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Netherlands

Faheem Ashraf’s blistering knock seals thrilling win for Pakistan over Netherlands

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Faheem Ashraf

COLOMBO: Pakistan registered a narrow three-wicket victory over the Netherlands in a thrilling opener of the ICC T20 World Cup, powered by Faheem Ashraf’s explosive late-innings performance.

Chasing the target set by the Netherlands, Pakistan’s innings got off to a shaky start as Saif Ayub fell for 24 runs off 13 balls, hitting four boundaries and a six. Sahibzada Farhan and captain Salman Ali Agha also fell cheaply, with Agha contributing just 12 runs to the total of 53 before being caught by Aryan Dutt. Farhan added 46 runs but was dismissed alongside Usman Khan, both falling to Paul van Meekeren in the same over. Babar Azam was caught by Van der Merwe in the following over, leaving Pakistan in trouble.

Middle-order contributions were limited, with Mohammad Nawaz (6 off 13 balls) and Shadab Khan (8 off 12 balls) failing to stabilize the innings.

Pakistan had lost seven wickets when Faheem Ashraf unleashed a stormy knock of 29 runs off 11 balls, smashing three sixes and two fours to steer his team to its first victory of the tournament.

Earlier, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha had won the toss and elected to field, putting the Netherlands in to bat first.

Netherlands Innings:

Openers Michael Leut and Max O’Dowd gave the Dutch team a solid start with 28 runs, but O’Dowd fell for 5 to Salman Mirza. Leut was dismissed for 24 runs by Mohammad Nawaz, while Colin Ackermann (20) and Bas de Leede (30) were also among the key wickets, with de Leede falling to Nawaz.

Pakistan’s bowlers staged a remarkable comeback, taking six wickets for just 20 runs in the latter stages. Salman Mirza claimed three wickets, Saif Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, and Mohammad Nawaz took two each, and Shaheen Afridi added one wicket via a catch by Agha. The Netherlands were bowled out for 147 runs, well short of an expected 160–170.

Top scorers for the Netherlands were captain Scott Edwards (37), Bas de Leede (30), Michael Leut (24), and Colin Ackermann (20).

Pakistan will now look to carry this momentum into their upcoming group-stage matches against Namibia, the Netherlands, and the United States.

Netherlands defeat Pakistan in goal-filled Pro Hockey League clash

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Netherlands defeat

SANTIAGO: In the ongoing Pro Hockey League in Santiago, Argentina, Pakistan faced its third consecutive defeat during the first phase of the tournament.

The Netherlands defeated Pakistan 7-3 in the third match, adding to Pakistan’s earlier losses against Argentina (3-2) and Netherlands (5-2).

During the match, Muhammad Sufyan Khan scored two goals and Rana Waheed Ashraf added one, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win.

Pakistan is scheduled to play its fourth match against host Argentina on December 15, aiming to recover in the tournament.

The team has struggled to find form, facing tough competition from both the Netherlands and Argentina, as they look to improve results in upcoming matches.