PAK vs NED: Pakistan and the Netherlands are set to launch the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 when they meet in the tournament opener on February 7 at Colombo's SSC Ground.
Pakistan head into the event on the back of a dominant 3-0 T20I series victory over Australia, giving Salman Ali Agha's team strong momentum. However, they must tread carefully, as their decision to forfeit the Group A fixture against India could negatively affect their net run-rate and overall standing.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands have struggled for results in recent T20 matches, including warm-up games, and will be eager to turn their fortunes around with a strong start against the 2009 champions.
Pakistan vs Netherlands Team News
Pakistan omitted Sahibzada Farhan in their previous outing, though indications
suggest he could be brought back into the XI. With conditions at the venue likely to favour spin, the team is expected to rely heavily on slower bowlers and may go in with only two specialist pacers. Meanwhile, Babar Azam's position has been a topic of debate, but considering the management's continued backing in recent games, it seems unlikely that he will be left out now.
On the other hand, Michael Levitt did not quite make the impact he had hoped for during his maiden T20 World Cup appearance in 2024. However, the 22-year-old has since developed into one of Netherlands' most promising T20 talents. He already ranks as the country's fifth-leading run-getter in T20 internationals and boasts the best strike rate in Dutch T20I history among players with at least 500 runs, scoring at 142.20. Levitt first grabbed attention with two fifties during a 2024 tri-series involving Canada and the USA, before delivering an outstanding performance in a tri-series in Scotland the following year, where he amassed 232 runs in just four innings - finishing well ahead of the rest of the field. Although he hasn't featured regularly in senior fixtures lately, the aggressive opener has demonstrated the firepower and skillset that could make him a major threat in a tournament like this.
Pakistan vs Netherlands Playing 11
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (capt), 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 (capt, wk), Bas de Leede, Zach Lion-Cachet, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Kyle Klein, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren.
