Pakistan vs Netherlands T20 World Cup 2026 Predicted Playing 11: Fakhar Zaman, Usman Tariq OUT, Salman Ali Agha says Babar Azam needs…

Salman Ali Agha dropped a massive hint that experienced opening batter Fakhar Zaman could be dropped for Pakistan’s opening Group A match of the T20 World Cup 2026 against the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) ground on Saturday. The 35-year-old Fakhar has scored 2385 runs in 117 T20I matches so far with 13 fifties to his name but only has a modest strike-rate of around 130.

The left-handed opener also failed with the bat in the three-match T20I series against Australia, managing to score only 25 runs across three innings. Fakhar didn’t enjoy a great time in the ILT20 2025-26 season with the Desert Vipers either, scoring 260 runs in 12 matches at an average of 21.66 with a strike-rate of 124.4.

“I think that we have come here as a team of 15 and we will try to play the best combination. Now in that if any senior player or Fakhar or Babar does not fit, then we will not play them. We will play that which is best for the team. And Fakhar, I think, has performed a lot for Pakistan in the last 10 years,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said about Fakhar Zaman.

Pakistan are set to try out young Khawaja Nafay in place of Fakhar Zaman for the opening fixture. Nafay is only 23 years of age and played in the third T20I match against Australia last week. He has a strike-rate of over 174 in his brief career.

Salman Ali Agha also hinted that former captain Babar Azam needs to work on his strike-rate in T20I cricket. “He (Babar Azam) has been working on his game. Because he knows he needs to up his game. Which is good. If the batter knows and he’s trying, that’s all you can do. And he’s a very, very key player for us in these conditions. Because he’s someone who will hold the world and give us stability. That’s his role is going to be. And he’s a key player for us. If he’s in form and scoring runs, Pakistan will mostly win games,” Salman Ali Agha said about Babar Azam.

In the bowling department, Pakistan are likely to Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz ahead of off-spinner Usman Tariq, who has a rather controversial side-arm bowling action. Pacer Salman Mirza is expected to get the nod ahead of Naseem Shah to partner Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Netherlands, on the other hand, have never played a T20I match in Sri Lanka. They will be banking on their experienced skipper Scott Edwards and Michael Levitt, who has notched up 314 runs in 8 T20Is since 2025 at an average of 39.2 and a strike rate of 139.6, including two half-centuries.

 

Colombo is quiet unpredictable.. Rain has disrupted Netherlands practice session before Tournament opener against Pakistan tomorrow#T20WorldCup #Cricket #PAKvNED pic.twitter.com/6Sr9I3peLq

— Shakeel Khan Khattak (@ShakeelktkKhan) February 6, 2026

Pakistan vs Netherlands ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Group A match no 1 Predicted 11

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed

Netherlands: Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Colin Ackermann, Noah Croes, Scott Edwards (c and wk), Bas de Leede, Roelof van der Merwe, Saqib Zulfiqar, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Fred Klaassen