Mohammad Hafeez reacts to exclusion of two Pakistan players for Namibia clash
Pakistan drop Shaheen, Abrar to play Salman Mirza and Khawaja Nafay
COLOMBO: Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez has questioned the omission of Fakhar Zaman and Naseem Shah from the playing XI for Pakistan’s must-win group-stage fixture against Namibia national cricket team in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Wednesday.
Hafeez took to his social media platform X to express his surprise over the team selection.
“So Fakhar Zaman and Naseem Shah both are not in the first plan, nor in the second, nor even in the third. Interesting,” Hafeez wrote.
It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan made two changes to their XI for the final group-stage match, bringing in Khawaja Nafay and Salman Mirza in place of Shaheen Afridi and Abrar Ahmed.
Salman Mirza had impressed in Pakistan’s opening match against the Netherlands, claiming 3/24 in four overs. The pacer has featured in 14 T20Is, taking 22 wickets at an economy rate of 6.36.
Earlier in the tournament, Pakistan opted for a spin-heavy attack after winning the toss and electing to field. However, the strategy backfired as India national cricket team posted 175/5 in 20 overs, powered by a blistering half-century from Ishan Kishan.
Abrar Ahmed conceded 38 runs in three overs, while Shadab Khan went wicketless and leaked 17 runs in a single over. Among the pacers, Shaheen Afridi stood out with figures of 1/31 in two overs.
In reply, Pakistan were bowled out for 114 in 18 overs after a shaky start to the chase.
The Green Shirts currently sit third in Group A with two wins and one defeat, holding a net run rate of -0.403.
A victory over Namibia — or even a washout — would see Pakistan leapfrog the United States national cricket team, who are second with four points and a superior net run rate, and secure qualification for the Super Eight stage.
Pakistan playing XI for Namibia clash: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza and Usman Tariq.
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