Colombo, Feb 7: The Netherlands right-arm pacer Paul van Meekeren said the team lost their T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan here on Saturday due to poor execution in the final overs, rather than their rivals winning the contest.
Chasing 148 for victory, Pakistan were 90 for 2 at the halfway stage but lost wickets in a heap as they were 114 for 7 in 16.1 overs, needing 34 more runs.
It looked all but over for Pakistan at that stage, but walking in at No. 8, Faheem Ashraf -- who was dropped on 7 -- had other plans, smashing an unbeaten 29 off just 11 balls.
Needing 29 runs from the last two overs, Ashraf hit three sixes and one four off Logan van Beek and finished off the match with a four in the final over as Pakistan reached 148 for 7 in 19.3 overs.
Max O’Dowd dropped Faheem Ashraf on seven off the second ball of the 19th over.
"I mean, I want to be very clear. Pakistan didn't win the game today. We lost the game against ourselves," van Meekeren said at the post-match press conference.
"...we just probably didn't execute the way we wanted to. Yeah, you know, these World Cup moments, it's small margins, sometimes one ball. But yeah, it's just a very disappointed feeling at the moment."
He said Netherlands were a few runs short of what would have been a winning total but was proud of the overall effort.
"I'm very proud of the guys. I think we probably didn't get the runs on the board that we wanted, but to fight back after a strong start from Pakistan with the bat that shows how the culture that we've created in the team and they never give up.
"We weren't a better team today, especially in the bowling department. And we should have deserved to win the game. And there were moments. There was moments in the back. You got yourself to about 123 for 4 after 15 overs."
Van Meekeren, however, gave credit to Pakistan for holding their nerve and sealing the contest in their favour.
"I think the one thing I have to give Pakistan credit for is taking the game deep. I mean, we should have probably done it with the bat. Maybe taking the innings a little bit deeper," he said.
"Because you can see what you can do if you've got a batsman who's in the last two overs and be able to take a bit more risk. But I think the conditions were very nice for us to ball to. And I mean, there was a lot of pressure on Pakistan in those last few overs."
He said everything is not lost for the Dutch and they would take heart from their performance against Pakistan to tame Namibia in their next match.
"So obviously, there are a few guys who are actually disappointed in the change room. But we stand behind them. We back them all the way for the next game to turn it around.
"They don't even need to turn it around, just to be the best they can be and win the next game for us against Namibia," he said.
Van Meekeren said the dropped catch of Faheem Ashraf was the game-changer.
"Probably the last real recognised batter, that's it. First ball goes for six and he (Max O’Dowd) dropped the catch. And then after that, it's six, six, four, something like that.
"So, I mean, everyone's got a bit of brains in cricket. Probably knows that that catch is probably where we lost the game. But yeah, that's what someone needs to lose," he said.
"We lost against ourselves. We deserved to win that game. We should have sent, potentially, Pakistan home after today," he observed.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and auto-generated from an agency feed.)
