Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo Pitch Report, Weather Report for PAK vs IRE T20 World Cup Warm-up Match 2026

PAK vs IRE warm-up match will be played at Colombo SSC [Source: RexClementine/X.com]

Pakistan takes on Ireland in their first and only warm-up match ahead of the T20 World Cup at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, on February 4, at 5 pm (IST).

Leading up to Sri Lanka, Pakistan are coming off a 3-0 confidence-boosting T20I series win over Australia at home. Captain Salman Agha particularly looked in some great rhythm during the series, top-scoring with 120 runs in 3 innings at a strike rate of 171.42, followed by Saim Ayub's 119 runs at 170 as well.

With the ball, the spinners were at the forefront, led by Mohammad Nawaz's 7 wickets in 3 innings and Abrar Ahmed's 6.

On the other hand, Ireland were in the UAE to play two three-match T20I series against Italy and the UAE, winning 4 of their 5 matches. Harry Tector was their leading run-scorer with 174 runs in 5 innings, while Ben Calitz was particularly impressive with his 87 runs at a strike rate of 161.11. 

Matthew Humphreys picked 10 wickets at an economy of just 5.94, followed by 8 wickets each for Gareth Delany and Barry McCarthy. Notably, George Dockrell started bowling again and only conceded at 4.07 runs per over in his 13 overs.

Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo Pitch report for PAK vs IRE T20 World Cup warm-up match

(Colombo SSC, T20 cricket records)

As evident in the above T20 stats at the SSC stadium in Colombo, the pitch historically does not facilitate easy runs to the batters, and the spinners are predominantly the go-to options for captains here. The ball grips a bit and offers variable bounce, making it difficult to gauge the wicket.

The majority of the matches here have been won by the teams batting second because dew plays a role in the second half of the match, and the ball comes onto the bat well, especially in the final 10 overs of the contest. The team winning the toss would ideally choose to bowl at the venue.

Colombo Weather Report for PAK vs IRE warm-up match, T20 World Cup 2026

According to Accuweather, the temperature on the PAK vs IRE matchday evening is expected to be 26°C, after a RealFeel of 37°C during the day time, making conditions a bit better to play in with 11km/hr winds expected to go with 30 km/hr wind gusts, which will help the seamers with a bit of movement early on or the batters' shots to go over the boundary with the breeze.

There is a slight chance of rain, and conditions will be a bit cloudy during the time of the PAK vs IRE match. A 22° dew point means the second half of the match will be impacted by it, making it easier to chase here.

Conclusion

The conditions on Wednesday evening in Colombo are optimal for preparations for the T20 World Cup 2026, especially for Pakistan, which will play three of its four group stage matches at the venue.

Playing in the evening will have challenges for the team defending a score with a bit of dew expected. Similar to Pakistan, the Irishmen will play 3/4 matches in Colombo, including one at the SSC, before they head to Pallekele. As things stand, both teams can expect a full match to prepare for the mega event with low chances of rain.