Pakistan are all set to begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against Netherlands in Colombo on Saturday. But rain can play a spoilsport during the encounter. The weather for February 7 looks gloomy in Colombo. According to AccuWeather, there is an 83 percent chance of rain on Saturday.
The showers are predicted later in the day. By 1 PM, the chances of rain are nearly 50 percent and as per predictions, it doesn’t come below 40 percent till 6:00 PM in the evening. The wash out is surely on the cards.
What Happens If Pakistan vs Netherlands is Washed Out?
If the match between Pakistan and Netherlands is washed out, both the sides will get one point each. But as things stand, it would create a bit of more trouble for Pakistan as they have decided to boycott the fixture against India. If they stick to their stance then Pakistan will have to forfeit two points making things tricky for themselves.
Pakistan have been placed in Group A along side USA, Netherlands, Namibia and India. The arch-rivals India and Pakistan are scheduled to play on February 15 in Colombo.
Earlier, Pakistan Government had announced that the team will feature in the World Cup but will boycott the match against India.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan cricket team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India.”
Later in a statement, ICC noted, “The ICC notes the statement that the government of Pakistan has made regarding the decision to instruct its national team to selectively participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.”
The ICC said that such “selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule.” The statement went on to stress the importance of fairness and integrity in ICC tournaments, saying, “ICC tournaments are built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness, and selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competitions.”While the ICC acknowledged that governments play a role in national policy, it expressed concern over the wider impact of Pakistan’s stance. “While the ICC respects the roles of governments in matters of national policy, this decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan,” the statement read.
PAK vs NED Probably Playing XI
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (C), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (WK), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, and Abrar Ahmed.
Netherlands: Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Colin Ackermann, Noah Croes, Scott Edwards (C & WK), Bas de Leede, Roelof van der Merwe, Saqib Zulfiqar, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Fred Klaassen.
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