T20 World Cup, PAK vs NAM as it happened: Pakistan win by 45 runs, qualify for semi-finals

Player of the match: Mohammad Rizwan for his unbeaten 79 off 50.

Pakistan win by 45 runs

Pakistan become the first team to secure a spot in the semi-finals! Babar Azam and Co make it four wins on the trot on the back of another fine performance. Wiese (43* off 31) hit Shaheen (0/36) for a six and four in the final over to provide some consolation to Namibia.

Namibia 128/5 after 19 overs (Target 190): Shot! Haris bowls a slow, full delivery and Wiese thumps it straight over for six. The right-arm pacer finishes with figures of 1/25 from his four overs.

Namibia 116/5 after 18 overs (Target 190): Hasan Ali ends his spell with figures of 1/22. This ought to give him confidence going forward. Namibia need 74 off 12.

Namibia 110/5 after 16.5 overs (Target 190): OUT! Haris Rauf slips in a slower ball and JJ Smit (2 off 5) skies it. A comfortable catch for Fakhar Zaman. Pakistan are motoring towards the semis.

Namibia 107/4 after 16 overs (Target 190): Four! Shaheen bowls a low full toss and Wiese takes his bottom hand off to drive it over mid-off. Namibia need a lot more than that per over though.

Namibia 101/4 after 15 overs (Target 190): Shot! Wiese steps out to Hasan and plays a blazing square-cut past point for four. The right-arm pacer concedes eight runs in his third over. Namibia need 89 off 30.

Namibia 93/4 after 14 overs (Target 190): OUT! Shadab ends his spell (1/35) with a wicket as Williams finds the fielder in the deep. The right-hander walks back for 40 off 37. Namibia need 97 off 36.

Namibia 83/3 after 12.3 overs (Target 190): OUT! Erasmus got a reprieve from Shaheen in the previous over but Imad gets him this time. A simple catch for Shadab at cover. The Namibia skipper departs for 15 off 10.

Namibia 78/2 after 12 overs (Target 190): Dropped! Erasmus skies it but Shaheen, running it from long-on, makes a meal of it. Shadab the unlucky bowler. Williams follows that up with a four straight over. Namibia need 112 off 48.

Namibia 71/2 after 11 overs (Target 190): Rauf with five dot balls to Williams before conceding a single to end the over. Top stuff from the right-arm pacer.

Namibia 70/2 after overs (Target 190): Dropped! Williams hit a full toss straight back to Shadab but the leg-spinner couldn’t hold on to the return catch. Skipper Erasmus follows that up with a six straight over. He stayed in his crease and relied on a clean bat swing. The right-hander then ends the over with a sweep for four. Namibia need 120 off 60.

Namibia 55/2 after 8.4 overs (Target 190): OUT! Stephan Baard (29 off 29) is run-out! He put a dive in but fell inches short. Good work by Haris Rauf in the deep.

Namibia 45/1 after 8 overs (Target 190): Shadab joins the attack and bowls a quiet over. The asking rate is over 12 but the batters aren’t really going hell for leather at the moment.

Namibia 40/1 after 7 overs (Target 190): Imad drops the last ball of the over short and Williams cuts it away for four. Prodigious turn for the left-arm spinner in that over. Namibia need 150 off 78.

Namibia 34/1 after 6 overs (Target 190): SIX! Stunning strike from Baard! He steps out to Rauf and flicks it a long, long way. That was pure timing and immense class from the right-hander. Namibia have done well to lose just one wicket in the powerplay, they’re showing a lot of grit and determination.

Namibia 24/1 after 5 overs (Target 190): Another solid start from Imad Wasim. The left-arm spinner gets some drift in to the right-handers and maintains a tight line to concede just a single in his first over.

Namibia 23/1 after 4 overs (Target 190): He is alright to continue, not a bad over for Namibia.

Namibia 22/1 after 3.5 overs (Target 190): OUCH! Namibia get a four for it but Williams is in pain. A bouncer from Hassan and it thuds into his gloves as he gets into an awkward position.

Namibia 15/1 after 3 overs (Target 190): Another wicket-less Shaheen over but what a bowler to watch. Gets hit for one four past point but a couple of real pearlers in that over too, Rizwan’s reaction while the ball thudded into his gloves paint a picture.

OUT! Namibia 8/1 after 1.3 overs: Hassan Ali strikes! Not in the best of form at this tournament so far for Pakistan, the pacer gets the new ball on a helpful pitch and he strikes in his first over. Full and pacy, through the defence.

Hassan Ali gets the new ball. Interesting. The pitch perhaps calls for it but also a chance for him to find some form. He’s been a bit off colour in the tournament so far.

Namibia 7/0 after 1 over (Target 190): Well, well. The first over negotiated without losing a wicket to Shaheen. Mini win for Namibia there. A superb flick from van Lingen off the last ball for a four too.

Shaheen Afridi... another special first over on the cards? Baard and van Lingen to open, for a right-left combination.

Seems Pakistan have an Eternal fan.

Target for Namibia: 190 (but also finding a way to negotiate Pakistan pacers if they can’t get close to the total)

Pakistan finish with 189/2

Rizwan remains unbeaten on 79 off 50, Hafeez on 32 off 16. Massive final over from Smit as Rizwan hit him for 4, 6, 4, 4, 4, 2. Namibia started well with the ball but couldn’t keep it up and now face a daunting total.

PAK 165/2 after 19 overs: Fifty for Mohammad Rizwan! He continues his fine form and gets his 10th T20I half-century off 42 balls, with a huge six off the bowling of David Wiese. The right-arm pacer returns with figures of 1/30 from his four overs.

PAK 155/2 after 18 overs: Trumplemann bowled a maiden first up and conceded two runs in his second over, but he finishes his spell with figures of 0/36 from his four overs. Hafeez goes after the left-arm pacer and picks up two more boundaries, before Rizwan adds another to end the over. Another big over for Pakistan!

PAK 138/2 after 17 overs: Top batting from Hafeez! He plays a scoop for four and follows that up with a gentle tap through backward point and short third for four. Smit doesn’t do much wrong but ends up bowling an expensive over.

PAK 122/2 after 15.4 overs: OUT! Wicketkeeper Zane Green with a stunning one-handed catch! He was moving the other way but put his left hand out to grab it at full stretch. Fakhar Zaman walks back, Jan Frylinck gets the wicket.

PAK 113/1 after 14.2 overs: OUT! Namibia finally get the breakthrough thanks to David Wiese. Babar Azam pulls one straight to the fielder in the deep and departs for a superb 70 off 49. The new batter is Fakhar Zaman.

PAK 100/0 after 13 overs: SIX! Loftie-Eaton tosses it up and Rizwan steps out to whack it over long-on for another maximum. Pakistan are stepping on the gas, Namibia are running out of ideas.

PAK 89/0 after 12 overs: Huge over as the Pakistan openers go after Trumplemann! Rizwan starts the over by stepping out and thumping the ball for six over long-on. Babar then steps out to pick up four over cover, before Rizwan ends the over with a four past short-fine.

Fifty for Babar Azam! He gets his 24th T20I half-century off 39 balls. The Pakistan skipper has played some exquisite strokes once again tonight.

PAK 71/0 after 11 overs: Expensive over from Shikongo! Rizwan works one past short-fine for four and ends the over with a square-cut for four. Namibia need wickets and are going back to Trumplemann.

PAK 59/0 after 10 overs: Leg spinner Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton comes on to bowl and Babar Azam steps out to pick up four down the ground. Pakistan started with some jitters but are setting themselves up now for a solid total.

PAK 45/0 after 8 overs: Good over for Pakistan, nine runs from it. Frylinck struggling to find the right line. Babar and Rizwan have hit just four boundaries in total so far but they’re running well between the wickets to keep up the pressure on Namibia.

PAK 36/0 after 7 overs: Shikongo concedes seven runs in his first over. Babar moves on to 25 off 22, Rizwan is on 11 off 20.

PAK 29/0 after 6 overs: Left-arm pacer Frylinck joins the attack and concedes six runs in his first over. Babar with another powerful square-cut for four. Namibia have been impressive so far, Pakistan will be pleased they didn’t lose a wicket in the powerplay.

PAK 23/0 after 5 overs: Rizwan survives! He attempts a sweep off left-arm pacer Smit but gets struck in front, the umpire raises his finger but DRS shows the ball pitching just outside leg. That was mighty close! The right-hander follows that up with a flick for four.

PAK 13/0 after 4 overs: Shot! Babar cracks one off the back foot through the off side ring for four. But Wiese hits back by beating the right-hander’s outside edge twice. There’s movement in the air and off the pitch for the pacers.

PAK 6/0 after 3 overs: After a maiden first up, Trumplemann concedes just two singles in his second over. The left-arm pacer is moving the ball both ways against the right-handers. Top stuff.

PAK 4/0 after 2 overs: Another good over for Namibia, this time Wiese does well to maintain a tight line. Babar got off the mark with a flick through mid-wicket for three but Rizwan’s outside edge got beaten again.

PAK 0/0 after 1 over: Trumplemann starts with a maiden! Superb bowling by the left-arm pacer, he beat Rizwan’s bat a couple of times by angling it away.

7.30 pm: Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are out in the middle. Pakistan will be eyeing a solid performance with the bat. Here we go!

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Pakistan are evidently trying to test their credentials while batting first but this is the ideal set up for the match from a neutral point of view. Namibia’s left-arm pace battery can be handy and the pitch has looked brilliant for the pacers so far. Can the newcomers perhaps make this interesting with an early strike or two?

Playing XIs:

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (w), Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi.

Namibia: Stephan Baard, Michael van Lingen, Craig Williams, Gerhard Erasmus (c), Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Zane Green (w), David Wiese, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, Ruben Trumpelmann, Ben Shikongo.

Toss:

Babar Azam has won the toss and Pakistan will bat first.

6.50 pm: Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Super 12 Group 2 match between Pakistan and Namibia in Abu Dhabi.