Last Updated on 2 months ago by Charbel Coorey
The 2026 T20 World Cup got off to a thrilling start, with Faheem Ashraf activating the ultimate get out of jail card for Pakistan.
Pakistan, chasing 148, were cruising at 98/2 after 11 overs. Then, in an unbelievable passage of play even by Pakistani standards, Salman Agha’s team scored 21 runs and lost five wickets off the next 35 deliveries to leave them needing an improbable 29 off 12 deliveries for victory.
Faheem delivered right when his team needed. He took advantage of questionable tactics from Logan van Beek and the Netherlands, who opted to attempt yorkers rather than slower deliveries into the slow Colombo pitch. van Beek delivered a host of slot deliveries which Faheem treated with disdain, smashing 24 off the penultimate over to get Pakistan to the brink of safety.
However, Faheem enjoyed a huge slice of luck when Max O’Dowd dropped the pivotal chance at long off with 23 needed off 11 at that point. Had that chance been taken, Pakistan’s World Cup campaign would have already been hanging on the edge of a cliff given their boycott of the India match.
Reactions: Faheem Ashraf saves sloppy Pakistan in T20 World Cup opener against the Netherlands
That Pakistan even got themselves into such a precarious position is cause for concern. Their top three packs a punch, but the middle order has work to do in terms of proactivity and strike rotation. Questions remain around Babar Azam’s spot in the XI, especially as he struggled to get going in the middle overs.
Plus, his soft dismissal after Pakistan had just lost the wickets of Sahibzada Farhan (47) and Usman Khan (0) left plenty to be desired. The equation of 48 off 45 balls suited Babar perfectly, and a player of his experience should be expected to see his team home.
Also, Pakistan’s ploy for multiple all-rounders was also in the spotlight as Shadab Khan (8 off 12) and Mohammad Nawaz (6 off 13) struggled as the asking rate climed to above eight an over. All of a sudden, both were dismissed in quick succession leaving Pakistan 114/7 and on the brink of a harrowing defeat.
Faheem then took it upon himself to get the job done. “If you assumed this would be a straightforward chase for Pak the problem is with you,” wrote PTV Sports’ Roha Nadeem on X (formerly Twitter).
“Far from a complete game for Pakistan in this T20 WC opener, if not for Faheem the blame game would have started. 148 to chase, what will happen if the target is 170 plus? 48 dot balls .. strike rates of 83.3,66.6 and 46.15 from the middle order,” wrote presenter Zainab Abbas.
Here are some of the reactions to a thrilling encounter.
Spare a thought for the Netherlands, who had that game in their grasp. They fought back superbly, but couldn’t quite get over the line.
It mirrored their batting effort to a degree. Their first 15 overs was a terrific display of strike rotation and timely boundary-hitting to keep the run rate above eight. However, a flurry of wickets meant they finished with 147 instead of the 160-170 they were on course to achieve. It proved vital in the end.
Next up for Pakistan is the USA, who famously beat them in the 2024 edition. The Netherlands will meet Namibia in what promises to be a fascinating match. Both games will take place on Tuesday February 10 in Colombo and Delhi respectively.
