COLOMBO – Pakistan defeated Namibia by 102 runs to qualify for the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup.
In the match played at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, Namibia struggled while chasing a target of 200 runs, losing wickets at regular intervals.
By the 16th over, eight Namibian players had been dismissed with the team score at 96. Frylinck scored 9, Loftie-Eaton 5, Smit 23, and captain Gerhard Erasmus 7 runs before returning to the pavilion.
All of Namibia’s players were bowled out on the third ball of the 17th over. Chasing 200, Namibia managed only 97 runs.
For Pakistan, Usman Tariq took four wickets, Shadab Khan claimed three, while Nawaz and Salman Mirza picked up one wicket each.
Pakistan’s Batting
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first. A record-breaking innings by Sahibzada Farhan helped Pakistan post a massive total against Namibia.
Powered by Farhan’s unbeaten century, Pakistan scored 199 runs for the loss of three wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Sahibzada Farhan remained not out on 100, while Shadab Khan was unbeaten on 36.
This was Farhan’s maiden T20 International century, making him the second Pakistani batter after Ahmed Shehzad to score a century in a T20 World Cup.
Captain Salman Ali Agha scored 38, Saim Ayub made 14, and Khawaja Nafay added 5 runs.
For Namibia, Jack Brassell took two wickets, while Gerhard Erasmus claimed one.
Pakistan vs Namibia
Pakistan XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq
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Namibia XI: Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), Alexander Volschenk, JJ Smit, Zane Green (wk), Ruben Trumpelmann, Willem Myburgh, Bernard Scholtz, Jack Brassell
Pakistan captain Salman Agha will be looking to set a competitive total against Namibia, while the Namibian side, led by Gerhard Erasmus, aims to post a strong performance to keep their campaign alive.
This match is crucial stage in the group rounds, with both teams keen to finish their group campaigns on a positive note. Fans and cricket enthusiasts are eagerly watching the encounter at the Sinhalese Sports Club, one of Sri Lanka’s iconic cricket venues.
More updates to follow…
