Why Fakhar Zaman is Not Playing Today in NED vs PAK Match 1 T20 WC 2026?

The opening match between Pakistan and the Netherlands is being played at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and right after the toss, Pakistani skipper Salman Ali Agha announced that Fakhar Zaman will not be playing this match against the Netherlands. The recent form of this opener has been a matter of concern for the team for a long time now, and the Pakistan cricket team is not willing to give any room for error, as they are eyeing a win in all the matches.

Why Fakhar Zaman is Not Playing Today in Opening Match?

The Pakistani opener, Fakhar Zaman's absence from the playing XI against the Netherlands is a huge question for the cricket fans, and the reason given by the Pakistani skipper is due to tactical reasons. Fakhar Zaman's inconsistent form was a problem for the team management. He has struggled significantly; his recent stats during the 2025-26 ILT20 season show that he averaged only 21.66 with a strike rate of 124.4, and in the last bilateral series against Australia, he managed to score just 25 runs in a three-match series, which was a huge problem.

Babar Azam is coming in as the Fakhar Zaman replacement in the playing XI for NED vs PAK Match 1 T20 WC. The team management has included him in the playing XI as a middle-order batter who will bring stability to the batting line-up with his sensible batting. After the addition of Babar on Pakistan's side, the middle order gets even stronger because of experience and mature batting techniques that can provide perfect balance. He was once considered one of the best T20 batsman in the world.

Can Salman Agha be as Explosive as Fakhar Zaman?

Fakhar Zaman has been a natural destructive batter for the Pakistani T20I side lately, but now his recent form has been unable to justify his reputation. After being benched in the first match of the T20 WC 2026 against the Netherlands, the role of Fakhar Zaman is something that someone has to fill. While in the recent matches, it can be seen that the skipper has rolled up his sleeves to be that explosive batter. The past few matches of Pakistan have witnessed the kind of batting pattern Salman will follow. In the last series against Australia, Salman played a match-winning knock of 76 runs out of 40 balls in the second match, and he has been batting with a 150+ strike rate, looking to take this forward to the World Cup matches.