Pakistan faces Namibia in a high-stakes clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. This 35th match, Group A encounter, could define Pakistan’s tournament fate.
The game is set for Wednesday, February 18, 2026, starting at 3:00 PM local time in Colombo (2:30 PM PKT, 3:00 PM IST). It takes place at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Expect a batting-friendly surface early with good bounce, slowing later to aid spinners; teams batting first have an edge as the pitch wears. Weather looks mostly cloudy with 65% chance of afternoon showers, temperatures around 27-32°C, high humidity at 82-85%, and light winds.
Pakistan must win to stay alive for the Super 8s after a string of inconsistent results, including a crushing 61-run loss to India chasing 176. A defeat would mean another early exit, piling pressure on captain Salman Ali Agha. Namibia, already eliminated after three straight losses, plays freely but aims to bow out strong against a rattled opponent.
Pakistan showed promise beating USA by 32 runs but nearly stumbled against Netherlands before a late rescue; their batting has faltered in chases. Recent warm-ups included a dominant 111-run win over Australia. Namibia struggles, losing to India by 93 runs recently, with poor PowerPlay bowling and captain Gerhard Erasmus underperforming.
Pakistan’s middle-order fragility and death-over batting woes stand out, despite stars like Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi. Namibia’s swing bowler Ruben Trumpelmann has dipped, exposing their weak attack. The toss could be crucial on a pitch favoring first innings over 200, with Colombo’s shorter boundaries promising runs. Pakistan’s Sri Lanka familiarity gives them an edge over Namibia adjusting from India games.
PAK vs NAM Match Details
- Match: Pakistan vs Namibia, 35th Match,
- Teams: PAK vs NAM
- Date: 18 Feb 2026
- Time: 2:30 PM / 9:30 AM GMT / 3:00 PM LOCAL
- Venue: Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo
T20 World 2026 Live Streaming Info
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 kicks off on February 7, 2026, and wraps up with the final on March 8, 2026. Hosted across India and Sri Lanka with 20 teams, it spans about a month—group stages from early February, Super 8s mid-month, semis late February/early March, and the final in Colombo or Mumbai.
- In India, tune into Star Sports Network (Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2) or stream on Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema.
- Pakistan viewers can watch on PTV Sports, A Sports, or Ten Sports, with streaming available on Tapmad and Tamasha.
- For Sri Lanka, options include SLRC, Channel Eye, and Siyatha TV on TV, plus Sri Lanka Cricket YouTube and Dialog ViU online.
- UK fans have Sky Sports Cricket, TNT Sports 1, and talkSPORT on television, alongside Sky Go, Discovery+, and NOW TV for streaming.
- In South Africa, SuperSport covers it on TV and via their app.
- Australia might check Fox Sports for TV and Kayo Sports for live streams.
- USA and Canada: Willow TV on TV, Sling TV or Willow HD app for streaming.
- New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ on TV and Sky Go app.
- Bangladesh: Gazi TV (GTV) and Rabith BD app.
- Afghanistan: RTA Sport and Ariana TV.
Rest of the world: ICC.tv for free streaming where no local rights holder exists. Subscriptions often apply, and VPNs can assist with geo-blocks where permitted.
How to Watch the Match for Free:
Catch every boundary without paying via these official free options, perfect for fans in Pakistan and beyond.
Pakistan: PTV Sports broadcasts all matches live for free on TV via terrestrial, cable, and satellite—no subscription needed.
Live Streaming Info:
The 31st T20 World Cup match will be live on Willow Cricket.
Live Score Info:
Head-to-Head
Pakistan leads the limited history, winning their only T20I meeting by 45 runs in the 2021 T20 World Cup Super 12s at Abu Dhabi, where Mohammad Rizwan earned Player of the Match. Total matches: 1; Pakistan wins: 1; Namibia wins: 0; Ties/NR: 0. No last five meetings exist due to sparse encounters; that 2021 game remains the sole benchmark, with Pakistan posting 189/2 before restricting Namibia to 144.
Pakistan Analysis
Strengths lie in explosive openers, world-class pace from Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, and all-round depth via Shadab Khan. Weaknesses: Inconsistent batting collapses, especially vs spin later, and pressure handling after India loss. Key players: Babar Azam for anchors, Salman Agha (c) for leadership, Shaheen for breakthroughs. Recent: Beat USA, lost badly to India.
Pakistan Probable XI: Saim Ayub, Sahabzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi
Namibia Analysis
Strengths include gritty all-rounders like Jan Frylinck and Gerhard Erasmus, plus seam options in Trumpelmann. Weaknesses: Fragile top order, league-worst PowerPlay bowling, and three-match skid. Key players: Erasmus (c) for stability, Frylinck for balance, Loftie-Eaton for aggression. Recent: Beat PNG on DLS but lost big to India.
NAM Probable XI: Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Louren Steenkamp, Gerhard Erasmus (c), Jan Frylinck, Dylan Leicher, Zane Green (wk), Willem Myburgh, Jack Brassell, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo, Ruben Trumpelmann
Pakistan’s superior squad depth, pace attack, and desperation should overpower Namibia’s inconsistencies on a batting pitch, despite rain risks. Expect Pakistan to bat first if winning toss, post 180+, and win by 30-40 runs or 6 wickets. Form and history tilt heavily their way.