ISLAMABAD: Skipper Salman Ali Agha will be wary of the challenge a spirited USA can pose for his side on Tuesday as Pakistan face the minnows for their second T20 World Cup clash in Colombo tonight.
Pakistan will look to avenge their shock 2024 World Cup loss to USA when the latter beat the Asian giants in a thriller that went down to the Super Over. Pakistan lost their other fixture against India after the shock defeat, crashing out of the 2024 World Cup in the early stage.
Agha’s side were headed for yet another World Cup upset on Saturday against the Netherlands if it were not for Faheem Ashraf’s penultimate over heroics, who sealed the game for the Green Shirts with stellar power hitting. The USA, on the other hand, gave a tough time to India in their opening World Cup fixture last week. The defending champions were struggling at 77-6 at one point in time before skipper Suryakumar Yadav rescued them with an unbeaten 84-run knock.
“Another exciting day of #T20WorldCup cricket,” the International Cricket Council (ICC) wrote on social media platform X.
Apart from the Pakistan fixture, New Zealand take on UAE while Namibia face the Netherlands in the World Cup fixtures today.
USA leg-spinner Mohammad Mohsin said on Monday that the pressure will be on Pakistan when the two sides take the field on Tuesday.
“The pressure of losing the last game will be on Pakistan,” he said. “I have played with most of the players in this Pakistan team, so I have given my input to the team and we are a more skilled and confident team.”
The match is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time.
After the USA fixture, Pakistan will face India on Feb. 15 for a high-octane World Cup clash after the Pakistani government announced it was ending its boycott and would face their arch-rivals on the cricket field.
The decision was taken after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Monday and was briefed on negotiations between Pakistan’s cricket board, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and other stakeholders on Sunday.
Pakistan had announced on Feb. 1 it was pulling out of its World Cup match against India due to the ICC’s decision of replacing Bangladesh with Scotland. Bangladesh had said it would not play its World Cup matches in India owing to security fears and requested different venues. The ICC refused, drawing sharp protests from Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) earlier thanked the PCB, ICC and all others for their positive roles in trying to “overcome recent challenges,” particularly thanking PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistani cricket fans for demonstrating “exemplary sportsmanship and solidarity.”
An India-Pakistan fixture is the sport’s most lucrative asset, generating a massive share of global broadcasting and sponsorship revenue.
