In high-pressure Group A fixtures ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan Made two notable changes to his playing eleven against Namibia at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. With their Super 8 hopes hanging in the balance, the Men in Green opted to leave out the fast bowler Shaheen Afridi and mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed For this important encounter.
captain of pakistan salman agha Won the toss and elected to bat first, underscoring his side’s intention to put scoreboard pressure on Namibia in what is essentially a knockout competition for the 2009 champions.
Why are Shaheen Afridi and Abrar Ahmed not playing against Namibia?
Aga confirmed this while announcing the changes at the time of the toss. salman mirza And Khwaja Nafe Was included in the XI, replacing Afridi and Abrar. However, the captain did not cite any injury concerns or tactical reasons behind the absence of the two frontline bowlers.
“We have got two changes. Salman and Nafe are playing. Shaheen and Abrar are not playing. Batting remains a matter of concern for us. We need to bat well. We batted well against USA. We need to perform in the same manner today.” Aga said during the toss.
Although no concrete explanation was given, the decision appears to be performance-motivated. Both Afridi and Abrar are struggling to make a consistent impact in the current tournament. Afridi, usually Pakistan’s go-to player with the new ball, has not been able to deliver early breakthroughs regularly, while Abrar’s variations have not yielded the desired results on subcontinent surfaces. Given the magnitude of this clash, the team management opted for a new combination to re-establish the momentum.
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Batting concerns force a rethink
Aga’s comments clearly indicate that Pakistan’s primary concern is the inconsistency of their batting. Despite flashes of talent, the top and middle order have failed to string together good scores. The captain stressed the need to repeat their improved performance against the United States, suggesting that the team’s focus has shifted towards strengthening the batting unit.
The inclusion of Nafe is probably aimed at adding depth and stability to the middle order, while the selection of Mirza could provide a different bowling dynamic. By making these changes, it appears that Pakistan wants a better balance rather than relying solely on big names.
Especially, this match against Namibia is no less than a win for Pakistan. A defeat could effectively eliminate them from the race for a Super 8 berth, making team selection even more important.
Playing XI of both the teams
Namibia: Lauren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicole Lofty-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), Alexander Volschenk, JJ Smit, Jan Green (wk), Ruben Trumpelman, Willem Myburgh, Bernard Scholtz, Jack Brassell
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (captain), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Khawaja Nafe, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq.
