Faheem Ashraf (PTI Photo) Faheem Ashraf produced a stunning late cameo to rescue Pakistan from the abyss, smashing an unbeaten 29 off just 11 balls to script a dramatic three-wicket win over the Netherlands in their T20 World Cup opener on Saturday.Chasing 148, Pakistan looked well at 90 for 2 at the halfway mark before suffering a dramatic collapse that saw them slip to 114 for 7 in 16.1 overs, still needing 34 runs. With the emphasis on the Netherlands, the match seemed all but decided – until Ashraf turned the game on its head.
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Ashraf fell for seven in the 19th over from Max O’Dowd and made the Dutch pay dearly. Needing 29 from the last two overs, he dropped Logan van Beek for three towering sixes and a four before closing the chase with a boundary in the penultimate over as Pakistan finished on 148 for 7 with three balls to spare.Pakistan’s build-up to the tournament has been dominated by off-field issues following their board’s decision to boycott the February 15 marquee clash against India, despite a recent 3-0 home T20I series win over a depleted Australia. At the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, the venue for the first T20I since 2010, the 2009 champions toiled but eventually found a way.Sahibzada Farhan top-scored with 47 off 31 balls, while opener Saim Ayub added a brisk 24 off 13. However, senior batsman Babar Azam struggled with fluency, managing 15 off 18 balls and skipper Salman Agha managed 12 off eight.From a comfortable 98 for 2 after 11 overs, Pakistan unraveled quickly. Paul van Meekeren struck twice in the 12th over, dismissing Farhan and Usman Khan before Babar fell in the following over. In a stunning passage, Pakistan lost three wickets for just two runs after 10 balls to slump to 100 for 5. Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan soon followed to tighten the noose even more.Earlier, the Netherlands showed promise after being sent into bat, reaching 50 for 2 at the end of the over and 79 for 3 at half-time. A 40-run stand between captain Scott Edwards (37 off 29) and Bas de Leede (30 off 25) guided them to a bigger total.But the Pakistani bowlers skillfully pulled everything back. Salman Mirza led the charge with 3 for 24 while Mohammad Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed struck crucial blows in the middle overs. From 105 for 3, the Dutch slumped to 129 for 7 as wickets fell in bunches. Saim Ayub’s off-spin then finished the job, removing Logan van Beek and Zach Lion-Cachet in quick succession as the Netherlands were bowled out for 147 in 19.5 overs.In the end, Ashraf’s late thunderbolt proved decisive and saved Pakistan’s blushes in a match that revolved wildly till the final moments.
