Pakistan has a ‘do or die’ match against Namibia today for its hopes of making Super 8 in the T20 World Cup. The team is under pressure after the defeat to India and the poor form of Babar-Shaheen is a matter of concern. Pakistan will qualify even if the match is canceled due to rain.
Colombo: Today is a do or die contest for Pakistan. To keep the hopes of Super 8 alive in the T20 World Cup, Salman Ali Aga and his team will have to defeat Namibia at any cost today. The Pakistani team, which is under immense pressure after the crushing defeat to India, will face Namibia at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo. This match will start at 3 pm according to Indian time.
The heavy defeat of 61 runs against India has broken the confidence of the Pakistani team. The Pakistani team, which claimed to make a strong comeback after the defeat in the Asia Cup, also faltered in front of India in the World Cup. Now they can keep their hopes of Super 8 alive only by defeating Namibia in the last match of the group stage. The absence of team superstars Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi in form is a big problem for Pakistan. Babar’s repeated failures against the spinners have become a matter of great concern.
Shaheen Afridi giving away runs in powerplay and death overs is also a blow for the team. Now questions are being raised on the place of both of them in the team. There are also reports that Pakistan may leave both of them out against Namibia today.
This is a battle of honor for Namibia, which was already out of the tournament. After suffering three consecutive defeats, they would like to bid farewell to the World Cup by defeating Pakistan. Captain Gerard Erasmus, who bowls like Pakistan’s Usman Tariq, is Namibia’s hope. At the same time, Pakistan will try to trap Namibia in the trap of spin.
The pitch of Sinhalese Sports Ground is different from the pitch used in the match against India and it is considered good for batting. Ireland had scored 235 runs on this ground. Due to the small boundary, a big score can be expected. The sky is cloudy in Colombo. There is also a possibility of light rain before the match. If the match is canceled due to rain, both the teams will get one point each. In this situation, Pakistan will reach Super 8 leaving America behind with five points.