T20 World Cup 2021: 5 things Pakistan must do differently against Namibia

Namibia is one of the youngest sides in the T20 World Cup this year. The African nation will run into the most dominant side in their group in the World Cup on Tuesday night.

Pakistan will take on Namibia at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi in the T20 World Cup. The Men in Green already have one foot in the door for the semi-finals, and a victory will give them a chance to secure a spot.

Meanwhile, Namibia has already pulled off a victory against Scotland. Gerhard Erasmus’ men will be looking to pick up the biggest upset victory in the country's history against the unpredictable Pakistani side.

The match could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Namibian side. Pakistan’s team has been highly competitive against the top teams in the world but failed to dominate the lower-ranked sides in big tournaments.

Pakistan will also look to try something new and different in their clash against Namibia at the T20 World Cup. Will this allow Gerhard Erasmus and his men to pull off a heist in this year’s T20 World Cup?

Take a look at the five things Pakistan must do differently in their fourth match of this year’s T20 World Cup.

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#5. Pakistan must look to bat first after winning the toss in the T20 World Cup

Pakistan has won three consecutive T20 World Cup matches by chasing down decent totals in the UAE. Batting second can be tricky in big matches, but Pakistan’s openers and lower order have done well to make it through.

It’s never a good idea to tinker with a winning strategy. However, Pakistan must look to take a risk in the match against Namibia in the T20 World Cup.

Namibia is still an up-and-coming team in the world of cricket. Pakistan have more experience, and the Men in Green must look to bat first after winning the toss at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Pakistan’s batting line-up has already been tested enough under pressure situations while batting second. Babar Azam must look to shuffle things and go in to bat first against Namibia on Tuesday evening.

The Green team need to experiment before heading into the semi-finals as they will likely be put in pressure situations by their opponents in big games. Giving the batsmen a chance to put a score on the board first up will allow the team to get more experience in the T20 World Cup.

See who is the 2021 T20 World Cup host here.

#4. Pakistan must look to put on a bigger total against Namibia in the T20 World Cup

Not only does Pakistan need to bat first against Namibia, but they also need to put on a big score in the T20 World Cup. The team has only chased down targets in this year’s T20 World Cup.

The targets haven’t been too large, and Pakistan have got themselves in a tangle two out of three times. Batting first, Babar Azam’s men must fire on all cylinders to completely dominate the Namibian side.

Pakistan must look to score around 180-200 runs against Namibia at Sheikh Zayed Stadium to put their future opponents on notice.

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#3. Haider Ali must replace Mohammad Hafeez in the match against Namibia for the T20 World Cup

Mohammad Hafeez has been more than handy with the ball in the T20 World Cup 2021. He bowled four overs in two matches and kept things tight for the Men in Green.

With that bat in hand, Hafeez hasn’t been as effective. He’s batted in two innings this T20 World Cup and only scored 21 runs. Pakistan could look to drop him for the match against Namibia to give a youngster a chance.

21-year-old Haider Ali has played 15 T20Is but is yet to get going in his international career. Pakistan could give him his first T20 World Cup match this year on Tuesday to see if he’s ready for the big stage.

#2. Mohammad Nawaz and Mohammad Wasim must take their spots in the Pakistan side

Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim have nearly identical tasks in the T20 World Cup for Pakistan. Imad has been more effective with the ball for Pakistan and opened the bowling for all three previous games.

Meanwhile, Shadab has been an ace fielder and has also done well with the ball for Pakistan. In the match against Namibia, Pakistan must rest one of the two men and bring Mohammad Nawaz into the side.

Fast bowler Mohammad Wasim must also come into the side and replace the off-color Hasan Ali. Ali has struggled with the ball for Pakistan in the T20 World Cup, and Wasim could turn things around in the side.

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#1. Asif Ali must change his position in the line-up for the T20 World Cup clash against Namibia

Asif Ali has already won Pakistan two big matches in the final overs in this year’s T20 World Cup. According to many, Pakistan has found the finisher it had been looking for.

However, those who have followed the PSL know that Asif Ali is much more than just a finisher. He can play longer innings and give Pakistan a much bigger total than they have been getting to in previous games.

Babar Azam must look to push Asif up the order and send him at number four to try and play more deliveries. This will give Pakistan a better look at Asif’s temperament and skills in the middle overs of a match at the T20 World Cup.