pakistan vs namibia: Sahibzada Farhan's century seals Super 8s spot
Sahibzada Farhan blasted an unbeaten 100 as Pakistan cruised to a dominant 102-run victory over Namibia on Wednesday (ET), securing a place in the Super 8s at the Men's T20 World Cup. Pakistan piled up 199 for 3 before a destructive bowling display, led by Usman Tariq and Shadab Khan, skittled Namibia for 97 in 17. 3 overs.
Farhan's landmark innings powers Pakistan to 199
Opening the innings, Farhan produced a composed yet aggressive display, reaching his first international T20 century off 58 balls. His innings included four sixes and 11 fours, finishing unbeaten as Pakistan posted a challenging total. Support from captain Salman Ali Agha, who contributed a sensible 38, and a late finishing cameo from Shadab Khan, who remained 36 not out, allowed Pakistan to accelerate through the middle and late overs.
The century provided a timely answer to questions about Pakistan's top-order firepower, offering a template for aggressive intent without reckless risk. Farhan's shot selection — mixing power with placement — repeatedly punished loose deliveries and kept the scoreboard moving, forcing Namibia to chase an imposing target under scoreboard pressure.
Mystery spin and pace combine to finish the job
Namibia struggled to build partnerships in reply as Pakistani bowlers exercised control from ball one. Usman Tariq, operating a distinctive pause-and-bowl action, tormented the batting line-up and returned impressive figures of 4 for 16. His variations and tempo disruption produced regular wicket-taking opportunities and made run-scoring difficult for Namibia's middle order.
Shadab Khan supported that attack with a tidy 3 for 19, using smart flighting and subtle changes of pace to extract mistakes. The combined pressure from spin and disciplined fielding left Namibia reeling; they never recovered after losing early wickets and were eventually bowled out well short of the target.
The margin of victory underlined the all-round strength on display: a century-setting platform up front, then a ruthless bowling unit that closed out the chase efficiently.
What the result means for the group and tournament
With this win Pakistan secured progression to the Super 8s, joining other group qualifiers in the next phase of the tournament. The result also compounds a difficult run for Namibia, who have now lost their fourth straight match in the competition. The defeat raises questions about their batting depth and ability to counter varied spin attacks under pressure.
Elsewhere in the group stage, South Africa continued their unbeaten run, chasing down a modest target with overs to spare and demonstrating the kind of form that makes them one of the teams to watch as the tournament advances. Their clinical performances with both bat and ball have seen them close out matches with relative comfort, further intensifying competition for top spots as teams move into the Super 8s.
For Pakistan, the priorities ahead will be maintaining momentum and managing workloads, while teams set to face them in the next phase will need plans to counter both the top-order aggression and the varied bowling options that delivered such a comprehensive win.
Match notes: Pakistan 199/3 (Farhan 100*); Namibia 97 all out. Key bowling: Tariq 4-16, Shadab 3-19. The victory secures Pakistan's place in the Super 8s.
