'd take on this pitch.
"In the first 10 overs we batted well, then the two wickets fell and pressure came in. We need to absorb better. Conditions – Not easy to start, once we get in it gets easier. Once a batter gets set, they need to finish the game. We didn't do that today. We want to change that," he said.
It was a crucial win for Pakistan, especially in the context of their threat to boycott the February 15 match against India. Had Pakistan lost on Saturday, their chances of reaching the Super 8 stage would have taken a significant hit, with the team set to forfeit two points and suffer a major blow to their net run rate.
PAKISTAN, BUT TIDY
For the best part of the afternoon, it appeared the world was hurtling towards the apocalypse. Quite simply, Pakistan were failing to be Pakistan on the opening day of a major ICC event. They bowled with discipline, called clearly for their catches, and patrolled the boundary without a single comical collision. They held nine chances in total, including an early ‘Catch of the Tournament’ contender from Babar Azam. After bundling the Netherlands out for 147, Pakistan looked set for an early night, coasting at 98 for 2 in the 11th over.
However, this is Pakistan, and they seemingly consider it a duty to provide maximum entertainment—especially when facing lower-ranked opposition on the grandest stage. If you were hoping for a drama-free opening day from cricket’s Unquiet Ones, you were sorely mistaken.
After a brisk start provided by Saim Ayub, Pakistan floundered. Between the 10th and 15th overs, the innings ground to a halt; they managed just 21 runs, lost three crucial wickets, and endured a boundary drought lasting 29 deliveries.
The rot started when they lost a well-set Sahibzada Farhan, who had looked like taking the game away from the Dutch with a steady 31 off 47 balls. Paul van Meekeren struck the decisive blow, removing the opener with a well-directed bouncer. Even then, the alarm bells weren't quite ringing—Pakistan still appeared to have the chase well in hand.
BABAR DISAPPOINTS WITH THE BAT
Babar Azam, who was dropped from the T20I side last year, struggled to rotate the strike through the middle overs, managing just 14 runs off 18 deliveries. On air, the legendary Wasim Akram — long accustomed to watching Pakistan snatch defeat from the jaws of victory — sensed a tense finish with razor-sharp foresight, questioning Babar’s strike rate during his 45-run third-wicket partnership with Farhan.
Much to the disappointment of the Pakistan camp, Babar fell in the 13th over, unable to push on and make amends for his slow start.
At 100 for 5, Pakistan were under mounting pressure as Paul van Meekeren and Roelof van der Merwe tightened the screws through the middle overs. The strain increased when all-rounders Shadab Khan (8) and Mohammad Nawaz (6) were dismissed in quick succession.
Just when it appeared Pakistan were set to lose the opening match of a T20 World Cup for the second successive edition, Faheem produced a timely rescue act.
PAKISTAN CLINICAL ON THE FIELD
Earlier in the day, fast bowler Salman Mirza shone, picking up three wickets after replacing Naseem Shah in the XI.
While Shadab went wicketless despite giving away just 26 runs in four overs, fellow spinners Nawaz (2 for 38), Abrar Ahmed (2 for 23) and Saim (2 for 7) ensured Netherlands did not run away with it and build on their good start.
The highlight of the morning at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) was a moment of pure athletic desperation that instantly went viral. In the fourth over, Dutch opener Michael Levitt — who had been taking the attack to Shaheen Afridi — launched a ferocious lofted drive off Mohammad Nawaz, seemingly destined for the long-off boundary.
Babar Azam, however, had other ideas. Sprinting at full tilt, he plucked the ball inches from the rope and, realising his momentum would carry him beyond the boundary cushion, cleverly flicked it back into play. Shaheen Afridi completed the relay catch from mid-on to dismiss a stunned Levitt for 24. Babar later showed it was no one-off by taking a sharp, low chance to remove the dangerous Bas de Leede for 30.
Backed by Abrar Ahmed’s middle-overs squeeze and Saim Ayub’s late double strike, Pakistan’s fielding remained uncharacteristically airtight. The Men in Green held on to their chances, taking nine catches in total — including safe efforts from wicketkeeper Usman Khan and captain Salman Ali Agha — as the Netherlands collapsed, losing their final seven wickets for just 42 runs after a promising start.
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