What. A. Game. That should not have gotten anywhere as nervy as it should have, but thank goodness it did. It was T20s fast-forwarding the ebb and flow process like only it can, and this is just the opener. Lots more action coming up, Scotland take on West Indies and that starts in minutes. Do check that out. Thanks for tuning in here. Goodbye.
Salman Agha, Pakistan captain We have to do it the hard way. Credit to Faheem. We tried well, knew they'd come hard. Held things really well. 147 we'd take on this pitch. Spinners have done well in the last six months. First ten overs we batted well, then the two wickets fell and pressure came in. We need to absorb better. Conditions - Not easy to start, once we get in it gets easier. Once a batter gets set, they need to finish the game, didn't do that today. Want to change that.
Scott Edwards, Netherlands captain We ween't at our best. Credit to the boys for fighting. Small moments can come on to hurt you. We kept losing wickets at important times. We felt 160 was going to give us a fair chance. We had to bowl well to give us a chance. A couple of good performances from the bowlers kept us in the game. It's a good wicket, Pakistan got it down to run a ball, then we got a maiden and the boys jumped on the momentum.
Faheem Ashraf, POTM We have been playing this brand of cricket for this past year. Heart rates go up and down, it's happened so many times before, we're used to it. Shaheen and I were talking about saving wickets, knew we could take down whatever in one over. When the ball is in the air, you just want the ball to land. Our efforts is to finish games as early as possible. But you have to hold your nerves in these situations.
Ansar : "With this close win Pakistan has to revisit their batting order. One of fast ballers has to make way for either Fakhar or Nafay. Ideally, Fakhar should be one down with Salman batting at 5 to steady the ship in case of a collapse."
CricDude: "The drop catch in the 19th over. That's the difference. Can say the last 5 overs, NED could have added. But PAK lost the plot too in the middle overs"
Shah: "@Josh: You also won't see such a recovery all tournament and it's only game 1"
2:27pm They've done it, not sure how but they have. Netherlands will be distraught, they left quite a few runs out with the bat and nearly had it with the ball. Pakistan were down and out after dominating the first half of the game. They slipped from 98 for 2 to 115 for 7. Van Meekeren, van der Merwe put Netherlands in with a massive chance. Pakistan's middle and lower middle order was being sliced through. But in the matter of one over, the 19th, Faheem Ashraf, took down van Beek who missed his lengths. Questions will remain over Pakistan's batting but they will subside for today.