The Netherlands came within touching distance of one of the great Twenty20 World Cup upsets before Faheem Ashraf’s late fireworks dragged Pakistan over the line in a tense three-wicket win in their Group A clash at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club on Saturday.
Asked to bat first, the Dutch were dismissed for 147 with one ball remaining, a total that appeared modest but proved anything but straightforward under mounting pressure.
Pakistan’s chase lurched alarmingly before Faheem’s unbeaten 29 from just 11 deliveries swung the contest. Dropped in the deep at a critical juncture, the all-rounder made the Netherlands pay, sealing victory with three balls to spare to leave captain Salman Agha visibly relieved.
“They managed to pull wickets down and the pressure came in,” Agha said. “Credit to Faheem, the way he batted.”
Pakistan’s route to the Super 8 stage leaves little margin for error after their decision to boycott their group fixture against India. That context only heightened the anxiety as a pursuit of 148 unravelled.
Earlier, the Netherlands had built a promising platform, reaching 100 in the 13th over despite losing openers Max O’Dowd and Michael Levitt in quick succession. Bas de Leede struck 30, Colin Ackermann added 20 and captain Scott Edwards top-scored with 37 in a display of defiance.
Yet their innings stalled dramatically at the death. Six wickets tumbled for 20 runs in the final 24 balls as Pakistan’s bowlers wrested back control. Saim Ayub claimed two wickets in the 17th over, while Salman Mirza’s 3-24 included two strikes in the 20th to restrict the damage.
Ayub then launched Pakistan’s reply with a brisk 24 featuring four boundaries and a six, but Aryan Dutta’s twin blows – removing Ayub and Agha – reignited Dutch belief. Babar Azam’s 18-ball 15 did little to quieten debate around his tempo, and at 119-7 after 18 overs, Pakistan were wobbling.
Faheem’s decisive moment came against Logan van Beek. After launching a six, he miscued the next ball high towards long-off, only for O’Dowd to spill the chance. A four soon followed, and with it Dutch hopes.
“Credit to the boys for fighting,” Edwards said. “You know, sometimes cricket can be a cruel game.”
