Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
“Picture abhi baaki hai”
Pakistan have just lived through a week that felt less like a cricket tournament and more like a political thriller with too many plot twists. One moment, there was a grand boycott announcement over the India clash. The next, there were closed-door meetings, diplomatic nudges, and eventually the inevitable U-turn, that yes, Pakistan will play India in Colombo on February 15 after all.
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The noise has settled. The statements have been issued. The U-turn has been taken.
Now comes the part Pakistan cannot script.
Because the T20 World Cup does not wait for off-field drama to wrap up neatly, and Pakistan’s next challenge is the kind that brings back uncomfortable memories. The USA are up next, the very team that handed Pakistan one of their lowest moments in the 2024 edition.
If the India game is the blockbuster everyone circles, this one is the tricky prequel Pakistan would rather skip. Except, they can’t.
USA have built a reputation for springing surprises, and they have spent the opening week of this tournament showing that the fearlessness is still intact.
With India’s batting in ominous touch, many had jokingly sounded a “300-alert” when Monank Patel’s USA took them on. Instead of being swept away, the Americans delivered the biggest scare India have faced in a T20 World Cup since 2024, pushing them deep into the contest before Suryakumar Yadav’s brilliance finally created separation.
Pakistan, meanwhile, needed Faheem Ashraf’s late-over heroics to scrape past the Netherlands, a win that felt closer to relief than dominance.
And the stakes are already heavy. A defeat for the USA would leave them in a difficult corner in the Super 8 race, but Pakistan are not far from the same cliff. If Salman Ali Agha’s side slip against the Americans and then fall to India, their qualification hopes will suddenly depend on other results, with only Namibia left as their final group fixture.
That is what makes this contest more than just a group match. It is a test of nerve, memory, and momentum.
What happened in PAK vs USA in T20 World Cup 2024?
Pakistan do not need reminding. The cricket world has done it for them.
Two years ago in Dallas, the USA stunned Pakistan in the 2024 T20 World Cup after taking the match into a Super Over. Monank Patel anchored the chase with a calm half-century, and Saurabh Netravalkar then produced the defining spell under pressure, shutting Pakistan down rather dramatically.
It was not just a defeat. It was one of those losses that sticks, the kind that invites criticism, memes, and uncomfortable questions about where Pakistan cricket is headed.
Walking into the 2026 World Cup, not many can argue Pakistan’s condition is dramatically better. Maybe marginally, but not enough to feel safe.
The Salman Agha-led come into this fixture with two very different emotions. Relief that the boycott chapter is closed, and pressure that another slip-up could open an entirely new crisis.
How will Pakistan handle the Babar Azam problem?
Pakistan’s biggest concern is not what the USA bring. It is what Pakistan themselves lack, particularly in batting tempo.
There is stability in the top order, but not always speed. The top five have a combined strike rate of 133.18 against pace and 125.04 against spin. On surfaces where bowlers can squeeze early, that becomes a real vulnerability.
The Netherlands nearly exposed it. Pakistan were wobbling before Faheem Ashraf rescued them late, but leaning on lower-order heroics is a dangerous way to survive a World Cup.
Openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan are not natural dashers from ball one. Once they fall, Pakistan often enter a muddled middle phase.
And then there is Babar Azam.
His 15 off 18 balls in the chase against the Dutch raised fresh questions about fit and role. In his last 10 T20Is before the Dutch test, Babar had scored 282 runs at an average of 28.2, with only three 50-plus scores. More importantly, his method does not naturally align with the explosive demands of the middle overs.
Pakistan’s top three has otherwise looked settled. Saim and Farhan provide starts, while Salman Agha has thrived at No.3 with 309 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 167.02.
That leaves Babar caught in the squeeze, arriving when gears must shift quickly.
Pakistan could look at introducing Fakhar Zaman for left-handed punch, but would they really make the bold call of dropping a senior figure like Babar? That dilemma sits quietly at the heart of this match.
Can USA go beyond their injury crisis?
The USA have their own challenges, especially with injuries.
Ali Khan and Shubham Ranjane carrying fitness concerns could thin their options, but the Americans have shown enough depth to still trouble stronger sides.
Against India, 37-year-old Shadley van Schalkwyk struck early, ripping through the top order and proving that experience remains a valuable weapon in these conditions.
The USA also have variety. Van Schalkwyk’s seam, the spin options of Mohammad Mohsin and Harmeet Singh, and their sharp field placements are exactly the kind of tools that can frustrate a Pakistan batting line-up still searching for rhythm.
They will take confidence from pushing India hard, even in defeat. If they can bring the same discipline, and a little bit of Dallas 2024 belief, Pakistan will know they are in another fight.
For Pakistan, the boycott chapter is closed.
Now cricket begins, and the question is simple. Can they finally bury the USA demons, or will this World Cup once again remind them of their abilities when it comes to T20Is?
PAK vs USA, T20 World Cup: Colombo Pitch Report
The pitch at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo has offered a fairly even contest in T20Is, with the average first-innings score around 147. It may look good early on, but as the match progresses, spinners are expected to play a bigger role, making run-scoring tougher.
Pakistan have already seen that first-hand at this venue. Against the Netherlands, their bowlers did well to restrict the opposition to 147, but the chase turned into a nervy affair, with Pakistan only scraping home in the final over.
The surface showed its bite again in the Zimbabwe vs Oman game, where Oman were bundled out for just 103 and Zimbabwe chased the target down comfortably in 14 overs. Colombo has so far suggested that anything above 160 could feel like a strong total.
When and where is PAK vs USA, T20 World Cup 2026 match?
The T20 World Cup 2026 Group A clash between Pakistan and the USA will be played on February 10 at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
Where to watch PAK vs USA, T20 World Cup 2026 match?
The T20 World Cup clash between Pakistan vs USA match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network.
Where to livestream PAK vs USA, T20 World Cup 2026 match?
The Pakistan vs USA Group A fixture will be available for fans to livestream on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
