- Usman Tariq bagged career best 4-16; All-round Shadab picked up 3-19 with ball and struck 36 not out with bat
- Scorecard is available here
Colombo, 18 February 2026: Sahibzada Farhan’s 58-ball maiden T20I hundred and Usman Tariq’s 4-16 sealed Pakistan’s 102-run victory against Namibia in their must-win last Group A fixture here at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Colombo on Wednesday evening.
Pakistan posted 199-3 in 20 overs after opting to bat first and then bundled out Namibia for a mere 97 in 17.3 overs.
The victory, Pakistan’s largest in ICC Men’s T20 World Cups, also sealed their spot in the Super Eight stage, where they will take on New Zealand, England and co-hosts Sri Lanka on 21, 24 and 28 February, respectively.
Farhan brought up his maiden T20I hundred and his seventh in T20s off 57 balls in the final over of the innings. He also became the sixth men’s T20I centurion for Pakistan after Ahmed Shahzad, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Haris.
His unbeaten knock featured 11 fours and four sixes, making him only the second Pakistan batter to score a Men’s T20 World Cup hundred since the tournament’s inception in 2007 besides Shehzad’s unbeaten 111 against Bangladesh in 2014.
Shadab Khan, promoted to no.5, provided a much-needed late flourish with an unbeaten 36 off 22 balls including one four and three sixes. He walked in after Namibia struck in back-to-back overs removing Salman Ali Agha in 13th and T20 World Cup debutant Khawaja Mohammad Nafay in 14th over with Pakistan at 118-3.
Farhan and Shadab stitched an unbroken 77-run fourth-wicket partnership as Pakistan posted their second-highest team total in T20 World Cup history.
Earlier, Pakistan managed to fetch 47 off the first six overs after Saim Ayub departed for 14 off 12 balls including two fours in a 40-run opening stand. Skipper Salman (38, 23b, 3x4s, 2x6s) shared a 67-run partnership with Farhan off 42 balls before departing with the scoreboard reading 107-2.
Namibia’s pacer Jack Brassell picked up two wickets, while spinner Gerhard Erasmus was their most economical bowler taking one for 25 off his three overs.
In reply, Namibia were bowled out for 97 in 17.3 overs. After racing to 32 without loss in the first four overs, Namibia’s collapse began when Mohammad Salman Mirza (2-0-11-1) removed opener Jan Frylinck (9, 11b, 1x4) with the first ball of the fifth over.
Amidst a massive slump against Pakistan’s spinners that saw Namibia lose nine wickets for 58 runs between sixth and 18th over, only Louren Steenkamp (23, 22b, 3x4s, 1x6) and Alexander Busing-Volschenk (20, 20b, 1x4, 1x6) managed to enter double figures
Usman Tariq recorded career-best figures of 3.3-0-16-4, which also included a double-wicket maiden. Shadab picked up three for 19 in his four overs, while Mohammad Nawaz’s solitary scalp came for 22 runs in four overs.
Scores in brief:
Pakistan beat Namibia by 102 runs at Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground, Colombo
Pakistan 199-3, 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 100 not out, Salman Ali Agha 38, Shadab Khan 36 not out; Jack Brassell 2-48)
Namibia 97 all out, 17.3 overs (Louren Steenkamp 23, Alexander Busing-Volschenk 20; Usman Tariq 4-16, Shadab Khan 3-19)
Player of the match – Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan)
Pakistan’s Super Eight fixtures:
Saturday, 21 February v New Zealand at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium
Tuesday, 24 February v England at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
Saturday, 28 February v Sri Lanka at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
