Max O'Dowd abused! Netherlands star faces Indian fans' wrath after costly drop vs Pakistan

Max O'Dowd trolled by Indian fans [Source: AFP]

Netherlands opener Max O'Dowd has found himself at the receiving end of online abuse following a dropped catch that helped Pakistan win their T20 World Cup opener against the Netherlands. 

O'Dowd dropped Pakistan's Faheem Ashraf at a crucial moment when the game was still in the balance, allowing Ashraf to hit the winning runs. The aftermath saw his social media flooded with abusive comments, many reportedly from Indian fans upset that Pakistan escaped with a win. 

The dropped catch that changed the game

Pakistan were struggling in their chase of 148 in Colombo. After cruising early on, they had self-destructed to 119/7 after 18 overs, needing 29 runs off the final 12 balls. 

Faheem Ashraf hit the first ball of the 19th over for six, then smashed a full toss straight to Max O'Dowd at long-off. It should have been a simple catch. 

But O'Dowd dropped it. Ashraf made the Netherlands pay immediately. He hit two sixes and a four off the next four balls, then sealed the win with a boundary with three balls remaining. 

What looked like a potential upset victory for the Netherlands vanished because of one fielding error. 

Max O'Dowd was gutted. He'd let his team down and missed the chance for a monumental win. But as he checked his phone later, he realised others were even more upset than he was. 

Social media turned ugly for Max O’Dowd

Max O'Dowd's Instagram and other social media profiles were flooded with comments after the match. Many were abusive and personal in nature, with most appearing to come from Indian supporters angry that Pakistan had won.

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@ClinkWrites

Max O'Dowd on his dropped catch: “Should have taken it, but some stick, some don’t. Was quickly forgotten” He even deleted his social media, “Lot of things were said that shouldn’t have been. Obv, Indian fans were quite angry.” (Malhar Hathi) Stay strong, Maxi, love you! 😢🧡

Feb 9, 2026, 8:18 PM

Speaking to The Indian Express after a training session ahead of the Netherlands' match against Namibia, O'Dowd addressed the backlash.

Then he added with a bit of humour. The 31-year-old New Zealand-born batsman understood where the anger was coming from. 

“Some of the comments were quite harsh, something that should never be said to anyone. It seems that Indian fans were angrier with me than the Dutch supporters,” O'Dowd said.

The India-Pakistan rivalry is cricket's most intense, and recent events have only added fuel to the fire. Teams had refused to shake hands, and Pakistan had threatened to boycott their upcoming match against India over the Bangladesh situation. 

The India-Pakistan impasse behind the anger

The intensity of the trolling Max O'Dowd faced wasn't random. It came at a time when the India-Pakistan rivalry had reached a boiling point off the field. 

Pakistan had threatened to boycott their February 15 match against India in Colombo, citing solidarity with Bangladesh, which was replaced in the tournament after refusing to travel to India. 

The standoff had cricket fans on edge for days. The match between India and Pakistan is the tournament's biggest revenue generator, and losing it would have been catastrophic for the ICC, broadcasters, and host nation Sri Lanka. 

Tensions were running high, with teams even refusing to shake hands at the tournament. Indian fans, already frustrated by the political drama and Pakistan's boycott threats, saw Max O'Dowd's dropped catch as the reason Pakistan stayed in the tournament. 

If he'd held on, Pakistan would have lost their opener and been under immediate pressure. The dropped catch kept their campaign alive, which only added to the anger.