Pakistan likely to drop Babar, Shaheen against Namibia

Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi are expected to be benched for Pakistan’s final group-stage game against Namibia on Wednesday. Fresh off a 61-run defeat against India, Pakistan need to beat Namibia in order to qualify for the Super Eights without making the situation trickier for themselves.

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ICC T20 World Cup 2026: What do Pakistan need to do to avoid elimination? Pakistan have been handed their first 2026 T20 World Cup win, with their Net Run Rate suffering a heavy blow as India beat them by 61 runs.

by mishaalmubarak February 16, 2026

Loss against India left Pakistan with questions

In the three games so far, two of which they won against the Netherlands and the USA, Pakistan have fielded nearly the same combination, with Salman Mirza playing in place of Usman Tariq in the first game.

However, the loss against India exposed the flaws within the side, especially as senior players failed to step up. 

Shaheen and Babar expected to be benched

Shaheen bowled two expensive, wicketless overs against India, conceding 31 runs. His bowling against the USA and the Netherlands was not too impressive either, as he picked up one wicket in each game while conceding 28 and 42 runs in his four-over quota, respectively.

Mirza is likely to make an appearance if the management decides to rest Shaheen.

Like Shaheen, Babar Azam, who also returned with a disappointing figure against India after playing a rash shot, might be sidelined in favour of either Khawaja Nafay or Fakhar Zaman. 

The right-handed batter has been going through a rough patch that has left both the management and fans frustrated. He scored 46 off 32 against the USA, though in his other two World Cup outings, he looked largely out of touch.

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