Babar will be under the scanner, having made a comeback to the shortest format. File
| Photo Credit: AP
The pressure of winning the Group A fixture against a “nothing-to-lose side” like the USA will be firmly on Pakistan, American leg-spinner Mohammad Mohsin said on Monday (February 9, 2026), on the eve of their clash at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC).
With the USA already one up in the head-to-head against Pakistan, Mohsin said the squad is playing with freedom and enjoying its journey in the T20 World Cup.
“We had a good preparatory camp in Sri Lanka (in January), and that’s going to reflect in tomorrow’s game because we know the conditions a lot better,” Mohsin said.
However, Pakistan’s Salman Mirza said that the defeat in the previous edition will not add any extra pressure, 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 or the final.”
Both teams 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,” Mirza said.
Pakistan scraped past the Netherlands by three wickets in its opening encounter, while the USA went down to India by 29 runs after letting the defending champion off the hook.
Meanwhile, the Event Technical Committee has approved Ehsan Adil as a replacement for the injured Jasdeep Singh in the USA squad.
Published – February 10, 2026 01:35 am IST
