pakistan cricket

Why Is Shaheen Afridi Not in Pakistan Playing XI Today for PAK vs NAM T20 World Cup 2026 Match?

Sagar Paul

Last updated: February 18, 2026

2 min read

Why is Shaheen Afridi not in Pakistan playing XI today for PAK vs NAM T20 World Cup 2026 match? He has been dropped for this important match.

Why Is Shaheen Afridi Not in Pakistan Playing XI Today for PAK vs NAM T20 World Cup 2026 Match?

Since the toss, one of the trending questions is: Why is Shaheen Afridi not in Pakistan playing XI today for PAK vs NAM T20 World Cup 2026 Match? It appears to be that he has been dropped from the playing XI due to his disappointing form.

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first. They have made two changes from their last match against, with Salman Mirza coming in for Shaheen Afridi and Khawaja Nafay replacing Abrar Ahmed.

Playing XI for PAK vs NAM

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan(w), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq.

Namibia: Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus(c), Alexander Volschenk, JJ Smit, Zane Green(w), Ruben Trumpelmann, Willem Myburgh, Bernard Scholtz, Jack Brassell.

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Shaheen Afridi Struggles in T20 World Cup 2026

Shaheen Afridi has been going through a disappointing run of form with the ball in T20 World Cup 2026. He has taken only three wickets and has an economy rate of 11.22, including conceding 31 runs in just two overs in the last match against India.

Before that, he managed only two wickets in two matches during the T20I series against Australia. Earlier, in BBL 2025 representing Brisbane Heat, he picked just two wickets in four matches.

This run of form could be the reason why Shaheen Afridi has been dropped from the Playing XI.

What Pakistan Needs to Do to Qualify for Super 8

This match against Namibia is a must-win for Pakistan. They are currently third in Group A with two wins from three matches. USA are in second place with two wins from four matches and a better net run rate, keeping them above Pakistan. The 2009 champions will be hoping to qualify this time after failing to do so in the previous edition.

To qualify for the Super 8 stage, Pakistan must win this match; otherwise, they will be out, and USA will qualify along with India, who top the table with one match remaining against the Netherlands.

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