Last time in 2021, when these two teams were up against each other, it ended in a heated rivalry as cricketers from both teams were involved in a strong exchange of words during the match. The stage is set to continue the rivalry. Ahead of the match on February 18, Namibia has nothing to lose. They can try to play their best freely against Pakistan at the SSC Cricket Ground in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The following article includes a detailed dive into the playing XIs between the two teams, Pakistan and Namibia. The ICC T20 World Cup’s 35th fixture will mark a fresh rivalry involving Pakistan and Namibia. Both of the teams will try to secure a win in the tournament.
Pakistan Playing XI vs Namibia—ICC T20 World Cup 2026:
Openers: Saim Ayub, Sahabzada Farhan.
Established opener Sahabzada Farhan has been in good touch since the beginning of the tournament. Against Namibia, the in-form will try to decorate his stats as much as possible. His opening half, Saim Ayub’s struggles with consistency is nothing new. Ayub can be a hit or miss in the match as well.
Middle-order: Salman Ali Agha (Capt), Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf.
The middle order of the team is undoubtedly power-packed. But their main issue is continuity. They have registered a bunch of wins in the group stage of the tournament, though they lacked performance as a unit. The Namibia camp must note down this weakness of the team. Usman Khan and Faheem Ashraf can be the most exciting elements in the batting lineup.
Bowling: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq.
More than their batting, the bowling performance has looked more compact so far. Shaheen Afridi delivered effectively in the previous matches, while the team’s x-factor is the spinner Usman Tariq. The spin combo of Tariq and Abrar Ahmed can do severe damage to Namibia’s batting.
Pakistan Probable Playing XI: Saim Ayub, Sahabzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (Capt), Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq.
Namibia Playing XI vs Pakistan—T20 World Cup 2026:
Openers: Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck.
There is no doubt that these two openers have provided a good start in multiple matches. These two batters have the ability to build a solid foundation even against proven bowlers. Against bowlers like Shaheen Afridi, they can handle the situation with composure.
Middle-order: Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), JJ Smit, Zane Green (wk), Dylan Leicher.
Despite a long tail batting order, Namibia failed to hold momentum in multiple games. The experience of Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton can be helpful for them against the Men in Green. Captain Gerhard Erasmus can also be rock solid against spinners in the middle.
Bowlers: Ruben Trumpelmann, Willem Myburgh, Bernard Scholtz, Max Heingo.
Ruben Trumpelmann is arguably their most exciting bowler. He will be in charge of gaining some early breakthroughs in the upcoming match. With limited resources in the bowling department, Namibia bowlers can endure a tough day against the star-studded opposition. In their previous T20 World Cup 2026 games, some of their bowlers proved too expensive. To restrict the Pakistani batters from posting a huge target, the skipper of Namibia should mix up their bowling strategy in a fresh way.
Namibia Probable Playing XI: Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), JJ Smit, Zane Green (wk), Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Willem Myburgh, Bernard Scholtz, and Max Heingo.
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