Faheem Ashraf Heroics Rescue Pakistan From Shock Loss: Pakistan survived a tense scare before Faheem Ashraf’s late fireworks guided them to a three-wicket victory over the Netherlands in their Group A clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on Saturday in Colombo.
Chasing a modest target of 148, Pakistan found themselves under real pressure as the Dutch bowlers mounted a spirited defence. A crucial dropped catch, however, proved decisive, allowing Faheem to finish the job with three balls remaining.
Earlier, after being asked to bat first at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground, the Netherlands showed resilience despite being bowled out on the final delivery of their innings. After losing both openers Max O’Dowd and Michael Levitt early, the middle order steadied the ship. Captain Scott Edwards led from the front with a well-compiled 37, while Bas de Leede and Colin Ackermann added valuable runs to push the total to 147.
Just as the Dutch appeared set for a stronger finish, Pakistan struck back sharply. Saim Ayub broke the momentum with two wickets in the 17th over, and Salman Mirza wrapped up the innings with a double strike at the death to halt the Netherlands’ progress.
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Pakistan’s chase never fully settled. Ayub gave the innings early impetus with a brisk 24, but Aryan Dutta turned the game by removing him and skipper Salman Ali Agha in quick succession. Babar Azam struggled to accelerate and fell for 15 off 18 balls, leaving Pakistan wobbling deep into the chase.
With the pressure mounting and wickets tumbling, the Netherlands sensed an upset. At 119 for 7 after 18 overs, the match hung in the balance. Faheem Ashraf then stepped up, launching a six off Logan van Beek before offering a chance at long-off. O’Dowd failed to hold on, and the miss proved costly as Faheem punished the bowlers in the final moments.
Unbeaten on 29 from just 11 deliveries, Faheem sealed victory with a boundary and was deservedly named player of the match. The narrow win keeps Pakistan alive in the tournament, though their path to the Super 8 remains delicate with no room left for slip-ups.
