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Remember the Burgers and Kotzes and the double-international, Rudi van Vuuren? Remember how the men in the dark blues were bullied by the big boys in Africa? Months before the first T20 ever match was played, Pakistan and Namibia had last squared off in international cricket, in Kimberly, in a group match in the 2003 ODI World Cup.
That remains the only time when Pakistan and Namibia had met in international cricket.
Namibia was the oasis in star-studded Pakistan's arid show in the tournament. They won only two matches, both against Associate Nations. Namibia were the first of the two: they lost by 171 runs.
Wasim Akram, then 36, toyed with the Namibian batters. Shaheen Shah Afridi was not yet three then. and is unlikely to have any memories of Wasim's 5-28 that skittled the World Cup debutants to 84 all out inside 18 overs.
Now, as the side's strike bowler, Afridi will eye repeating the Akram heroics to further make a statement for Pakistan in the ongoing T20 World Cup.
But this is not the same Namibian side. At this moment, they stand a better chance than India for a semi-final berth. Weird things have happened in cricket. Yet another reference to 2003, and we know that Kenya played the semi-final of that World Cup and not South Africa, New Zealand, England or the West Indies.
Namibia have not been a one-man act. David Wiese, J.J.Smit, Ruben Trumpelmann and Jan Frylinck are among the stars who have shone in the campaign. While they have steamrolled the weaker sides, their quality has been exposed by the full members opposition. And Pakistan poses a much larger challenge than Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
Namibia will hope to be the reptile in the Hare and the Tortoise story, looking to edge past a sprinting Pakistan, hoping to catch them unaware and complacent after a hat-trick of wins.
Meanwhile, the un-Pakistan-ness of this Pakistan side has been causing discomfort even to their most diehard fans. Their fans are not used to scenarios where calculators, scrutiny of the points table, anxiety and unexpected hiccups are not part of their lives during a global tournament campaign.
The 1992 World Cup and 2017 Champions Trophy triumphs were great stories of comeback. If not a repeat of those folklores, even as a ritual what about getting that one bad game away? Even in their 2009 T20 World Cup win, they were thrashed by England in their tournament opener.
With Namibia and Scotland in sight, there is little challenge for Pakistan before the dates with steeper hurdles.
Pakistan have chased well, no doubt. A closer observation will tell you that their batting has been about the sturdy starts by Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, and late blasts from Asif Ali. The middle order has not really fired.
If Namibia can break the opening shield, they have the opening that can guide them to history. And if one man knows Pakistan better than most, it is Wiese, whose exploits in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) are legendary.
Wiese has played alongside Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi for Lahore Qalandars, where he has been a top all-rounder for them.
He's also well familiar with the UAE conditions, where he has played 14 T20s, scoring 261 runs at an average of 33, striking at 140. He also has 10 wickets to his name, going at 7.7 an over.
Can Wiese power Namibia to its greatest cricketing glory?
Namibia's likely XI
Craig Williams, Michael van Lingen, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), Zane Green (wk), David Wiese, J.J. Smit, Jan Frylinck, Pikky Ya France, Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz
ICC T20I Ranking: 15
Will Pakistan have a look at Mohammad Nawaz or Mohammad Wasim, resting some of the big names? Or, will they keep picking their strongest side and first ensure the semi-final qualification?
The two areas that are a subject of concern: the middle order and Hasan Ali's form. Hasan has struggled with line and length as well as overstepping. He had a good PSL 2021, where he claimed 13 wickets at 20.7, going at 6.75 an over.
Pakistan will hope Hasan fires and returns to his usual self. He's a vital cog in Pakistan's bowling unit and will be the key player in the bigger games.
Pakistan's likely XI
Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf
ICC T20I Ranking: 2
Venue: Abu Dhabi
Key match-ups:
Pakistan openers vs Namibia left-arm pacers: Both Babar and Rizwan have strike rates in the 110s against left-arm pacers in the Powerplay. Frylinck and Trumpelmann will look to keep them in check.
David Wiese vs Shadab Khan: Wiese's strike rate against leg-spin is 117.6. He relishes pace more than spin bowling. Pakistan will look to tie him down by giving more responsibility to Shadab.
Prediction:
Teams bowling first have had an advantage throughout the tournament, but Pakistan are outright favourites here irrespective of who bats first.
Fantasy tips:
- Rizwan is a safe bet as a captain. He is in good form, will open the innings and also keep wickets.
- Rauf is a wicket-taker and fetches crucial points. It is always good to have him in the line-up.
- Wiese is an obvious pick as an all-rounder for this match.
Fantasy XI
Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Zane Green (wk), Babar Azam, Craig Williamson, Fakhar Zaman, David Wiese, Imad Wasim, J.J. Smit, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali