Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha had a cheeky smile on his face when asked about India or the ICC ahead of the team’s opening match in the T20 World Cup. Agha came well prepared, knowing full well that the questions asked of him would not be relevant to their match against the Netherlands, which also serves as the curtain-raiser to the tournament.
Pakistan entered the global tournament after being embroiled in a controversy that was not intended for them. Agha stated several times in the pre-match press conference that it was not nice for cricket or cricketers to answer questions about politics before their game. But his answers to non-cricket questions were so eloquent and detailed that one wonders if Pakistan had come to play something more than cricket.
for the uninitiated, Pakistan is set to boycott the group stage match against India. The decision came barely a week before the start of the global tournament, at a time when Bangladesh had already pulled out of the World Cup, citing security threats to its players.
Using the garb of Bangladesh’s withdrawal, Pakistan have used months of simmering build-up – spanning from the Champions Trophy to the Asia Cup to this World Cup – to make a stand that was as political as it was overdue. What was conceived as solidarity has brought great sporting costs.
By opting not to play the match, Pakistan have put themselves in a terrible position in terms of Net Run Rate. Nowadays, almost everyone who watches cricket understands arithmetic. Pakistan will have to surrender their NRR for the entire game, which essentially means zero runs from their 20 overs, a self-inflicted disadvantage in a tournament where margins are already thin and rain threatens to do the rest.
At least two of their remaining matches are under threat of rain, including the curtain-raiser against the Netherlands. Basically, this means that Pakistan are in real danger of being knocked out of the tournament at the group stage. But that wouldn’t be anything new to them, would it? World Cup T20: Pakistan decides to boycott its match against India (PTI Photo)
They were also knocked out in the group stage of the previous World Cup, prompting a massive reaction back home. And yet, without focusing on their cricket, Pakistan have inexplicably become embroiled in a fight that was never theirs.
“In the last two events (Champions Trophy and Asia Cup), more than cricket, we are being asked about other things, which I think is not good because we have come here as sportsmen and we have come to talk about cricket and play cricket. As a team, we are trying not to be affected by these things,” Salman Agha said on Friday, a day before the start of the tournament.
If you watch Salman Agh’s press conferencenow you ask: is this person here to play cricket or is he a mythical warrior trying to right some of the wrongs that have happened in the world?
“We don’t really feel hurt or anything like that,” Agha said of India not traveling to Pakistan for ICC tournaments, citing security concerns outlined by the Indian government.
“But yeah, it’s not good for the game. I can say that I’m open-minded. For the game, obviously, these things shouldn’t happen. And me, growing up as a kid, I always saw people doing what was needed to make the game better. And I think when we do that, we’re role models to a certain extent. We don’t. Because if you do that, then kids think it shouldn’t happen and tomorrow it’s shouldn’t have happened. So I don’t think it should be done tomorrow.” if you think role models, I think role models don’t do this,” Agha said, pinning the blame on India.
It was quite interesting that Agha brought up the pattern argument after Pakistan brokered a deal to play at a neutral venue until 2027.
And it is in this context of rift that Pakistan is currently operating. There’s a lot of talk, a lot of controversy, and not only do they have to face a tricky team in the Netherlands, but they also have to mentally battle the likelihood of rain.
PAK vs NED: Player in the spotlight
There are only two players in the T20 World Cup who created a huge buzz ahead of the tournament. First up is Indian opener Abhishek Sharma. Second is Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq.
An extraordinary player who bowls with a bent arm has sparked controversy, with Cameron Green claiming the bowler is throwing the ball. No word yet from the ICC, but officials will surely be watching him closely.
Agha vociferously defended the spinner, declaring that Tariq should probably hang a tag around his neck saying he’s been cleared in the labs—twice.
What does the Netherlands have to offer?
The Netherlands have always been a difficult team. They have the ability to beat the top teams in the world in their time. The Netherlands upset South Africa at the 2023 World Cupone of the strongest teams in the tournament that year.
The problem is that the Dutch don’t do this very often. And who can blame them for that?
The world of cricket is built in such a way that the strong like to flaunt their influence while the vulnerable are forced to scrape the bottom of the barrel.
You will also see this at this World Cup, when not many will come to watch the lesser-known teams. And that is perhaps where cricket needs to be fixed. One hopes that despite the hype, these teams are slowly climbing the ladder of international cricket.
Colombo pitch and weather report
The first match of the T20 World Cup starts at 11 am. The match is expected to be affected by rain in the second half and the pitch will turn and bounce.
If it comes down to it, it could serve the Netherlands well given that they can’t get into the powerplay against Pakistan, who have much better suited players against the associate nation.
However, the real threat will be rain. If Pakistan end up on the wrong side of the draw, it could land them in immediate trouble.
Pakistan vs. Netherlands: Predicted XI match
Pakistan:
Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman/Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq, Abrar Ahmed
Netherlands:
Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (c & wk), Bas de Leede, Zach Lion-Cachet, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Kyle Klein, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren
Pakistan vs Netherlands: Live Streaming Details
The ICC T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Netherlands will be telecast on Star Sports Network. Live streaming of the match will be available on JioHotstar.
– The end
Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
February 7, 2026
