Colombo: Faheem Ashraf smashed an unbeaten 29 off 11 balls as Pakistan scrambled past the Netherlands by three wickets to avoid a massive shock in the curtain-raiser of the T20 World Cup in Colombo on Saturday.
Pakistan were made to sweat as the Netherlands took a flurry of late wickets to leave them needing 29 off the last two overs with only three wickets in hand at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground.
Faheem then hit 24, including three sixes, off a 19th over that also saw him dropped in the deep by Max O’Dowd and then completed the chase with three balls to spare.
Pakistan’s Saim Ayub (right) plays a shot during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Netherlands and Pakistan in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 7, 2026. (AP)
Pakistan had begun well, racing to 61 for two after the six-over power play.
Sahibzada Farhan looked in prime touch, cracking 47 off 31, but his exit swung the pendulum the Dutch way.
Right-arm quick Paul van Meekeren produced a double-wicket maiden to turn the screws.
When Babar Azam perished in the next over, Pakistan were in trouble having lost three wickets for two runs in the space of 10 deliveries.
Netherlands’ Roelof van der Merwe celebrates the wicket of Pakistan’s Babar Azam (behind) during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Netherlands and Pakistan in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 7, 2026. (AP)
With the chase wobbling, Faheem stitched a priceless unbroken 34-run stand for the eighth wicket with Shaheen Afridi to steady the ship and keep Pakistan afloat.
The 2009 champions can ill afford a defeat in the group stage, having already conceded points against India following a government enforced forfeiture.
Earlier, the Netherlands showed plenty of flair after being put in.
Roared on by around 200 traveling fans, they were in a good position at 127-4 with four overs to go, but Pakistan applied the brakes with the slow men sharing six wickets between them.
Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed (right) celebrates with Babar Azam after taking the wicket of Netherlands’ captain Scott Edwards during the 2026 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup group stage match between Pakistan and Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 7, 2026. (AFP)
Captain Scott Edwards anchored the innings with a polished 37 off 29 balls, but perished when he tried to take the aerial route against leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed.
Part-time spinner Saim Ayub then struck twice in the 17th over before left-arm quick Salman Mirza’s three-wicket burst dismissed the Dutch with one ball to spare.
Pakistan conceded just 20 runs in the final four overs backed up by a razor-sharp performance in the field with several outstanding catches in the deep.
Netherlands’ Kyle Klein celebrates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Mohammad Nawaz during the during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Netherlands and Pakistan in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 7, 2026. (AFP)
Pakistan can ill-afford any slip-ups in the group stage after saying they will not play against India on February 15 on government instructions and forfeiting the points in Group A.
Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka in the 20-team tournament co-hosted by Sri Lanka and defending champions India
