Pakistan face Namibia in the T20 World Cup. Read our in-depth preview here
Pakistan must defeat Namibia in their final group fixture on Wednesday to keep their World Cup hopes alive and reach the Super 8 stage.
Salman Agha’s side arrive under pressure after a heavy 61-run defeat to India, continuing a run of disappointing results against their rivals. Pakistan have now suffered four successive losses to India across competitions.
Namibia are already eliminated but have an opportunity to finish their campaign positively against a side short on confidence.
However, they too have endured a difficult tournament. Fast bowler Ruben Trumpelmann has not replicated previous form and the team’s PowerPlay bowling has been among the least effective in the competition, while captain Gerhard Erasmus has also struggled for runs during a sequence of three consecutive defeats.
With the 2027 ODI World Cup on the horizon, which Namibia will co-host, this fixture offers a chance to gather some momentum ahead of that tournament.
Team news for Pakistan v Namibia
Pakistan may consider changes after the loss to India. Fakhar Zaman and Salman Mirza are available alternatives should the management opt to rest either Babar Azam or Shaheen Afridi. The bowling unit has relied heavily on spin so far in the tournament, with significant overs shared between the slower bowlers.
Namibia have been forced into a change, with Ben Shikongo ruled out by a thigh injury and replaced by Alex Volschenk. The side will again rely on all-round contributions from Jan Frylinck and JJ Smit, while Erasmus remains central to their batting stability.
Expected line-ups for Pakistan v Namibia
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam or Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi or Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq
Namibia: Jan Frylinck, Louren Steenkamp, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), JJ Smit, Zane Green (wk), Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Willem Myburgh, Bernard Scholtz, Max Heingo
How to watch Pakistan vs Namibia: TV channel, live online stream
Pakistan vs Namibia starts at 09:30 GMT on Wednesday. The T20 World Cup will be shown exclusively live in the UK on Sky Sports. You can stream it on a vast variety of devices and on the move via the Sky Go app.
For coverage elsewhere in the world, click HERE for details of your local rights holder.
The stats for Pakistan v Namibia
Pakistan have relied increasingly on spin, bowling 13, 16 and 18 overs of spin in their three matches
Babar Azam’s strike rate against spin since his T20I return is 101.70
Namibia fast bowler Ruben Trumpelmann has taken only one wicket in the tournament so far
Prediction
Namibia can play with freedom, but Pakistan have significantly greater depth in both batting and spin bowling.
With qualification at stake, they should have enough quality to respond to recent criticism after their loss to India and secure the win required to progress.
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