T20 World Cup: 'Should have sent Pakistan home' - Netherlands left distraught after defeat in tense match

Netherlands' captain Scott Edwards, right, congratulates Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi after Pakistan won their T20 World Cup cricket match against Netherlands in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP)

The Netherlands were left distraught after a heartbreaking defeat against Pakistan in their T20 World Cup opener, with right-arm pacer Paul van Meekeren saying the match slipped away due to poor execution in the final overs rather than Pakistan outplaying them. Chasing 148, Pakistan were 90 for 2 at the halfway mark but then lost wickets quickly to slip to 114 for 7 in 16.1 overs, still needing 34 runs. At that point, Pakistan appeared close to defeat. However, Faheem Ashraf, who came in at No. 8 and was dropped on 7, changed the game. He scored an unbeaten 29 off 11 balls. Pakistan needed 29 from the final two overs when Ashraf hit three sixes and a four off Logan van Beek, before finishing the chase with a four in the last over. Pakistan reached 148 for 7 in 19.3 overs. Max O’Dowd dropped Ashraf on seven off the second ball of the 19th over. "I mean, I want to be very clear. Pakistan didn't win the game today. We lost the game against ourselves," van Meekeren said at the post-match press conference. "…we just probably didn't execute the way we wanted to. Yeah, you know, these World Cup moments, it's small margins, sometimes one ball. But yeah, it's just a very disappointed feeling at the moment." Also read: How Pakistan's T20 World Cup nearly ended on day one Van Meekeren said the Netherlands were a few runs short of a winning total but praised the team’s effort. "I'm very proud of the guys. I think we probably didn't get the runs on the board that we wanted, but to fight back after a strong start from Pakistan with the bat that shows how the culture that we've created in the team and they never give up. "We weren't a better team today, especially in the bowling department. And we should have deserved to win the game. And there were moments. There was moments in the back. You got yourself to about 123 for 4 after 15 overs." He still credited Pakistan for staying calm and seeing the match through. "I think the one thing I have to give Pakistan credit for is taking the game deep. I mean, we should have probably done it with the bat. Maybe taking the innings a little bit deeper," he said. "Because you can see what you can do if you've got a batsman who's in the last two overs and be able to take a bit more risk. But I think the conditions were very nice for us to ball to. And I mean, there was a lot of pressure on Pakistan in those last few overs." Van Meekeren said the Netherlands would move on and focus on their next match against Namibia. "So obviously, there are a few guys who are actually disappointed in the change room. But we stand behind them. We back them all the way for the next game to turn it around. "They don't even need to turn it around, just to be the best they can be and win the next game for us against Namibia," he said. He identified the dropped catch of Ashraf as the key moment. "Probably the last real recognised batter, that's it. First ball goes for six and he (Max O’Dowd) dropped the catch. And then after that, it's six, six, four, something like that." "We lost against ourselves. We deserved to win that game. We should have sent, potentially, Pakistan home after today," he added.

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