Watch: “We were the better team...” – Star Netherlands pacer makes bold statement after narrow loss to Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2026

Dutch pacer Paul van Meekeren said the Netherlands lost to Pakistan because of their own mistakes in the opening match of the T20 World Cup 2026 on February 7 in Colombo. It was a close game, as Pakistan won in the final over with three balls to spare. Pakistan first restricted the Netherlands to 147 runs.

While chasing, Pakistan were in a strong position early. From the 11th over, the match turned in the Netherlands’ favour as Pakistan slipped from 98/2 to 114/7, losing five wickets for just 16 runs. However, Faheem Ashraf changed the game in the 19th over and helped Salman Ali Agha’s side win the match. Pakistan needed 29 runs off 12 balls when Faheem attacked Logan van Beek.

Speaking after the match, Van Meekeren praised his teammates for their effort. He said the team did not score as many runs as they wanted but showed strong fighting spirit. He added that the never-give-up attitude pleased him and said that catches are very important because catches win matches.

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Van Meekeren Blames the Netherlands’ Own Mistakes

Paul van Meekeren clearly said that the Netherlands lost the match because of their own errors. He said, “I want to be very clear, Pakistan didn’t win the game today; we lost the game against ourselves.” The Dutch pacer added that his team was better on the day, especially with the ball. “We were the better team today, especially in the bowling department, and we should have deserved to win that game,” he said.

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Dropped Catch Was the Turning Point

Explaining the key moment, Van Meekeren pointed to the dropped catch in the final stages. He said, “It’s probably quite clear, the dropped catch in the end.” Talking about the final over, he added, “They needed 29 in that last over, probably the last real recognised batter that’s in. First ball goes for six and you drop the catch, and then after that it’s six-six-four, something like that.”

The Netherlands pacer admitted the defeat was hard to accept. He said, “Everyone who’s got a bit of brains in cricket probably knows that that catch is probably where we lost the game.” Van Meekeren felt his team should have finished the job and added, “We deserved to win that game, and we should have sent Pakistan home after today.” The Netherlands will now travel to India to face Namibia on February 10 in Delhi.