Mirza: Pakistan has strong batting lineup to tackle USA bowlers
The United States of America (USA) defeating Pakistan in the previous edition of the T20 World Cup is now in the past, and the team is ready for the next challenge after learning from its mistakes, fast bowler Salman Mirza said on Monday.
Pakistan lost to the USA in a Super Over in 2024, but that defeat will not add any extra pressure on the side, with Mirza stressing that every match in a World Cup carries equal importance.
“It’s a World Cup, and every match is important in this tournament–whether it’s the first, the second, or the final,” he said on the eve of Pakistan’s fixture against the USA here at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
The Salman Agha-led side survived a scare against the Netherlands in its opening match, thanks to late hitting from Faheem Ashraf down the order. Mirza, however, was quick to point out that non-Test-playing nations have consistently challenged full-member sides in the tournament so far.
“That’s the beauty of cricket; close games are great to watch. The main objective is to win the match. We won the game against the Netherlands and will try to win the upcoming games as well,” the 32-year-old said.
“T20 cricket is a format where I believe there is very little difference between two teams. One good innings or one good spell can make the difference, and the way matches have gone so far proves that,” the left-arm pacer added.
Both Pakistan and the USA will enter unfamiliar territory at the SSC ground, which will host its first-ever Day/Night T20I. Acknowledging the challenge, Mirza said it was difficult to plan too far in advance.
“Once we get to the ground and assess the conditions, only then can we plan properly. As the game progresses, we’ll keep tweaking our approach accordingly,” he said.
“In night games, fast bowlers usually get a bit of assistance. We’ll see tomorrow what the conditions are like and whether there is any dew,” Mirza added.
In its opening fixture, the USA bowlers had reduced India to 77 for six at one stage. Mirza, however, backed Pakistan’s batting lineup to rise to the challenge against the same opposition.
“They bowled really well in the last game, but we have a strong batting lineup to tackle them.”
Published on Feb 09, 2026
