T20 WC 2021: PAK vs NAM Review – Pakistan enter semi-finals by beating gutsy Namibia

Pakistan continued their good form at the T20 World Cup 2021 with another two points under their name. They defeated Namibia in the Super 12 game in Abu Dhabi on November 2 by a margin of 45 runs to secure their semifinal spot. This was Namibia’s second loss in three main round games.

Earlier in the evening, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first. Skipper Babar Azam and his opening partner started quite slowly with the run rate staying as low as six at the halfway stage. However, the expert batters picked up the rate and put pressure on Namibia. Babar ended up getting out for 70 from 49 balls, but Rizwan hung around.

He got some good support from Mohammad Hafeez who made 32 runs from 16 balls. But, Rizwan’s death over batting not only fixed his strike rate but also ensured that Pakistan ended on 189 for 2 from their 20 overs. The score was always going to be too much for Namibia, but they didn’t crumble and did try to put up a fight.

Stephan Baard scored a run-a-ball 29 while Craig Williams made 40 runs from 37 balls. Skipper Gerhard Erasmus got a 10-ball 15 cameo while David Wiese scored 43 runs from 31 balls. All of this helped Namibia reach 144-5 in their allotted overs. For Pakistan, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, and Haris Rauf picked up a wicket each while also delivering tight spells.

Top performers:

Babar Azam:

On this wicket, it was very crucial for one batter to stick around till the end. As he saw Rizwan struggle to get going, he decided to take on the charge and kept the run rate in good shape. His batting was quite intelligent and he continued his good form. During his innings, he struck seven fours, but also rotated the strike well.

Mohammad Rizwan:

The wicketkeeper batter has been sensational since he has started opening and understands his role and strengths quite wonderfully. After 40 balls, he had scored only 44 runs but then he accelerated at the right time. In the last 10 balls, he scored 35 runs which helped Pakistan finish on a high. That level of acceleration made up for his slow start.

Records/achievements:

● Babar and Rizwan became the first pair to have more than 1000 runs in partnerships in T20I in a single calendar year. They have 1041 runs right now.

● Rizwan and Babar made their fourth-century partnership this year.

Way ahead:

Namibia will now face New Zealand on November 5 while Pakistan will take on Scotland on November 7