The 2009 champions flirted with disaster before scraping past the Netherlands in a self-inflicted thriller in their T20 World Cup 2026 opener in Colombo on Saturday, February 7.
What should have been a routine chase of 148 turned into a nerve-shredder, before a late burst from Faheem Ashraf dragged Pakistan home with wickets and deliveries to spare. Pakistan were firmly in control for most of the chase, cruising along before a sudden collapse transformed comfort into chaos. A cluster of wickets in the middle overs left the pursuit wobbling, and at one stage improbably out of reach.
Fortune eventually tilted Pakistan’s way. Faheem, the last recognised batter, was dropped on 7 off the second ball of the penultimate over, with 23 required from 11 deliveries and only three wickets in hand. Max O’Dowd spilled the chance off Logan van Beek — an error the Dutch would come to rue. Given a lifeline, Faheem went on the offensive, smashing two sixes and a boundary to slash the equation to five off the final over.
“We always seem to do it the hard way,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha admitted afterwards.
“Credit to Faheem. With the ball, we were happy with 147 on this pitch. In the first 10 overs we batted well, but once wickets fell, pressure crept in. When batters get set, they have to finish games — we didn’t do that today.”
The win was crucial for Pakistan’s tournament hopes, particularly with uncertainty looming over their February 15 fixture against India. A defeat on opening night would have seriously dented their Super 8 prospects, especially with the threat of forfeiting points later in the group stage.
Pakistan — organised, briefly
For most of the afternoon, Pakistan appeared almost unrecognisable. They bowled with discipline, fielded cleanly and avoided their usual lapses. Nine catches were taken — including a spectacular boundary effort from Babar Azam — as the Netherlands were restricted to 147 after a promising start.
At 98 for 2 in the 11th over, Pakistan looked set for a comfortable finish.
Then came the inevitable twist.
Between overs 10 and 15, the chase stalled completely. Pakistan scored just 21 runs, lost three wickets, and went 29 balls without finding the boundary. Momentum vanished, pressure mounted, and belief seeped into the Dutch camp.
The slowdown began with the dismissal of Sahibzada Farhan, who had played a stabilising hand of 31 off 47 balls. Paul van Meekeren’s sharp bouncer ended his innings, but even then Pakistan seemed well placed.
- That illusion didn’t last.
- Babar’s struggle deepens the crisis
Babar Azam, dropped from Pakistan’s T20I plans last year, found scoring difficult through the middle overs, managing 14 from 18 deliveries. Wasim Akram, watching from the commentary box, sensed trouble early, questioning the tempo of Babar’s partnership with Farhan.
Babar fell in the 13th over, unable to accelerate, and Pakistan’s control slipped further.
At 100 for 5, the Netherlands tightened the noose. Van Meekeren and Roelof van der Merwe applied sustained pressure, and when Shadab Khan (8) and Mohammad Nawaz (6) fell in quick succession, Pakistan were suddenly staring at an opening-match defeat for the second successive T20 World Cup.
- Faheem, however, had other ideas.
- Pakistan sharp in the field
Earlier, Pakistan had laid the foundation with an efficient bowling and fielding display. Fast bowler Salman Mirza impressed after coming in for Naseem Shah, finishing with three wickets.
The spinners kept things under control. Nawaz (2 for 38), Abrar Ahmed (2 for 23) and Saim Ayub (2 for 7) ensured the Netherlands never fully cashed in on their start, while Shadab remained economical despite going wicketless.
The standout moment came in the fourth over. Michael Levitt, in full flow, launched Mohammad Nawaz towards long-off, only for Babar Azam to sprint back, pluck the ball inches from the rope and flick it back into play before losing balance. Shaheen Afridi completed the relay catch to dismiss Levitt for 24. Babar later added another sharp catch to remove Bas de Leede for 30.
Pakistan took all nine chances offered. After reaching a strong position, the Netherlands lost their final seven wickets for 42 runs, undone by sustained pressure and uncharacteristically clean fielding from Pakistan. In the end, Pakistan won — just. But as ever, they ensured the journey was far more dramatic than it ever needed to be.
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