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. 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. 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. 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.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 07, 2026 13:55 UTC