All-round Pakistan outclass USA by 32 runs in T20 World Cup showdown

Another win for Pakistan! Beat USA by 32 runs in Game 2 of ICC T20 World Cup 2026 🇵🇰🏏#PAKvUSA | #T20WorldCup | #BackTheBoysInGreen | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/Dq2yM0337O

Usman Tariq was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan, securing figures of 3-27 in his four overs, while Shadab Khan contributed with a decent 3-26 in his spell. Meanwhile, pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi and spinners Mohammad Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed bagged a wicket each.

"It was a clinical performance as we batted really well to post 190 and we knew we could defend that," said Pakistan captain Salman Agha. "There is always room for improvement, we'd like to bowl better in the powerplay before the next game," he added.

USA captain Monank Patel said, "We were in the game in the powerplay but again in the middle overs we couldn't show intent and lost wickets."

Pakistan's next game is against arch-rivals India in Colombo on Sunday, a game only cleared by Pakistan government on Monday after initially announcing a boycott of it.

ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 🏏

Pakistan set a 191-run target for USA at SSC, Colombo🏏#PAKvUSA | #T20WorldCup | #BackTheBoysInGreen | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/uwhvd7Qgpl

😎 Runs keep flowing!

Opening batter Sahibzada Farhan completes 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ T20I runs 🏏✨#PAKvUSA | #T20WorldCup | #BackTheBoysInGreen | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/bHxbucvfdR

Schalkwyk was the best USA bowler with 4-25, following his four-wicket haul against India in the 29-run defeat on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Afridi became the seventh Pakistan player to complete the milestone of 100 T20I matches after playing against the USA.

Prior to the match, Afridi received a commemorative cap from fellow pacer Naseem Shah in recognition of the achievement.

.@iShaheenAfridi receives cap from fellow pacer @iNaseemShah on completing 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ T20I apperances 🇵🇰#PAKvUSA | #BackTheBoysInGreen | #T20WorldCup | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/Zr4i7LtvmJ

Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the tournament after the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected their request to move their matches to Sri Lanka. Pakistan expressed solidarity with Bangladesh and protested the ICC decision, subsequently announcing that the national team would not play against India.

The development to reverse Pakistan's boycott followed negotiations that included the ICC and the cricket boards of Pakistan and Bangladesh, along with consultations among national leaders nations such as Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.

On Sunday, ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam landed in Lahore and held marathon talks with Naqvi at Gaddafi Stadium.

During the meeting, Khawaja urged Pakistan to reconsider its decision not to play against India, saying the team should participate "in the broader interest of cricket". The BCB president thanked Pakistan for its support during the talks.

Subsequently, on Monday, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake urged Pakistan to play its T20 World Cup clash against India in a conversation with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, recalling Pakistan's past solidarity with Sri Lankan cricket during difficult times.

The government late on Monday night directed the Pakistan national cricket team to take the field on February 15, with the decision taken to "protect the spirit of cricket".

The ICC also confirmed that no penalties or sanctions would be imposed on Bangladesh in relation to its non-participation in the T20 World Cup. In a joint statement with the PCB and BCB, the governing body noted that Bangladesh remains a valued full member with a rich cricketing history and a vital role in global cricket development.

Squads

Pakistan: 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Salman Ali Agha (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Shadab Khan, 6 Usman Khan (wk), 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Usman Tariq, 11 Abrar Ahmed

🚨 TOSS & PLAYING XI 🚨

USA win the toss and opt to field first 🏏

One change to our team today 🇵🇰#PAKvUSA | #BackTheBoysInGreen | #T20WorldCup | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/O20b0DwyZz