The Pakistan National Cricket Team Vs Netherlands National Cricket Team timeline is a fascinating part of international cricket history. Pakistan have generally dominated the head-to-head record, but the Netherlands have repeatedly produced competitive performances, particularly in recent World Cups and bilateral cricket.
The two teams first met on the major international stage at the 1996 Cricket World Cup. Pakistan won that encounter by eight wickets. They met again at the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy, the 2003 World Cup, the 2022 T20 World Cup, the 2022 bilateral ODI series, the 2023 World Cup and the 2026 T20 World Cup. Pakistan entered the 2023 World Cup with a 6-0 ODI record against the Netherlands.
The rivalry has therefore developed from occasional World Cup encounters into a more regular international contest.
Pakistan vs Netherlands Timeline: Quick Overview
| Year | Tournament/Series | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Cricket World Cup | Pakistan won by 8 wickets |
| 2002 | ICC Champions Trophy | Pakistan won by 9 wickets |
| 2003 | Cricket World Cup | Pakistan won by 97 runs |
| 2022 | T20 World Cup | Pakistan won by 6 wickets |
| 2022 | ODI series | Pakistan won 3-0 |
| 2023 | Cricket World Cup | Pakistan won by 81 runs |
| 2026 | T20 World Cup | Pakistan won by 3 wickets |
Pakistan have remained unbeaten against the Netherlands in the major ODI meetings covered by the ICC, while the Dutch side has increasingly narrowed the gap in several matches.
1996: Pakistan and Netherlands Meet at the World Cup
The first major meeting between Pakistan and the Netherlands came at the 1996 Cricket World Cup in Lahore.
The Netherlands batted first and scored 145/7 from their 50 overs.
Flavian Aponso was the Netherlands’ top scorer with 58, while Klaas-Jan van Noortwijk made 33.
Pakistan’s bowling attack, led by Waqar Younis, restricted the Netherlands to a modest total. Waqar took 4/26, while Aaqib Javed claimed two wickets.
Pakistan then chased the target comfortably.
Saeed Anwar scored an unbeaten 83, while Ijaz Ahmed contributed 39. Pakistan reached 151/2 in only 30.4 overs.
Pakistan won by eight wickets with 116 balls remaining. Waqar Younis was named Player of the Match.
This match established the pattern that would characterize many of the early Pakistan-Netherlands encounters: Pakistan’s experienced batting and bowling attack proved too strong for the Dutch side.
2002: Pakistan Win at the Champions Trophy
Pakistan and the Netherlands met again at the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy in Colombo.
The Netherlands batted first and were dismissed for only 136.
Pakistan’s bowlers kept control throughout the innings, leaving their batsmen with a straightforward chase.
Pakistan reached 142/1 in 16.2 overs, winning by nine wickets with 202 balls remaining.
The victory reinforced Pakistan’s strong record against the Netherlands in major ICC tournaments.
2003: Pakistan Win by 97 Runs
The next major encounter came during the 2003 Cricket World Cup in Paarl, South Africa.
Pakistan batted first and scored 253/9 in 50 overs.
Mohammad Yousuf was the leading scorer with 58, while Taufeeq Umar scored 48 and Abdul Razzaq added 47.
The Netherlands struggled during the chase.
Pakistan’s bowling attack quickly put pressure on the Dutch batting order, and the Netherlands were eventually dismissed for 156.
Pakistan won by 97 runs.
Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar each took three wickets, while Mohammad Yousuf was named Player of the Match.
The match was another clear Pakistan victory and meant that the Netherlands had still not defeated Pakistan in an ODI.
A Long Gap Between Major Meetings
After the 2003 World Cup, Pakistan and the Netherlands did not regularly meet in bilateral international cricket.
For much of the next two decades, their encounters were primarily associated with ICC tournaments.
That changed in the 2020s as the Netherlands returned to the top level of ODI cricket and began playing more matches against established international sides.
The two teams eventually arranged their first bilateral ODI series in 2022.
2022: First Bilateral ODI Series
In April 2022, the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed that Pakistan and the Netherlands would play their first bilateral ODI series in Rotterdam.
The three matches were scheduled for 16, 18 and 21 August at the Hazelaarweg in Rotterdam. The series was part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League.
This was an important development for both sides.
For Pakistan, the series provided valuable ODI preparation.
For the Netherlands, playing a three-match series against a major international side offered important experience as the team worked toward qualification for the 2023 World Cup.
First ODI: Pakistan Win
Pakistan won the opening ODI.
The visitors were pushed by a competitive Dutch side, but Pakistan eventually secured the victory.
The result gave Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the historic three-match series.
Second ODI: Pakistan Win Again
Pakistan followed the opening victory with another win in the second ODI.
The Netherlands again competed strongly with the ball, but Pakistan’s batting depth allowed the visitors to take control.
Pakistan therefore moved 2-0 ahead in the series.
Third ODI: Pakistan Complete a 3-0 Sweep
The third ODI turned out to be the closest match of the series.
Pakistan scored 206 all out.
The Netherlands mounted a serious chase and remained in contention deep into the innings.
Pakistan’s bowlers eventually closed out the match, winning by only nine runs.
Naseem Shah was outstanding, taking a career-best 5/33, while Mohammad Wasim Jr claimed four wickets.
For the Netherlands, Tom Cooper scored 62 and Vikramjit Singh made 50.
Pakistan completed a 3-0 series sweep, but the Netherlands demonstrated that it could challenge Pakistan for long periods.
2022 T20 World Cup: Pakistan Win by Six Wickets
Pakistan and the Netherlands met again only a few months later at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.
The match was played in Perth on 30 October.
The Netherlands batted first but struggled against Pakistan’s pace attack and Shadab Khan’s spin.
They managed only 91/9 in 20 overs.
Shadab Khan was the standout bowler, taking 3/22.
Pakistan’s chase was controlled by Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman.
Rizwan scored 49, narrowly missing a half-century, while Fakhar made 20.
Pakistan eventually reached the target with six wickets in hand.
Pakistan won by six wickets, recording their first victory of the 2022 T20 World Cup.
The match was particularly notable for Pakistan’s bowling performance, as the Netherlands struggled to score freely throughout its innings.
2023: Pakistan vs Netherlands at the World Cup
The teams met again at the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in Hyderabad.
Pakistan entered the match with a perfect 6-0 ODI record against the Netherlands.
Pakistan batted first and eventually scored 286 all out in 49 overs.
The innings did not begin smoothly.
Fakhar Zaman fell for 12, Babar Azam was dismissed for five and Imam-ul-Haq made 15.
Pakistan recovered through a crucial partnership between Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan.
Both scored 68.
Saud Shakeel’s fifty came from only 32 balls, making it one of Pakistan’s fastest World Cup half-centuries at the time.
The Netherlands then began its chase positively.
Vikramjit Singh scored 52, while Bas de Leede produced an excellent all-round performance.
De Leede scored 67 and later took four wickets.
At one point, the Netherlands appeared capable of making the chase competitive.
Pakistan’s bowlers, however, gradually took control.
Haris Rauf claimed 3/43, while Hasan Ali took two wickets.
Pakistan eventually dismissed the Netherlands for 205.
Pakistan won by 81 runs.
Saud Shakeel was named Player of the Match.
The match also created a unique World Cup statistical connection for Bas de Leede. His four-wicket haul meant that he joined his father Tim de Leede as a father-son pair to take four wickets in a World Cup match.
2026: Netherlands Push Pakistan Close at the T20 World Cup
The most recent major chapter in the Pakistan National Cricket Team Vs Netherlands National Cricket Team timeline came at the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
The match was played on 7 February 2026 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo.
It was the opening match of Pakistan’s tournament campaign.
The Netherlands made an excellent start after choosing to bat.
Michael Levitt scored 24 from 15 balls, Bas de Leede made 30 and captain Scott Edwards top-scored with 37 from 29 balls.
The Netherlands eventually scored 147 all out, with one ball remaining.
Pakistan’s bowlers had fought back strongly after the Dutch opening assault.
Mohammad Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed each took two wickets, while Pakistan’s fielding also played an important role.
Pakistan’s Chase Becomes a Thriller
Pakistan began its chase positively.
Sahibzada Farhan attacked the Dutch bowling and appeared to be taking Pakistan toward a comfortable victory.
However, the Netherlands fought back dramatically in the middle overs.
Pakistan lost several wickets in quick succession.
At one stage, Pakistan lost five wickets for only 16 runs, leaving the match in serious doubt.
The equation became 29 runs from 12 balls.
That was when Faheem Ashraf changed the game.
Ashraf smashed three sixes in the penultimate over and reduced the requirement to only five runs from the final over.
He then struck the winning boundary, completing Pakistan’s chase with three balls remaining.
Pakistan reached the target and won by three wickets.
Faheem Ashraf was named Player of the Match for his match-winning 29 from 11 balls.
The result extended Pakistan’s winning record against the Netherlands, but the narrow margin demonstrated how competitive the Dutch side had become in T20 cricket.
Pakistan vs Netherlands: Recent Match Results
| Year | Format | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | ODI | Bilateral series, 1st ODI | Pakistan won |
| 2022 | ODI | Bilateral series, 2nd ODI | Pakistan won |
| 2022 | ODI | Bilateral series, 3rd ODI | Pakistan won by 9 runs |
| 2022 | T20I | T20 World Cup | Pakistan won by 6 wickets |
| 2023 | ODI | Cricket World Cup | Pakistan won by 81 runs |
| 2026 | T20I | T20 World Cup | Pakistan won by 3 wickets |
The recent record shows a clear pattern: Pakistan have won every major senior men’s international meeting covered here, but the Netherlands have increasingly produced competitive performances.
Pakistan vs Netherlands in ODI Cricket
ODI cricket has historically been the strongest area of Pakistan’s dominance.
Before the 2023 World Cup, ICC recorded Pakistan as having won all six previous ODI meetings against the Netherlands.
Those earlier matches included:
- 1996 World Cup
- 2002 Champions Trophy
- 2003 World Cup
- Three ODIs in the 2022 bilateral series
Pakistan then defeated the Netherlands again at the 2023 World Cup.
The 2022 bilateral series was particularly useful for assessing the teams because it provided three consecutive matches rather than a single tournament encounter.
The Netherlands lost 3-0 but pushed Pakistan hard in the third ODI, losing by only nine runs.
Pakistan vs Netherlands in T20I Cricket
The T20I rivalry has been shorter but has produced some interesting matches.
Pakistan defeated the Netherlands by six wickets at the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Four years later, the 2026 T20 World Cup meeting was much closer.
The Netherlands scored 147, and Pakistan needed a late surge from Faheem Ashraf to complete the chase.
Pakistan eventually won by three wickets.
The 2026 contest demonstrated the unpredictability of the shortest format, where a team can lose several wickets quickly and still recover through a short burst of power hitting.
Key Players in the Pakistan vs Netherlands Rivalry
Several notable Pakistan players have contributed to victories against the Netherlands.
Pakistan
Important Pakistan performers across different eras include:
- Waqar Younis
- Saeed Anwar
- Wasim Akram
- Shoaib Akhtar
- Mohammad Yousuf
- Babar Azam
- Mohammad Rizwan
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- Shadab Khan
- Naseem Shah
- Faheem Ashraf
Waqar Younis was particularly important in the 1996 World Cup, taking four wickets.
Mohammad Yousuf was Player of the Match in the 2003 World Cup after scoring 58.
Shadab Khan produced a three-wicket spell in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Naseem Shah took 5/33 in the decisive third ODI of the 2022 series.
Faheem Ashraf was the hero of the latest meeting, striking 29 from 11 balls in the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Netherlands
The Netherlands have also produced several important individual performances.
Notable names include:
- Flavian Aponso
- Klaas-Jan van Noortwijk
- Tim de Leede
- Tom Cooper
- Scott Edwards
- Bas de Leede
- Vikramjit Singh
- Logan van Beek
- Paul van Meekeren
- Aryan Dutt
Bas de Leede was particularly influential in the 2023 World Cup, scoring 67 and taking four wickets.
Scott Edwards has also been a key figure in the modern Dutch team, including his 37 in the 2026 T20 World Cup encounter.
Biggest Pakistan vs Netherlands Victories
Some of Pakistan’s largest victories in this rivalry include:
Pakistan by 9 wickets — 2002
Pakistan restricted the Netherlands to 136 and chased the target with only one wicket down.
Pakistan by 97 runs — 2003
Pakistan scored 253/9 before dismissing the Netherlands for 156.
Pakistan by 6 wickets — 2022 T20 World Cup
The Netherlands scored only 91/9 before Pakistan chased the target comfortably.
Pakistan by 81 runs — 2023 World Cup
Pakistan scored 286 before bowling the Netherlands out for 205.
The 2022 third ODI was much closer, with Pakistan winning by only nine runs.
Why the Pakistan vs Netherlands Rivalry Matters
Pakistan and the Netherlands do not have the same historical rivalry as some of Pakistan’s traditional opponents, but their matches have become increasingly significant.
For Pakistan, games against the Netherlands have often been important tournament fixtures or opportunities to collect valuable points.
For the Netherlands, facing Pakistan provides experience against a team with a long history of success in international cricket.
The 2022 ODI series was especially significant because it was the first bilateral ODI series between the teams. The Netherlands’ competitiveness in that series showed that the gap between established and developing cricket nations can narrow considerably.
The 2026 T20 World Cup match provided another example. Pakistan eventually won, but the Netherlands pushed the 2009 T20 World Cup champions to the final overs before Faheem Ashraf secured victory.
Pakistan National Cricket Team Vs Netherlands National Cricket Team Timeline: Conclusion
The Pakistan National Cricket Team Vs Netherlands National Cricket Team timeline began on the World Cup stage in 1996 and has gradually developed into a more regular international contest.
Pakistan won their first meeting by eight wickets in 1996, followed by victories at the 2002 Champions Trophy and 2003 World Cup.
The teams then entered a new phase in 2022 when they played their first bilateral ODI series. Pakistan won all three matches, although the Netherlands came close in the final game.
Pakistan also defeated the Netherlands at the 2022 T20 World Cup and 2023 ODI World Cup.
The latest meeting came at the 2026 T20 World Cup, where Pakistan survived a major scare to win by three wickets after Faheem Ashraf’s late hitting.
While Pakistan have maintained a perfect senior men’s ODI record against the Netherlands in their major meetings, the Dutch team has shown increasing competitiveness, particularly in limited-overs cricket.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When did Pakistan first play the Netherlands in international cricket?
One of their earliest major senior men’s meetings came at the 1996 Cricket World Cup in Lahore. Pakistan won by eight wickets.
2. Who won the 1996 Pakistan vs Netherlands World Cup match?
Pakistan won by eight wickets. Saeed Anwar scored an unbeaten 83, while Waqar Younis took four wickets.
3. Who won Pakistan vs Netherlands in the 2003 World Cup?
Pakistan won by 97 runs at Paarl. Mohammad Yousuf scored 58 and was named Player of the Match.
4. Did Pakistan and Netherlands play a bilateral ODI series?
Yes. Their first bilateral ODI series took place in the Netherlands in August 2022. Pakistan won all three matches.
5. Who won the Pakistan vs Netherlands ODI series in 2022?
Pakistan won the three-match series 3-0. The third ODI was particularly close, with Pakistan winning by nine runs.
6. Who won Pakistan vs Netherlands in the 2022 T20 World Cup?
Pakistan won by six wickets after restricting the Netherlands to 91/9. Shadab Khan took 3/22.
7. Who won Pakistan vs Netherlands in the 2023 World Cup?
Pakistan won by 81 runs in Hyderabad. Pakistan scored 286, while the Netherlands were dismissed for 205.
8. Who was the standout Netherlands player against Pakistan in the 2023 World Cup?
Bas de Leede scored 67 runs and took four wickets, producing an impressive all-round performance despite the Netherlands’ defeat.
9. Who won the latest Pakistan vs Netherlands match?
Pakistan won the latest major meeting by three wickets at the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup. Faheem Ashraf scored 29 from 11 balls and finished the chase with a boundary.
10. What was the closest recent Pakistan vs Netherlands match?
The third ODI of the 2022 bilateral series was particularly close. Pakistan scored 206 and then defeated the Netherlands by only nine runs. Naseem Shah took 5/33.
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