T20 World Cup 2021, India vs Pakistan
T20 World Cup 2021. Photo Credit: Getty Images.

Table-toppers Pakistan will square up against Namibia in the 31st match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 on Tuesday. It is pertinent to note that Namibia and Pakistan have never played a T20 international against each other.

The two teams have played a solitary game against each other in the ICC 2003 World Cup. Pakistan won that game by 171 runs. After 18 years, the two teams will once again face each other in a T20 international. Here’s a look at how these two teams have performed thus far in the tournament.

PAK vs NAM Match Preview- ICC T20 World Cup 2021, Match 31

Pakistan:

Pakistan team. Photo- AP
Pakistan team. Photo- AP

Having won their first three games of the tournament, Pakistan are now labelled as one of the favourites to lift the title. Such has been their performance in the tournament. They began their campaign with a thumping 10-wicket win over India, a result which not a lot of people had expected. It was followed by two consecutive wins against New Zealand and Afghanistan.

All the players have made crucial contributions and a collective team effort is certainly the reason behind their success in the tournament. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have set the foundation at the top.

Read More  PCB fat shaming Azam Khan in Army Training Camp? Pakistan board leaks details of Tests failed by wicketkeeper-batsman

Fakhar Zaman’s contribution was needed in the last game and he certainly lived up to the expectations. In Asif Ali, they have found a great finisher. He deserves all the praise for the way he has finished the last two games for the team. Though, the likes of M Hafeez and Shoaib Malik need to step up to the plate and deliver much-better performance.

They could be a top-order collapse in a knockout game and the duo needs to be well prepared for that situation. The game against Namibia is a great chance to return to form and prepare themselves for the tough road ahead.

Pakistan’s bowling has been the biggest reason behind their success in the competition. The likes of Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf have been at the heart of Pakistan’s win. The duo has managed to pick 11 wickets combined. Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan too have done an exemplary job with the ball and deserves all the praise.

Namibia:

Namibia
Image Source: Twitter

Not a lot of people expected Namibia to reach the Super 12 stage and compete with teams like Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. But, they did that and in some style. After beating the teams like Ireland and Netherlands, Namibia managed to reach the Super 12s stage. They went on to beat Scotland to begin their Super 12 campaign on a high. However, a high-flying Namibia were brought back to the ground by Afghanistan on Sunday.

Read More  Jason Gillespie to take charge as Pakistan head coach after terminating contracts with South Australia

Mohammad Nabi and Co. crushed Namibia completely. A clinical batting performance helped them notch a 160-run total in the first innings. Loftie-Eaton was brilliant with the ball but besides that, there wasn’t much to relish. Eaton took 2 wickets for just 21 runs in 4 overs. However, the other bowlers too need to step up if they have to create some sort of pressure against a high-flying Pakistan batting unit.

The batting too endured a poor performance in the last game. Barring David Wiese, none of the batsmen could even reach past 20-run mark. Wiese top-scored with the bat, scoring 26 runs off 30 deliveries. The fans would be hoping for a much better performance from Namibia on Tuesday.