It’s a high-stakes Wednesday in Colombo for the Men in Green. Following a bruising 61-run defeat to arch-rivals India, Pakistan find themselves in a must-win territory. With two wins and one loss, Salman Ali Agha’s side needs a clinical performance to secure their spot in the Super Eights and avoid a repeat of their 2024 heartbreak.
Namibia, meanwhile, have shown they aren’t here just to make up the numbers. While they’ve struggled against the heavyweights in Group A, Gerhard Erasmus’s men are notorious for being giant-killers in tournament play. With nothing to lose and a chance to play spoiler, they’ll be looking to exploit any lingering nerves in the Pakistan camp.
PAK vs NAM, T20 World Cup 2026: Match Details
- Date and Time: February 18 (Wednesday); 3:00 pm IST / 9:30 am GMT
- Venue: Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo
PAK vs NAM, Head-to-Head Record (T20Is)
Matches played: 1 | Pakistan won: 1 | Namibia won: 0
Sinhalese Sports Club Pitch Report
The surface at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo generally offers a contest that changes character as the match unfolds. Early on, batters benefit from true bounce and a quick outfield, turning the Powerplay into a productive phase where clean hitting and stroke-play are rewarded. As the innings wears on, however, the pitch tends to lose pace, with dry areas beginning to assist turn and grip.
That gradual slowdown often shifts the balance towards the spinners, who become increasingly influential through the middle overs and at the back end. Tournament trends indicate that while teams have often preferred chasing, a first-innings score in excess of 170 can become tough to overhaul once the surface starts breaking up. Adding another layer to the contest, dew is forecast to play a part, which may tempt captains winning the toss to field first and take advantage of potentially easier batting conditions later on.
Squads:
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq
Namibia: Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), JJ Smit, Zane Green (wk), Ruben Trumpelmann, Dylan Leicher, Willem Myburgh, Bernard Scholtz, Max Heingo, Malan Kruger, Alexander Volschenk, Jack Brassell, Jan Balt
PAK vs NAM, T20 World Cup 2026: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- Pakistan wins the toss and bowls first
- Namibia powerplay score: 40-50 (6 overs)
- Namibia total score: 160-170
Case 2:
- Namibia wins the toss and bowls first
- Pakistan powerplay score: 45-55 (6 overs)
- Pakistan total score: 170-180
Match result: Team bowling first to win the contest.
