COLOMBO: Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first against Namibia in their crucial final group-stage fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Wednesday.
The match carries major implications for Pakistan’s hopes of progressing to the Super Eight stage. A victory would guarantee qualification, while even a washout would be enough to see them through due to a shared point.
However, defeat would result in Pakistan exiting an ICC event at the first round for a third consecutive time.
Pakistan has made two key changes to their playing XI, bringing in Salman Mirza and Khawaja Nafay to bolster the batting lineup. Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi and spinner Abrar Ahmed have been left out for this encounter.
The Men in Green are seeking to rebound after a heavy defeat to arch-rivals India, which dented team morale. Earlier in the tournament, Pakistan had secured wins over the Netherlands and the United States before suffering the setback against India.
Namibia, meanwhile, will be hoping to end their tournament on a positive note after a difficult run of results. They have lost three of their last four matches, including defeats to the Netherlands, the USA, and India.
Squads
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.
Namibia: Gerhard Erasmus (c), Zane Green, Bernard Scholtz, Ruben Trumpelmann, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, Louren Steenkamp, Malan Kruger, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Jack Brassell, Alex Volschenk, JC Balt, Dylan Leicher, WP Myburgh, Max Heingo.
Head-to-head
Pakistan and Namibia have met only once in T20 internationals, with Pakistan winning that encounter.
Matches played: 1
Pakistan won: 1
Namibia won: 0
Pakistan: L, W, W, W, W
Namibia: L, L, L, W, L
