Sahibzada Farhan stole the show at the SSC in Colombo. Farhan blazed away and showed his class while the others chipped in as well. Pakistan took advantage of a inexperienced bowling attack and broke them to pieces. Pakistan were on song tonight and they have Farhan to thank as almost 200 runs were scored by them. Namibia had a bad day with ball in hand with Brassell taking 2 wickets to show for as well.
Sahibzada Farhan gives Pakistan a solid start in powerplay.Â
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub came out to open the batting for Pakistan while JJ Smit had ball in hand for Namibia. Smit bowled a good first over. Gerhard Erasmus had the ball in hand from the other end. Farhan smashed the ball and drove it past covers for a boundary. Ruben Trumplemann came into the attack next. Ayub whipped him away by pulling to the left of mid-on for a boundary. Ayub got the outside edge past the keeper and away for a boundary.
Jack Brassell came into the attack next. Farhan got a thick outside edge past the keeper and away for a boundary. Farhan pulled it away over midwicket for a boundary. Trumpelmann continued as Farhan beats the diving midwicket fielder for a boundary. Farhan threw his hands at that as he crunched it over covers for a boundary.
Brassell struck and got rid of Ayub for 14 off 12 balls with 2 fours to his name as he edged it to the keeper Green. Drinks was taken after which captain Salman Ali Agha came out to bat next. Salman got off the mark with a boundary as he punched it through cover point for a boundary. At the end of 6 overs, Pakistan were 47/1 with Farhan unbeaten on 26 off 20 balls and Agha unbeaten on 6 off 4 balls.
Sahibzada Farhan drives Pakistan forward in middle phase of the game despite losing 2 wickets in that phase.Â
Willem Myburgh came into the attack next after the powerplay. The 50 came up for Pakistan in 6.4 overs. Bernard Scholtz came into the attack next. He also bowled a tight over. Myburgh continued as Agha went big by using his feet and launching it downtown for the maximum. Farhan clubbed it away by slog sweeping it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Farhan went big again to club it over deep midwicket for the maximum.
Scholtz came to bowl the 10th over and bowled a decent over as Pakistan were 85/1 in 10 overs. Smit returned to the attack as Agha got a top edge over the keeper for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the duo. Farhan reached his fifty, his 10th T20I fifty and second in the World Cup. Agha got down on one knee and paddle swept it away past short fine leg for a boundary. 100 up for Pakistan in 11.4 overs.
Agha stepped down the track and launched it over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Brassell came back into the attack and he got rid of Agha for 38 off 23 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes to his name as he was holed out inside the circle. Khawaja Nafay came out to bat next. Nafay cut it away past backward point for a boundary. Farhan cleared his front leg and slapped it to sweeper cover for a boundary.
Erasmus continued and he got rid of Nafay for 5 off 5 balls with one boundary to his name as he got a top edge to be caught by Erasmus. Shadab Khan came out to bat next and drinks was taken at this stage. He got off the mark soon. Trumpelmann came to bowl the 15th over as Farhan hammered the ball past mid-on for a boundary. Farhan went big again as he shuffled across and slapped it over extra covers for a boundary and repeated the dose for another boundary. Pakistan were 131/3 in 15 overs with Shadab unbeaten on 4 off 7 balls and Farhan unbeaten on 66 off 43 balls.
Sahibzada Farhan’s blistering ton powers Pakistan to 199/3.Â
Bernard Scholtz came back to bowl another over. Farhan smashed the ball down the ground over the bowler’s head for a boundary. Smit returned to the attack as Farhan thumped it away over long-off for the maximum. Farhan drilled the ball down the ground past the bowler for a boundary. Shadab Khan got into the act as the top edge over short third man for a boundary.
Jack Brassell came back into the attack as Farhan helped it away over deep fine leg for the maximum. Farhan cut it hard past the backward point fielder for a boundary. Shadab went big and helped it away over deep fine leg for the maximum. Trumpelmann came back to bowl the 19th over. He bowled a decent over. Erasmus came to bowl the final over of the innings. Farhan got to a sensational ton as he became the second Pakistani batter to score a ton in World Cup history. Shadab then went big and launched it over long-off for the maximum.
Shadab went big as he swung over deep square leg for the maximum. Farhan carried his bat and remained unbeaten on 100 off 58 balls with 11 fours and 4 sixes to his name while Shadab was unbeaten on 36 off 22 balls with 1 four and 3 sixes to his name. 6 extras given by the fielding side.
The Namibian bowlers had a day to forget to say the least. Jack Brassell finished with 2/48 in 4 overs. Gerhard Erasmus finished with 1/25 in 3 overs. JJ Smit finished with 1/25 in 3 overs. JJ Smit finished with 0/28 in 3 overs. Ruben Trumpelmann finished with 0/36 in 4 overs. Wilem Myburgh finished with 0/27 in 2 overs. Bernard Scholtz finished with 0/33 in 4 overs. So, Namibia will need 200 runs to win the match.
Who’s Winning, Pakistan or Namibia?Â
Pakistan have got a huge score on the board. 199 is too big of a total and it will require a special effort from Namibia who have not chased 200 at all in their life. Namibia are up against it. Pakistan have one foot in the door for Super 8s. Let’s see how the chase unfolds from here.
Also Read:Â ICC T20 WC 2026: Pakistan Gets Off To A Steady Start In Huge Game.