T20 World Cup: Upbeat USA hold edge over Namibia

Chennai: Riding high on a commanding 93-run victory over the Netherlands, USA will look to build on their momentum when they face Namibia in a crucial Group A clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.While USA arrive with renewed confidence, their qualification hopes remain dependent on other results. They will need the loser of the India-Pakistan encounter to falter again in their final group game to keep their slim Super 8 chances alive. Namibia, meanwhile, find themselves in a must-win situation against a side that enjoys a 2-0 head-to-head advantage. USA are third in the standings with two points from three matches. Namibia sit at the bottom after two losses.USA head coach Pubudu Dassanayake believes familiarity with conditions could give his side the upper hand. “I think we are ahead of Namibia, especially when you look at the conditions. We were disappointed we couldn’t finish the India game well. Unfortunately, the schedule meant we had to play the two big countries first before facing the Associates,” he said.Reflecting on the emphatic win over the Dutch, Dassanayake described it as a statement performance. “That game was a message to everyone about how far we are ahead of other Associate teams,” he added.