Skip to content

With a place in the Super 8 on the line, Pakistan will drop Shaheen Afridi for the must-win match against Namibia; here’s why | Cricket News – The Tech Word News

February 18, 2026
Pakistan bowler Shaheen Afridi during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 match between Bangladesh and Pakistan at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. (PTI Photo) In a must-win match for Pakistan to stay in contention for the Super 8s at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the Pakistan men’s cricket team left out fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi from the playing eleven.Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat against Namibia in their group match at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Wednesday.The Salman Ali Agha-led team made two changes from the team that lost to India on Sunday. Shaheen and leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed were left out, Salman Mirza and Khawaja Nafay came into the XI.

Inside the Pakistani camp What is Naqvi’s problem

Pakistan need a win in their last league match to secure qualification for the Super 8s. The pressure on the team mounted after the 61-run loss to India, adding to defeats in the Asia Cup and recent editions of the tournament.WATCH LIVESenior players Babar Azam and Shaheen faced criticism for their performances. Shaheen struggled for control while Babar continued to find the spin challenging. Pakistan went into the match needing a win to avoid elimination.Already out of contention, Namibia aim to finish their campaign on a positive note. Their tournament was marred by inconsistent bowling, including a dip in form from Ruben Trumpelmann and modest batting returns from captain Gerhard Erasmus. Pakistan confirmed two changes, with Salman Mirza and Khawaja Nafay replacing Shaheen and Abrar. Namibia also made two changes, bringing on Alexander Busing-Volschenko for Dylan Leicher and Jack Brassell for Max Heing.Against India, Shaheen bowled two overs and conceded 31 runs, taking the wicket of Axar Patel on the last ball of the innings. In three matches in the tournament, the 25-year-old bowled nine overs, gave away 101 runs and took three wickets at an economy rate of 11.22. He also seemed to be losing pace, now bowling mostly around 85 mph.

Index
    Settings