Pakistan nearly avoided a loss against the Netherlands in the first T20 World Cup 2026 match in Colombo on Saturday. Choosing to bowl first, Pakistan dismissed the Netherlands for 147, with Salman Mirza taking three wickets.  

In response, Pakistan got off to a flying start, with Sahibzada Farhan scoring 47 off 31 deliveries and Saim Ayub making 24 runs. However, the Netherlands immediately recovered, collecting wickets in short succession and turning the game on its head. With two overs remaining, Pakistan required 29 runs to win with only three wickets in hand.

Faheem Ashraf survived a pivotal moment in the 19th over as Max O'Dowd failed to make a critical catch. Taking advantage of the lifeline, Ashraf (29* in 11 balls) led Pakistan to victory with three balls remaining after smashing 24 runs in the over.

Former cricket player Basit Ali chastised the batters for their subpar play after Pakistan avoided a humiliating loss.

"Pakistan bach gaya bhai! (Pakistan just about survived). When Shaheen Shah Afridi is called in to bat, you can imagine what Pakistan's batting did in that game. Bad batsmanship by the middle order, especially Babar Azam, Nawaz, and Shadab Khan. These are experienced players. They have played not just in leagues across the world but also in the Pakistan Super League. Today, they did not become heroes for Pakistan; they ended up being zeroes," former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali said on Game Plan.

"Who is a match-changer in the Pakistan team? What are you going to say to a country's fans who get happy when a wicket falls just because it means that Babar Azam will come to bat? But then Babar comes and goes. Today's star for Pakistan was Faheem Ashraf, who came in at No. 8. Baaki batsman chanafali bech rahe the kya? (Were the rest of the batters selling peanuts?" he added.

Pakistan will face off against the USA in their next T20 World Cup 2026 game on February 10 in Colombo.