T20 World Cup: Pakistan set 200-run target for Namibia

Colombo (Web Desk): Sahibzada Farhan delivered a masterclass with the bat on Wednesday, guiding Pakistan to a competitive 199-3 and setting a 200-run target for Namibia in a crucial T20 World Cup group stage match at the SSC Cricket Ground in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Batting first, Pakistan got off to a bright start as openers Saim Ayub and Farhan found the boundary regularly, giving their side an early edge. Captain Salman Ali Agha soon joined Farhan, and the two stitched together a 67-run partnership for the second wicket, easing pressure and taking Pakistan past the 100-run mark with relative comfort.

Farhan was unstoppable, timing the ball beautifully and hitting frequent boundaries, reaching his 10th T20I fifty along the way. The partnership eventually ended when Brassell struck again, dismissing Agha for 38 from 23 balls, including three fours and two sixes, leaving Pakistan at 107-2 after 12.1 overs.

In a surprising twist, Babar Azam did not come in at number three, with Khawaja Nafay sent to the crease instead. Nafay’s innings was short-lived, as he managed just five runs from as many balls, including a single boundary, before being removed by Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus.

Shadab Khan walked in next and struggled initially, but Farhan continued his phenomenal innings, driving Pakistan past 150 runs. Farhan maintained his momentum to reach his maiden T20I century, becoming only the second Pakistani after Ahmed Shehzad to score a hundred in a T20 World Cup.

Teams

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza and Usman Tariq.

Namibia: Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), Alexander Volschenk, JJ Smit, Zane Green (wk), Ruben Trumpelmann, Willem Myburgh, Bernard Scholtz and Jack Brassell.