Pakistan bowls first against Netherlands in T20 World Cup opener

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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Pakistan, at the center of a boycott controversy that has overshadowed the lead up to the T20 World Cup, has won the toss and elected to field against the Netherlands in the tournament's opening game on Saturday.

The Pakistan government has instructed its national team to boycott its Feb. 15 Group A game against co-host India, a decision that shook the cricket world only six days ago.

The ICC has since requested the Pakistan Cricket Board to reconsider the decision otherwise it will forfeit the marquee game of the tournament.

If Pakistan goes ahead with its boycott against India, it can ill afford to lose points in its three other Group A games — a group that also features the U.S. and Namibia.

A grassy wicket at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, hosting its first T20 in 16 years, surprised Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha.

“First time I’ve seen this much grass in Sri Lanka,” Agha said at the toss. “We’re playing three pacers and allrounders. Netherlands are a good side, but we want to execute our plans.”

The Netherlands has a history of surprising stronger opposition in T20 World Cups, including beating South Africa in 2022 in Australia which cleared the way for Pakistan to qualify for the semifinals.

Captain Scott Edwards said his team had got used to the conditions after spending more than a month in India and Sri Lanka.

“For us, it’s a big game, so are the other three,” Edwards said.

In the two other games on Saturday, Scotland, which replaced Bangladesh in Group C, will meet two-time champion West Indies in Kolkata while co-host and defending champion India plays against the U.S. at Mumbai in a Group A match.

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Lineups:

Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (captain), Zach Lion-Cachet, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Kyle Klein, Paul van Meekeren.

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket