Muhammad Naeem Khan Niazi
LAHORE, Feb 07 (APP): All-rounder Faheem Ashraf played an unbeaten cameo of 29 (11) to take Pakistan home against Netherlands with a victory in a thriller of an opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup as they faced defeat and needed 29 off the last 12 balls at the SSC Colombo on Saturday morning.
Pakistan, after electing to field first by Salman Ali Agha, were chasing down 148 runs and had an excellent start to the innings by scoring 98-2 off 11 overs but things went awry when they lost five wickets for 16 runs off 31 balls between the 12th and 17th over. As had been the case with Pakistan on several previous occasions to lose advantage and push themselevs into a precarious situation on the cricket field, the Colombo affair was not a different one and Pakistan were unconvincing in batting and finishing the game before the unlikely savious Faheem Ashraf rose to the occasion.
Faheem Ashraf, who was playing his first ICC T20 World Cup match at the twilight of his career, was not required to bowl in the match but he was badly needed to bat and bat with distinction as Pakistan looked to lose against a team which is known as a giant-killer. Faheem Ashraf did oblige his team as he single-handedly won the match for Pakistan on a sluggish pitch.
The Lahore-based all-rounder hit Logan van Beek for 24 runs off the penultimate over of the match as he snatched victory from the throes of defeat with a boundary over the deep extra cover off Bas de Leede with three balls to spare off the 20th over.
Faheem Ashraf’s Player of the Match performance has justified coach Mike Hesson’s preference for all-rounders to specialist batters in a white-ball contingent as Faheem hit three lofty 6s and two boundaries in a short knock of 11 balls. He was lucky to get a life on the second ball of Beek’s penultimate over after he was dropped by Dowd at long on. Mike Hesson has been outspoken about his choices and preference to pick quality all-rounders to make an impact in a game of cricket. He has been vociferously criticized by the Pakistanis for this but he has remained steadfast in his choices.
Though the rest of the two, and three if we include Shaheen Shah Afridi, middle-order all-rounders like Shadab Khan and Muhammad Nawaz failed with the bat, it was Faheem Ashraf’s day who made the selectors proud. Faheem Ashraf’s selection has also come under the scanner and has been alleged of forcing his way into the world cup squad without strong credentials.
The platform is the right opportunity for the all-rounder to prove his detractors wrong with good form and a stroke of good-luck.
In the post-match interview with the broadcaster Faheem Ashraf acknowledged how luck was important to design a knock, adding that he every tissue of the batter’s flesh wishes badly for a miracle and get a life after playing a stroke uppishly and the same were his feelings when he hoisted Beek towards the long-on boundary on the second ball of the 18th. “The wish was granted by the Heavens and Faheem Ashraf turned the tables on Netherlands who looked to give Pakistan a surprise.”
Pakistan had a fluent start to the innings as Saim Ayub played fluently and scored 24 off 13 balls for the first wicket partnership of 27 runs with Sahibzada Farhan. Slaman Agha, who has carved a new role for himself at No. 3 position, could hit 12 runs off 8 balls as Pakistan were able to score 52 runs in 4.5 overs. Farhan and Babar Azam partnered for 45 runs to held Pakistan reach 98-2 but then the collapse started which reduced the team total to 114 in 16.1 overs for the loss of seven wickets.
Paul van Meekren was the chief decimator as he bowled a double-wicket maiden over to claim the scalps of Sahibzada Farhan 47 (31) and Usman Khan 0 (2). With the pressure building up, Babar Azam 15 (18) who had played a sedate knock so far in the presence of Farhan took on the left-arm orthodox Roelof van der Merwe and tried to break and shackle and hit the spinner out of the park but played in the hands of Klein at long off.
It has become a familiar sight now to see Babar Azam holing out to a spinner and the ace batter will need a spectacular knock in the T20 World Cup to keep up to his reputation as a top T20I run-getter and save his position in the national side beyond the world cup.
Shadab Khan 8 (12) and Mohammad Nawaz 6 (13) were dismissed by the Netherlands quicks through some deft death-overs bowling. Shaheen Shah Afridi 5 (9), through unbeaten, was as listless in batting as he was in bowling when he conceded 28-1 off three overs while opening the bowling for Pakistan.
Netherlands had similar fortunes in batting when they scored 105-4 in the 13th over but they could score only 42 runs in the next 43 balls and were all out for 147-10 with one ball to spare. Captain Sott Edwards 37 (29) was the most successful bowler for the Netherlands while Michael Levit 24 (15), Bas de Leede 30 (25) and Colin Ackerman 20 (14) were the other contributors to the team total. The Netherlands looked to score big by the middle of the innings but they lost the advantage through some good bowling by the Pakistan bowlers who reduced them to 147-10.
Newcomer Salman Mirza was the most successful bowler for Pakistan who pucker three wickets for 24 runs off 3.5 overs while Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz and Saim Ayub picked a brace for 23, 38 and 7 runs respectively. Abrar and Nawaz completed his quota of four overs while Saim bowled only one over. Shadab Khan was the only unsuccessful bowler for Pakistan.
With Pakistan giving a scare to its fans after they provided an opportunity to the Netherlands to sneak through their defenses and strengthen their reputation as world-beaters. One feels perplexed to find that Pakistan captain Salman Agha opted to field first after winning the toss on the slow and sluggish Sri Lankan pitches, especially after having batted first after winning the toss on all three occasions in the recently concluded home T20I series against Australia.
With two points from the win, Pakistan sit atop the table which include India, USA and Namibia. Pakistan will play their next match against USA on February 10 (Wednesday) at the same venue. USA had beaten Pakistan in the last match they came across each other in the ICC t20 World Cup 2024 in teh West Indies and USA.