neighbors of south africa Namibia There are only five cricket clubs and nine grounds but the team runs side by side with the elite of the sport.
Renowned 90s sprinter Frankie Fredericks, a four-time Olympic silver-medallist, is a legend in Namibia and the country’s most famous sportsperson. celebrated boxer Julius Indongo, Integrated wba, the IBF and IBO world champion in the light welterweight division, comes in second. In terms of popularity as a sport, football is far ahead; However, rugby is not far behind.
Such names before the ongoing T20 World Cup Gerhard Erasmus, David Wiese, jan frilink, JJ Smit and Bernard Scholtz Hardly any bell rang for the common Namibian. Cricket itself has little base in the South African country. The game is mostly confined to the capital city of Windhoek, where five clubs fight in the Premier Division. The Namibia national cricket team consists of players from these clubs.
There are only 9 cricket grounds in the whole country. In terms of resources, cricket in Namibia is as dry as the Namib Desert – from which the country gets its name.
Nevertheless, Namibia, led by Erasmus, inspired by Vise and galvanized by his coach Pierre De Bruino, achieved the unimaginable by entering the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup. They first defeated an experienced team the Netherlands in ICC events, and then a Test-playing nation in Ireland. Ireland’s win not only helped them qualify for the Super 12, but also guaranteed Namibia a place in the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia next year.
“We are a small cricket country, we run a tight ship, and that (entering the Super 12s) means a lot,” Erasmus told a news conference. “We are a small country, and very few people play cricket. We should be proud of ourselves.”
Namibia’s first match in the Super 12 stage is against Scotland on 27 October. Later, they would play high-profile teams like India, Pakistan and New Zealand in their group.
Coach De Bruyne was a top all-rounder in South African domestic cricket in the late 90s and early 2000s. The 44-year-old still travels from Centurion in South Africa to Windhoek and helps young cricketers from Namibia. “It is finally a dream that has come true for these players. They were seven or six year old boys who were dreaming of playing against India or Pakistan in the World Cup and it is going to happen” Everything was there in the last few years to see these people on TV and dream about it. Now they’re going to wake up in the morning and know it’s true. I am very happy for them,” De Bruyne said.
“We are happy. We are not an organization with the luxury of a lot of resources around us. I only have 18 players to choose from in my national team and I know what they have done in the last three years.”
This was no small achievement. Two years ago, Namibia had only four contracted players. After achieving ODI status in April 2019, they managed to increase the pool. Funding from ICC played an important role from logistical and resource point of view.
“The ODI situation is our bread and butter, our livelihood,” said de Bruyne. “It enabled us to go from four contracted players to 17 – overnight we turned professionals.”
He said, “If we had not entered the Super 12, there was a huge amount to lose. The stakes were high for us, probably more than any other team. We are talking about finances and many other things here. Huh.”
With ICC funds, De Bruyne managed to hire an old friend, Albie Morkel, a top South African white-ball cricketer in his time, as an assistant coach – surprisingly on a part-time basis.
But the game-changer was getting the services of South African all-rounder David Wiese, who qualified to play for Namibia through the lineage. Wiese’s father was born in Namibia. Wiese played 6 ODIs and 20 T20 Internationals for South Africa. He also played a few matches in the 2016 T20 World Cup. But then, in 2017, signed a Kolpak deal with the Sussexes, which made him ineligible to represent South Africa now.
After Brexit, Kolpak registration was terminated and Wiese was free to return to international cricket and knock Namibia. “I had good conversations with coaches de Bruyne and Morkel. I felt very fortunate and grateful,” he said.
Renowned 90s sprinter Frankie Fredericks, a four-time Olympic silver-medallist, is a legend in Namibia and the country’s most famous sportsperson. celebrated boxer Julius Indongo, Integrated wba, the IBF and IBO world champion in the light welterweight division, comes in second. In terms of popularity as a sport, football is far ahead; However, rugby is not far behind.
Such names before the ongoing T20 World Cup Gerhard Erasmus, David Wiese, jan frilink, JJ Smit and Bernard Scholtz Hardly any bell rang for the common Namibian. Cricket itself has little base in the South African country. The game is mostly confined to the capital city of Windhoek, where five clubs fight in the Premier Division. The Namibia national cricket team consists of players from these clubs.
There are only 9 cricket grounds in the whole country. In terms of resources, cricket in Namibia is as dry as the Namib Desert – from which the country gets its name.
Nevertheless, Namibia, led by Erasmus, inspired by Vise and galvanized by his coach Pierre De Bruino, achieved the unimaginable by entering the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup. They first defeated an experienced team the Netherlands in ICC events, and then a Test-playing nation in Ireland. Ireland’s win not only helped them qualify for the Super 12, but also guaranteed Namibia a place in the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia next year.
“We are a small cricket country, we run a tight ship, and that (entering the Super 12s) means a lot,” Erasmus told a news conference. “We are a small country, and very few people play cricket. We should be proud of ourselves.”
Namibia’s first match in the Super 12 stage is against Scotland on 27 October. Later, they would play high-profile teams like India, Pakistan and New Zealand in their group.
Coach De Bruyne was a top all-rounder in South African domestic cricket in the late 90s and early 2000s. The 44-year-old still travels from Centurion in South Africa to Windhoek and helps young cricketers from Namibia. “It is finally a dream that has come true for these players. They were seven or six year old boys who were dreaming of playing against India or Pakistan in the World Cup and it is going to happen” Everything was there in the last few years to see these people on TV and dream about it. Now they’re going to wake up in the morning and know it’s true. I am very happy for them,” De Bruyne said.
“We are happy. We are not an organization with the luxury of a lot of resources around us. I only have 18 players to choose from in my national team and I know what they have done in the last three years.”
This was no small achievement. Two years ago, Namibia had only four contracted players. After achieving ODI status in April 2019, they managed to increase the pool. Funding from ICC played an important role from logistical and resource point of view.
“The ODI situation is our bread and butter, our livelihood,” said de Bruyne. “It enabled us to go from four contracted players to 17 – overnight we turned professionals.”
He said, “If we had not entered the Super 12, there was a huge amount to lose. The stakes were high for us, probably more than any other team. We are talking about finances and many other things here. Huh.”
With ICC funds, De Bruyne managed to hire an old friend, Albie Morkel, a top South African white-ball cricketer in his time, as an assistant coach – surprisingly on a part-time basis.
But the game-changer was getting the services of South African all-rounder David Wiese, who qualified to play for Namibia through the lineage. Wiese’s father was born in Namibia. Wiese played 6 ODIs and 20 T20 Internationals for South Africa. He also played a few matches in the 2016 T20 World Cup. But then, in 2017, signed a Kolpak deal with the Sussexes, which made him ineligible to represent South Africa now.
After Brexit, Kolpak registration was terminated and Wiese was free to return to international cricket and knock Namibia. “I had good conversations with coaches de Bruyne and Morkel. I felt very fortunate and grateful,” he said.
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