Whether or not to play Sunday’s match has been more than just a question for Pakistan over the past few days. But now that the dust has settled, it’s time for the 2009 champions to ensure they are in top form heading into India.Push boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!Last Saturday’s match against Netherlands made it clear that things are not going well for Pakistan at the moment. It was just a stroke of fate that they had the second-best finish for most of that game and they were off to a winning start to the season.
They will take on a United States team at the Sinhala Sports Complex on Tuesday night, a team full of confidence after a good performance against India at the Wankhede Stadium. In the last World Cup, the United States sent Pakistan home from the group stage with a Super Series victory in Dallas. Mohammed Mohsin, the American leg-breaking bowler originally from Pakistan, recalled that match in 2024 even though he did not play in it.“If anything, we are a stronger team than we were then. If you look at the ODI World Cup qualifying table, we are on top now. We hope to win tomorrow,” Mohsin said, indicating that the team will not be beaten easily.For Pakistan, their biggest problem against the Netherlands is their shaky middle order. Paisman Salman Mirza said the match was an “eye-opener”. “We will try not to make the same mistake. We will learn from it and play good cricket,” Salman said.It will be interesting to see if the team sticks with its veteran stars Babar Azam In middle order. The No. 4 batsman, he scored 15 off 18 balls, but got out at the wrong time and put the team into a slump. Babar joins the team with the aim of bringing stability to the midfield order, something they sorely lacked at the Asian Cup six months ago.Statistics:
- 5 – Wickets needed
Shaheen Shah Afridi (129) Became Pak’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is. Haris Rauf has 133 wickets and is the top wicket-taker. - 4 – A wicket required by Mohammad Nawaz (96) to complete a century of wickets in T20Is.
