SPORTS DESK: (Syed Muhammad Yaseen Hashmi)
All-rounder Faheem Ashraf produced a brilliant performance under pressure to lead Pakistan to victory against the Netherlands in the opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Chasing a target of 148, Pakistan were in deep trouble at 114 for seven after 17 overs. With six runs required in the final over, Faheem Ashraf held his nerve and sealed the win with a boundary off the third delivery. He remained unbeaten on 29 off just 11 balls.
Pakistan’s top order struggled despite a decent powerplay, while Sahibzada Farhan scored 47 off 31 balls. A middle-order collapse put the chase at risk before Faheem and Shaheen Afridi steadied the innings.
Earlier, Pakistan restricted the Netherlands to 147 runs. While the win will boost confidence, Pakistan’s batting inconsistency remains a concern ahead of tougher matches.

