Pakistan Cricket Team (AP/PTI)
Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign has reached a critical point. A win against Namibia in their final league game on Wednesday is non-negotiable if Salman Agha’s men are to keep their Super 8 hopes alive. Anything less and their tournament ends prematurely.The pressure quickly increased. After bold claims that it was a stronger outfit than the one that faltered against India in the Asia Cup, Pakistan suffered a famous 61-run defeat on Sunday. While their clashes with India in the 2022 and 2024 World T20 Cups were close, they still fell short. Since the Asia Cup, India have registered four comfortable wins on the trot, boosting Pakistan’s fight for the marquee title.
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Scrutiny has intensified around senior players Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi. Shaheen failed to control the game in PowerPlay even at the death, returning figures of 1 for 31 in two overs. Babar’s issues against spin continue to surface – his strike rate against spin since returning to the T20I side is 101.70 – raising questions about balance and intent in the middle order.Selection dilemmas arise. Salman Mirza and Fakhar Zaman are in contention should management opt for changes. Pakistan’s heavy reliance on spin – 13, 16 and 18 overs in three games – also reflects a side still searching for the right combination.Namibia, although eliminated, are not without motivation. With the 2027 ODI World Cup coming up as co-hosts, they are looking to build momentum. But for Pakistan, the equation is simple: win or go home.In the next match, India will face Netherlands in a night match. Having already secured qualification for the Super 8s with three wins from three matches, India will see this competition as an opportunity to fine-tune their combinations and tick a few remaining boxes.Abhishek Sharma is yet to feature in this T20 World Cup and the team management will want their No.1 batsman to spend valuable time at the crease ahead of the knockout stages. Getting runs under the belt could prove crucial in the business end of the tournament.There could also be changes in the bowling department. Kuldeep Yadav could make way for Arshdeep Singh, who was included as an extra spinner against Pakistan. With qualification already secured, India can use this match to test their bench strength and settle on the most balanced XI for the Super 8s.
Today’s T20 World Cup Matches – Wednesday 18th February
MatchFixtureVenueTime (IST)Match 1South Africa vs USADelhi11:00 AMMatch 2Pakistan vs NamibiaColombo3:00 PMMatch 3India vs NetherlandsAhmedabad7:00 PM