Pakistan face Netherlands tomorrow to begin their T20 World Cup journey

By Alam Zeb Safi
COLOMBO: Pakistan will open their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on Saturday, looking to make a strong start after a first round exit in the previous edition of the tournament held in the United States and West Indies.
Pakistan have been placed in Group A alongside the Netherlands, India, Namibia and the United States. However, Pakistan will not play against India, with their group fixture scheduled for February 15 in Colombo set to be forfeited.
The decision follows controversy earlier in the build up to the tournament after Bangladesh were removed from the World Cup when the International Cricket Council (ICC) declined their request to relocate their matches from India to Sri Lanka. Bangladesh had sought the change after security concerns were raised by their board over playing in India and the ICC’s board voted 14-2 to replace them with Scotland rather than reschedule venues.
On Sunday the Pakistan government said the national team would participate in the World Cup but would not take the field against India. Pakistan’s prime minister Mian Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif latter while addressing his cabinet members described the stance as a well-thought-out to uphold principles in sport and to stand with Bangladesh.
Speaking at a press conference in Colombo on Thursday Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said the matter was beyond the players’ control and that the team remained focused on the tournament.
“The India match is not in our control,” Agha said. “It is a government decision and we respect it. Our focus is on the other matches we will play in the group.”
Pakistan will play their matches in Sri Lanka where conditions are expected to favour spin. Agha said familiarity with the conditions could work in the team’s favour.
“We know these conditions well and the players are comfortable here,” he said. “The focus has been on adapting quickly and making good decisions on the field.”
“Past is past, it’s a new team, new combination and I hope desired results will be produced,’ said Agha who is in sublime form.
Pakistan are in top form while entering into the global event. They whitewashed Australia at home recently, their second whitewash of Aussies in the last seven years since beating them 3-0 in a series in UAE in 2018.
Part-time spinner Saim Ayub could play an important role with the ball after impressing in recent months, highlighting his value as a flexible bowling option in subcontinental conditions.
Agha also warned against underestimating associate sides, pointing to the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket.
“In this format, no team can be taken lightly,” he said.
Pakistan will be keen to start strongly against the Netherlands to avoid early pressure in a group stage where margins for error are limited.
Pakistan did not get the right taste of the conditions before going to the game as their warm-up show against Ireland was called-off before the toss due to rain.
However on Friday the brigade did good training ahead of their opener.
Pakistan’s entire squad is in terrific form. And the best thing is that the skipper Salman Ali Agha was ruthless with the willow, hammering Australian bowlers with ease at home series at Lahore recently. And such kind of confidence will help him to marshal his brigade well in the event which matters the most.
Babar Azam, who hit an unbeaten fifty against Australia in the last game, should be the key in Sri Lankan conditions.
The morning is expected to remain cloudy, with temperatures around 31°C. Humidity levels will stay high at approximately 77 percent, with southeast winds blowing at 11 km/h and gusts reaching 32 km/h.
Despite dense cloud cover of nearly 88 percent, the chance of precipitation remains low, and no rainfall is expected during the morning hours.
The Sinhalese Sports Club Ground will also host Pakistan’s remaining two group-stage matches against the USA on February 10 and Namibia on February 18.
Pakistan and the Netherlands have faced each other twice with the former winning both encounters.
Pakistan squad – ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Abrar Ahmed, Sahibzada Farhan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Khawaja Nafay
Group A: India, Pakistan. Netherlands, USA, Namibia
Group B: Australia, Ireland, Oman, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe
Group C: England, Italy, Nepal, Scotland, West Indies
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, UAE

Pakistan’s matches schedule
Pakistan v Netherlands (Feb 7) at Colombo (SSC) 11am
Pakistan v United States (Feb 10) at Colombo (SSC) 7pm
Pakistan v India (Feb 15) at Colombo (RPS) 7pm
Pakistan v Namibia (Feb 18) at Colombo (SSC) 3pm