Pakistan narrowly avoided a catastrophic start to their T20 World Cup campaign, clinching a three-wicket victory over the Netherlands in a match that redefined the term “emotional rollercoaster.” What looked like a routine chase turned into a nerve-shredding battle of wills, decided only by a dramatic penultimate over and a crucial dropped catch.
Faheem Ashraf: From Survivor to Match-Winner
With the game slipping through Pakistan’s fingers and the asking rate skyrocketing to nearly 15 runs per over, Faheem Ashraf emerged as the unlikely hero. Entering the 19th over, Pakistan looked paralyzed by the pressure, having managed only 21 runs in the preceding seven overs. The collapse was so sudden and severe that an early tournament exit seemed like a genuine possibility.
The turning point arrived when Logan van Beek took the ball for the penultimate over. After being dispatched for a massive six, van Beek appeared to have outsmarted Faheem with a slower ball. Faheem’s mistimed scoop hung in the air toward long-on, where Max O’Dowd settled under it. In a moment that will haunt the Dutch side, the ball popped out of O’Dowd’s grasp. Given a second life, Faheem didn’t hesitate, plundering two more sixes and a boundary to effectively end the contest and spare Pakistan from a historic embarrassment.
Dutch Grit and Pakistan’s Mid-Innings Collapse
The Netherlands will feel this was a missed opportunity, especially after a disciplined bowling performance nearly pulled off the upset of the tournament. After Pakistan cruised to 98 for 2 in 11 overs, the wheels fell off. Paul van Meekeren sparked the panic with a double-wicket maiden, and veteran Roelof van der Merwe turned the screws with a sensational diving catch and the key wicket of Babar Azam. Pakistan’s “run-scoring amnesia” saw them go from comfortable favorites to frantic underdogs in the span of a few overs.
Earlier in the day, the Netherlands posted 147, a total that arguably should have been higher. They were flying at 127 for 4, thanks to contributions from Scott Edwards (37) and Bas de Leede (30). However, the Pakistani bowlers found their rhythm at the death. Salman Mirza (3-24) and the spin duo of Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub triggered a collapse that saw the Dutch lose their final six wickets for just 20 runs.
While Babar Azam’s side took the points, the match served as a stark warning: despite playing 34 T20Is in the lead-up to this tournament to ensure “readiness,” the Green Shirts remain a side capable of both brilliance and inexplicable panic. For the Netherlands, it was a display of heart and tactical sharpness that suggests they will be a dangerous opponent for anyone else in the group.
