Pakistan defeated Namibia by 102 runs and qualified for the Super Eight stage in the T20 World Cup.
Pakistan had set Namibia a target of 200 runs. Pakistan won by 102 runs. All team of Namibia could only score 97 runs.Usman Tariq took 4 while Shadab Khan took 3 wickets. Back-to-back powerplay wickets helped Pakistan seize momentum and restrict Namibia in a key T20 World Cup group-stage clash at the SSC Cricket Ground, Colombo, on Wednesday.
Namibia were 81 for 7 after 13.5 overs in pursuit of a 200-run target, struggling to build sustained momentum against a disciplined bowling attack.
Louren Steenkamp top-scored with 23 off 22 balls, while Jan Frylinck made 9 before becoming the first of four wickets to fall inside the first eight overs.
Skipper Gerhard Erasmus managed 7, and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton was run out as Namibia slipped to 49 for 4. Salman Mirza, Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan claimed a wicket apiece, with Pakistan striking regularly to keep the scoring rate in check at 6.54 runs per over. Alexander Busing-Volschenk and JJ Smit at the crease with plenty left to do.
Earlier, Sahibzada Farhan’s stunning century on Wednesday powered Pakistan to 199-3 setting a 200-run target against Namibia in crucial T20 World Cup group stage match being played at the SSC Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka’s Colombo.
Batting first, Pakistan got off to a solid start, with openers Saim Ayub and Farhan scoring freely from the outset to provide an early advantage. However, the 40-run opening stand was broken when Saim was dismissed by Jack Brassell for 14 off 12 balls, including two fours.
Captain Salman Ali Agha then joined Farhan and put together a 67-run partnership for the second wicket, easing the pressure and taking the team past the 100-run mark.
Farhan was in fine form, continuing to pile on crucial runs with boundaries, reaching his 10th T20I fifty.
The partnership was eventually broken as Brassell struck again, removing Agha for 38 off 23 balls, with three fours and two sixes, leaving Pakistan at 107-2 in 12.1 overs.
Surprisingly, Babar Azam did not come in at number three; instead, Khawaja Nafay was sent to the crease. However, his innings was brief, as he was dismissed for a run-a-ball five, which included one boundary, by captain Gerhard Erasmus.
Shadab Khan came to bat and initially struggled, but Farhan continued his sublime form, hitting boundaries and taking Pakistan past the 150-run mark.
Farhan kept the momentum going, bringing up his maiden T20I century and joining Ahmed Shehzad as only the second Pakistani batter to score a ton in a T20 World Cup.
The duo added a 50-run stand for the fourth wicket, with Shadab gaining momentum and piling on runs. The innings concluded with Farhan unbeaten on 100 off 58 deliveries, hitting 11 fours and four sixes, while Shadab finished on 36 off 22 balls, including one four and three sixes.
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match against Namibia being played in Colombo on Wednesday. Pakistan made two changes in its team brining in Salman Mirza and Khawaja Nafay in place of Shaheen Afridi and Abrar Ahmed.
Namibia also make a couple of changes with Alexander Busing-Volschenk in for Dylan Leicher and Jack Brassell replacing Max Heingo.
TEAMS
Pakistan: 1 Sahibzada Farhan (wk), 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Salman Agha (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Shadab Khan/Fakhar Zaman, 6 Usman Khan (wk), 7 Khawaja Nafay, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Salman Mirza, 10 Naseem Shah, 11 Usman Tariq
Namibia: 1 Jan Frylinck, 2 Louren Steenkamp, 3 Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, 4 Gerhard Erasmus (capt), 5 Alexander Busing-Volschenk, 6 JJ Smit, 7 Zane Green (wk), 8 Ruben Trumpelmann, 9 Willem Myburgh, 10 Bernard Scholtz, 11 Jack Brassell
Beating Namibia is necessary if Pakistan are to reach the Super 8 stage of the tournament. And in case, the match is affected by rain, Pakistan will still qualify for the Super 8 stage.
On the other hand, the Met Office has forecast rain during the match.
According to the office, there are 60 percent chances of rain at 1:00 in the afternoon, which will increase to 70 percent at 2:00 PM.
The chances will increase to 90 per cent at 3:00 PM, the time when the match is due to kick off, which will later come down to 50 per cent at 4:00 PM.
Pakistan won its matches against the Netherlands and the USA by three wickets and 32 runs, respectively.
But it again suffered defeat at the hands of arch-rival India, which certainly dented the team’s confidence.
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, they were unable to contain India’s batting, with Ishan Kishan leading the charge with a half-century to help India post 175/5 in 20 overs.
Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed and experienced all-rounder Shadab Khan, struggled.
Abrar conceded 38 runs in three overs, while Shadab leaked 17 runs in a single over, with neither taking a wicket.
Among the pacers, Shaheen Afridi made the only notable impact, returning figures of 1/31 in two overs.
Pakistan’s batting also faltered, bowled out for 114 in 18 overs.
Captain Salman Ali Agha, at the post-match presentation, described it as an “off-day.”
Currently, Pakistan sits third in Group A with two wins and one loss from three matches, holding a net run rate of -0.403.
