COLOMBO: Former champions Pakistan face a must-win situation against winless Namibia in their final Group A league match on Wednesday, with a place in the Super 8s at stake.
In Group A, title favourites India have already secured their Super 8s berth following their comprehensive 61-run victory over Pakistan earlier this week. The second qualification spot remains open, with the United States currently holding the edge over Pakistan.
Both Pakistan and the USA are on four points each, but Pakistan trail on net run rate. Pakistan have a negative NRR of -0.403, while the USA are comfortably placed at 0.788.
Pakistan’s equation is straightforward. They must beat Namibia to qualify, as any slip-up would force them to depend on other permutations and combinations.
Led by Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan’s campaign has entered a tense phase after what was expected to be a smooth progression was derailed by the loss to India. The defeat has once again brought their fragile batting under scrutiny.
The spotlight will be firmly on the batting unit, including Babar Azam, openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub, and skipper Agha, after their struggles against India in Colombo. Babar, in particular, has come under pressure following his seven-ball five, with calls for his exclusion growing louder.
After being reduced to 13 for three by India’s pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, Pakistan’s middle order failed to offer resistance, a worrying sign even against a side like Namibia. The openers and middle order will need to show greater application to avoid another collapse.
Pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi also endured a difficult outing, managing just one wicket while conceding over 31 runs in his two overs. Pakistan’s key concern remains Afridi’s inconsistency, as his struggle with rhythm and control was evident when he leaked 15 runs in a crucial final over, allowing India to seize late momentum.
Against Namibia, Afridi will be expected to strike early, as removing key batters in the first six overs could allow Pakistan to dictate terms. Pakistan’s powerplay issues also persist, having scored barely 40 runs while losing four wickets in their previous match. Frequent middle-order reshuffles have added to the confusion and raised questions over their ability to accelerate in the latter stages.
Namibia, despite being winless in three matches, have shown discipline and tactical awareness. Captain Gerhard Erasmus’ astute tactics came to the fore against India when the experienced off-spinner cleverly released the ball halfway through his run-up and delivered from well behind the stumps to outfox Tilak Varma during his impressive spell of 4/20.
Erasmus claimed the key wickets of Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel, and his contest against Pakistan’s struggling batters could prove decisive. Namibia, often thriving in the underdog role, will be keen to end their campaign on a positive note.
If Namibia can drag Pakistan into a low-scoring contest, nerves could again come into play in what has become a crucial fixture for the 2009 champions. Left-arm pacer JJ Smit remains a constant threat, and Namibia possess enough firepower to cause an upset.
At the top of the order, Louren Steenkamp has produced two encouraging knocks, including a half-century, while Jan Frylinck and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton have provided much-needed stability to the batting line-up.
Teams (from):
Namibia: Gerhard Erasmus (c), Jan Balt, Jack Brassell, Alexander Busing-Volschenk, Jan Frylinck, Zane Green (wk), Max Heingo, Malan Kruger, Dylan Leicher, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Willem Myburgh, Bernard Scholtz, JJ Smit, Louren Steenkamp, Ruben Trumpelmann.
Pakistan: Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.
The match starts at 3.00 pm.