Fans to get free entry for Pakistan-Netherlands T20 World Cup match: SLC
COLOMBO: The entry for the opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 between Pakistan and the Netherlands, scheduled to be played here at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground on Saturday, has been made free for fans, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced on Friday.
According to the SLC, fans can witness the curtain-raiser of the 20-team tournament, which they co-host alongside India from February 7 to March 8, “free of charge”, with gates number five and seven set to be opened for them from 9:30 AM as per the local time, one and a half hours ahead of the commencement of the action.
“The inaugural match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be played tomorrow at the SSC Grounds, Colombo, will be open to the public free of charge,” the SLC said in a statement.
“Accordingly, Gates No. 5 and 7 of the SSC Grounds will be opened to the public from 9:30 a.m. “The opening match will be contested between Pakistan and the Netherlands, with play scheduled to commence at 11:00 a.m.”
The opening match of the tournament, however, may be disrupted as a heavy downpour is expected in the evening, with a high probability of precipitation at 83 per cent and expected rainfall of around 4.2 mm.
Historically, Pakistan and the Netherlands have faced each other twice, with the Men in Green winning both encounters. The Flying Dutchmen are yet to record a victory.
Squads:
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 and Usman Tariq.
Netherlands: Scott Edwards (c), Colin Ackermann, Noah Croes, Bas de Leede, Aryan Dutt, Fred Klaassen, Kyle Klein, Michael Levitt, Zach Lion-Cachet, Max O’Dowd, Logan van Beek, Timm van der Gugten, Roelof van der Merwe, Paul van Meekeren and Saqib Zulfiqar. Monitoring Desk
