Agha hails Pakistan's 'complete performance' after Namibia win

Salman Agha hailed his side's "complete performance" after Pakistan dismantled Namibia by 102 runs to qualify for the Super Eight. In a must-win game for Pakistan, Sahibzada Farhan's hundred - Pakistan's second in T20 World Cups - saw them post 199. Namibia never looked like getting into the chase as Pakistan's spinners ran riot, with Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz taking a combined 7 for 35.

"We started really well in the powerplay," Agha said at the post-match presentation. "In the middle, we put good partnerships and then finished well. Sahibzada has been outstanding. The way he's been batting the last six months, I'm very happy for him. In the bowling, we were lethal and ruthless. We bowled in the right areas, whether it was fast bowlers or spinners. I think it was a complete performance from us."

Pakistan entered the game under severe pressure following a chastening loss to India, and faced the embarrassing possibility of being dumped out of the tournament altogether with a loss on Wednesday. It would have meant a third consecutive men's ICC event where they fell at the first hurdle.

In truth, though, that possibility had diminished by the end of the Pakistan batting innings. They overcame a slow start to storm to 199, their second-highest T20 World Cup score. During the chase, most Namibia batters found Usman Tariq impossible to contend with. They struggled to pick him from the hand and off the pitch. Two were cleaned up by googlies, while another couple mistimed slogs to offer catches. Tariq ended with 4 for 16. Namibia's control percentage against him was 52.38%. Or, in other words, a toss-up.

"It's tough [even] facing him in the nets," Agha said. "I have played him in domestic cricket, and it's very hard. He's tough to pick, and when he pauses, it becomes very difficult. But I'm very happy he's playing for us and very happy for him the way he's bowling. I really hope he can bowl in the business end the way he's bowling right now and win us more games."

Pakistan have come under some scrutiny for the dearth of fast-bowling options. In three of their four games, they have gone with just one specialist fast bowler, while seam-bowling allrounder Faheem Ashraf hadn't sent down a single delivery until today, despite every match. In four games, Pakistan have bowled just 16.3 overs of pace, against 60.5 overs of spin.

Agha insisted that wasn't a problem heading into the next round, where Pakistan will face New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka. "We have the luxury of spinners, allrounders who can bat and bowl. We also have proper match-winners when it comes to spin bowling. If you have that many spin bowlers in Sri Lanka, you don't really need to bowl fast bowlers in the middle. If we need to, we have the bowlers who can do that, but right now we're fine bowling with the spinners.

"I think we have been playing very good cricket, as has New Zealand. So I'm hoping for a good game. If we replicate the way we're playing right now, I think we'll be fine."