Unbeaten Pakistan sail into semis with Namibia rout

INDRANIL MUKHERJEE / AFP

Former champions Pakistan became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of this year's Twenty20 World Cup after thrashing Namibia by 45 runs in Abu Dhabi.

Babar Azam's men registered their fourth consecutive victory in the tournament on Tuesday.

The Group II leaders went into the match with a perfect 3-0 record and minnows Namibia had the will but not the wherewithal to halt the Pakistan juggernaut in the one-sided Super 12 contest.

Babar Azam led by example with a classy 70 and Mohammad Rizwan smashed an unbeaten 79 to fire Pakistan to a commanding 189-2.

Namibia managed 144-5 in their reply to slump to their second defeat in three matches.

More from Sports

  • Liverpool players join family for Diogo Jota's funeral

    Carrying a red floral wreath bearing his shirt number, Diogo Jota's Liverpool teammates joined relatives and residents in a small Portuguese town on Saturday for the funeral of the football star, who died with his brother in a car crash on Thursday.

  • Own goal propels Chelsea past Palmeiras into CWC semis

    An 83rd-minute Weverton own goal from a deflected Malo Gusto cross gave Chelsea a nervy 2-1 win over a spirited Palmeiras side in the Club World Cup quarter-finals on Friday.

  • Sabalenka fights off Raducanu, Alcaraz marches on

    Women's top seed Aryna Sabalenka fought off inspired home favourite Emma Raducanu in a cauldron-like Centre Court atmosphere to keep her Wimbledon quest on track but it was the end of the road for two other Grand Slam champions on Friday.

  • India lead England by 244 runs in Edgbaston test

    India finished day three of the second test on 64-1 to lead England by 244 runs after they dismissed the hosts for 407 in the first innings at Edgbaston on Friday despite Jamie Smith's commanding and unbeaten knock of 184.

  • Grand Slam champions Keys, Osaka crash out of Wimbledon

    There were to be no Fourth of July celebrations for American Madison Keys as she joined the exodus of seeds from Wimbledon with a 6-3 6-3 defeat by 104th-ranked German Laura Siegemund in the third round on Friday.