Pakistan captain Salman Agha hailed a “complete performance” after his side crushed Namibia by 102 runs to seal qualification for the Super Eight of the T20 World Cup.
In a must-win encounter, Pakistan responded emphatically. Sahibzada Farhan struck a scintillating hundred — only Pakistan’s second in T20 World Cup history — powering his side to 199 after a measured start. The innings gathered pace through strong middle-overs partnerships before a clinical finish put the game beyond Namibia’s reach.
“We started really well in the powerplay,” Agha said. “In the middle, we put good partnerships and then finished well. Sahibzada has been outstanding. The way he’s been batting the last six months, I’m very happy for him. In the bowling, we were lethal and ruthless. I think it was a complete performance from us.”
Namibia’s chase never gained traction. Pakistan’s spinners dominated, with Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz sharing seven wickets between them. However, it was the mystery spin of Usman Tariq that stood out. He finished with 4 for 16, bamboozling batters with googlies and subtle variations that left Namibia struggling to read him.
“It’s tough even facing him in the nets,” Agha said of Tariq. “He’s hard to pick, and when he pauses, it becomes very difficult. I hope he can bowl like this in the business end and win us more games.”
Pakistan’s heavy reliance on spin — just 16.3 overs of pace across four matches — has raised eyebrows, but Agha dismissed concerns. With matchups against New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka looming, he backed his spin-heavy strategy.
“If we replicate the way we’re playing right now,” he said, “we’ll be fine.”