Pakistan lock horns against the Netherlands to kick off the T20 World Cup 2026 as the two teams meet each other at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo. Pakistan, the 2022 runners-up, are in Group A in 2026.
The Men in Green face the Netherlands in the tournament opener and will look to get the better of the Dutch. However, Pakistan are missing their star batter Fakhar Zaman from the Playing XI.
Why is Fakhar not playing?
Fakhar has been dropped from the Playing XI due to the team combinations. Speaking in the press conference a day ahead of the tournament, captain Salman Ali Agha had stated that they would be ready to drop Babar Azam and Fakhar if they don't fit in the team.
"Jo best combination hain, hum wohi khilane ki koshish karenge (We will try to play the best combination)," Agha had said in the press conference.
"Usme agar koi senior players, Fakhar or Babar fit nahi hote toh hum unko nahi khilayenge (If senior players like Fakhar or Babar don't fit into that combination, we won't play them). Hum wohi khilayenge jo team ke liye best hain (We will play only those who are best for the team)."
Coming to the match, Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first. "We are gonna bowl first. It's a fresh pitch and there's rain around for a few days. So we just wanted to see if there's any moisture and we want to use that. For the first time I have seen so much grass in Sri Lanka. We have spinners and fast bowlers who can do the job here as well. So, we are playing three pacers and we have all-rounders for the spin department. They (Netherlands) are a very good side. They have played good cricket and we'll just focus on our strengths. We want to ensure we execute our plans and if we do that, we are good enough to beat any side," Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said at the toss.
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