In the ongoing One Day International (ODI) match, the top Pakistani batsmen, including Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, and Imam-ul-Haq, were dismissed within the first 10 overs after the Netherlands won the toss and elected to field. The match is taking place at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Fakhar Zaman was the first to depart, followed by the Pakistani captain, Babar Azam, who was dismissed after scoring just 5 runs.
Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards explained his decision to bowl first, citing that batting would be more favorable under the stadium’s lights. He expressed confidence in his team’s performance against Pakistan, emphasizing their recent encounters.
In response, Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, stated their intention to set a target between 290 and 300 runs.
This match marks the seventh meeting between Pakistan and the Netherlands in ODI cricket. Pakistan has emerged victorious in all six of their previous encounters, with their first ODI encounter dating back to the 1996 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Last year, Pakistan toured the Netherlands for their first bilateral series, where they secured a clean-sweep against their Dutch counterparts.
Pakistan enters the 50-over World Cup as one of the favorites, boasting an impressive win-loss ratio of 2.400 in the recent World Cup cycle, with 24 wins in 36 matches.
The team’s consistency can be attributed to the solid performances of their key players over the years.
Playing XI:
Pakistan:
- Imam-ul-Haq
- Fakhar Zaman
- Babar Azam (c)
- Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
- Saud Shakeel
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Shadab Khan
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Hasan Ali
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- Haris Rauf
Netherlands:
- Vikramjit Singh
- Max O’Dowd
- Colin Ackermann
- Bas de Leede
- Teja Nidamanuru
- Scott Edwards (wk, c)
- Saqib Zulfiqar
- Logan van Beek
- Roelof van der Merwe
- Aryan Dutt
- Paul van Meekeren
