GEELONG – The former champions Sri Lanka faced humiliation by Namibia in the opening game of the T20 World Cup as underdog Namibia clinched Asia Cup champions by 55 runs to cause a major upset in Geelong.
Lankan Lions, touted as the strong team, to win Group A and advance to England’s Super 12 pool after triumphing at the recent Asia Cup, however they were all out 108 in 19 overs as the other side triumphed.
Namibia’s David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo, and Jan Frylinck got two scalps each while Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka remained the top-scorer with a mere 29. Sri Lanka batters failed to perform and were 21-3 in the powerplay.
An iconic win to mark the beginning of ICC Men's #T20WorldCup 2022 👏
Watch the complete highlights ➡ https://t.co/g8WCpiCQdz#SLvNAM pic.twitter.com/8ZLQQhE84h
— ICC (@ICC) October 16, 2022
On the other side, Namibian power hitters Jan Frylinck and JJ Smit displayed A-game with 68 from the final five overs as they rallied their side from 93-6 to 163-7 in the first game of mega event.
The Namibian squad, whose only win was a Test against Ireland during last year’s T20 World Cup, is now eyeing a second successive Super 12 appearance having qualified for that stage last year in their maiden T20 World Cup.
Earlier, Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka won the toss and opted to field. Namibia managed to amass a decent 163/7 in the limited overs format. Namibia had an unwanted start to their first innings as they lost three players for a paltry 35 within the first half.
Captain Gerhard Erasmus and Stephan Baard then continued pace to anchor the innings as they added 41 runs for the fourth wicket. The duo remained too slow as Namibia could get to 68/3 in 11 overs.
Skipper Erasmus then falls to Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva on 20 off 24 deliveries. The side then lost two more players as Baard and David Wiese fell in consecutive overs.
Late big hitting from Frylinck, laced with four boundaries, powered Namibia to 163, while Smit remained unbeaten on 31 off 16 with the help of two boundaries and as many sixes.
T20 World Cup: one of the most exciting tournaments in the sports
Pakistan squad has arrived in Australia to take part in a 16-team mega cricket event after a triangular series win in New Zealand.
The cricket carnival started October 16 and will continue for almost a month and the final of the tournament will be played on November 13 in Melbourne.
Road to the #T20WorldCup 2022 🏆 starts now! pic.twitter.com/Q9X1Vvnshw
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) October 16, 2022
Squads have been divided into two groups, the first round will begin today and continue until the 21st. In this phase, eight teams will compete in the qualifier round to seek a spot in the Super 12 round.
Group A includes the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, UAE, and Namibia. Ireland, the West Indies, Scotland, and Zimbabwe are in Group B. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 12 round.
Eight squads are already in the groups based on their rankings including Australia, England, New Zealand, and Afghanistan, while Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and South Africa are in Group 2.
T20 World Cup 2022 is the eighth edition of the mega event and Australia is hosting the global cricket tournament in seven cities—Melbourne, Geelong, Hobart, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide.
Pakistan tough team to play in T20 format, says Kiwi skipper ahead of tri-nation series
The first T20 cup was held in 2007 when Men in Blue lifted the trophy. Two years later, Pakistan won the tournament in 2009. England clinched the trophy in 2010, followed by the West Indies in 2012, Sri Lanka in 2014, and the West Indies again in 2016. Australia are defending champions who will play their opening match against New Zealand.
