The 10th edition of the T20 World Cup begins in Colombo with a match between Pakistan and the Netherlands. The opening match of Group ‘A’ will begin at 11:30 am Bangladesh time on Saturday (February 7).

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and decided to field. Explaining his decision after the toss, he said, “The wicket is brand new. There is a possibility of rain. We wanted to bowl early to take advantage of the humidity. This is the first time we have seen so much grass in Sri Lanka. We are playing with three pacers and a few all-rounders. Netherlands are a good team, so our aim is to execute the plan properly.”

Netherlands elected to bat after losing the toss. Dutch captain Scott Edwards said, “The wicket looks good. If we had won the toss, we would have bowled first, but we have no problem batting. This is a big match for us, in fact all the matches in the group are important. We have been practicing in India and Sri Lanka for a month and a half, so we have adapted well to the conditions. There are several all-rounders in the team, we have good options on both sides – batting and bowling.”

Pakistan and the Netherlands have faced each other twice in T20 cricket so far, with Pakistan winning both matches. The former champions are looking to start this World Cup with a winning streak.

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

Netherlands XI: Scott Edwards (captain), Colin Aukerman, Noah Kroos, Bas de Liede, Kyle Klein, Michael Levitt, Jack Lyon-Cache, Max O’Dowd, Logan van Beek, Rolf van der Merwe, Paul van Meekeren.