Pakistan Opt to Bat First Against Namibia in T20 World Cup 2026 Clash; Abrar & Shaheen Out

Pakistan Opt to Bat First Against Namibia in T20 World Cup 2026 Clash; Abrar & Shaheen Out

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first against Namibia in their Men’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match at Colombo on February 17.

Captain Salman Ali Agha dismissed suggestions of pressure, stating that Pakistan have been in similar situations before. The team has made two changes, with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Abrar Ahmed sitting out. In their place, Salman Mirza and Khawaja Nafay have been included in the playing XI.

Namibia have also made two changes to their side, bringing in 20-year-old Jack Brassell for 17-year-old Max Heingo.

Playing XIs for Pakistan vs Namibia

Pakistan:
Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (capt), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Usman Tariq.

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

Pakistan will look to post a competitive total after opting to set a target, while Namibia aim to capitalise on early breakthroughs in what promises to be a crucial group-stage encounter.