USA, Pakistan eye improvements with bat in another T20 World Cup showdown

An unpredictable Pakistan will look to exorcise ghosts of the past when they meet a determined USA, 20 months after being handed an infamous defeat by the same opponents, in the T20 World Cup in Colombo on Tuesday.

During their World Cup debut in 2024, USA announced their arrival on the big stage with a memorable victory over the Pakistanis. Having lost to India in the 2026 opener, USA would be extra motivated for an encore against Pakistan in an evening game at the Sinhalese Sports Club here.

Both teams have work cut out on the batting front. Pakistan were cruising in their chase of 148 against The Netherlands before a suicidal middle-order collapse. Thanks to Faheem Ashraf, they got over the line but would be thoroughly shaken by the implosion. USA had defending champions India under pressure at the Wankhede but their batters could not complement an impressive bowling performance.

For Pakistan, Babar Azam will be under the scanner having made a comeback in the shortest format. More from the bat will be expected from opener Saim Ayub as well. Ayub has been more productive as a spinner in the recent past. Captain Salman Ali Agha feels his players need to handle pressure better than how they did against The Netherlands.

"We batted really well. And then they managed to pull wickets down. And then at that time, the pressure came in. And I think we need to absorb pressure better when it comes to these kinds of games. It's not easy to start, but once you get in, it's a good wicket to bat on. When someone gets in, we need to make sure that person will finish," said Agha, who also needs to deliver with the bat after his move up the order.

USA will be looking for an improved batting effort at the top of the order. By captain Monank Patel's own admission, they were guilty of playing loose shots in the powerplay against India. Monank too fell to a soft dismissal. Led by South Africa-born Shadley Van Schalkwyk, they had a good night with the ball. However, senior pacer Saurabh Netravalkar had an opening game to forget and would be itching to make an impact against Pakistan.

USA practised in Sri Lanka ahead of the ICC event and are familiar with the conditions. Question marks remain over the fitness of their pacer Ali Khan who limped off the field against India.

"I thought the intent (with the bat) was a bit missing there because we lost a few wickets initially. But a lot of learning from this game and a lot of positives. And definitely this game is going to help us in running forward," said Monank following the loss to India.

Squads:

USA: Monank Patel (c), Jessy Singh, Andries Gous, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milind Kumar, Shayan Jahangir, Saiteja Mukkamala, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Harmeet Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan, Mohammad Mohsin, Shubham Ranjane.

Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.

Match starts 7 PM.