A tactical masterstroke or a damning indictment of their pacers? Pakistan’s 32-run T20 World Cup 2026 win over USA in Colombo stemmed from an unprecedented spin overload: 16 of 20 overs.
After a toss defeat, Pakistan blazed to 190/9. USA faltered at 158/8. Salman Ali Agha limited pacers to Shaheen Afridi’s four overs, ignoring Faheem Ashraf entirely. Spinners dominated: Saim Ayub (1), Abrar Ahmad (4, 1 wicket), Mohammad Nawaz (3, 1 wicket), Shadab Khan (4, 2 wickets), Usman Tariq (4, 3 wickets).
Tariq’s emergence as wrecker-in-chief underscored Pakistan’s spin riches. This approach ranks as their second-most spin-heavy T20 game, trailing only the 18 overs vs Australia in this very venue (2012). Past 15-over spin marathons: South Africa (Colombo 2012), West Indies (Kingston 2013), England (Manchester 2021), Afghanistan (Hangzhou 2023).
Experts debate Agha’s choices—did pitch conditions or pacer struggles force his hand? The result validates spin’s potency in T20, challenging the format’s pace bias. As Pakistan advances, this match could redefine their bowling blueprint, blending tradition with bold innovation for World Cup glory.