15 October 2022 07:50 am Views - 470
By Amindha de Alwis
Namibia, participating in their first ICC Global event in 18 years, enjoyed a relatively impressive campaign in last year’s T20 World Cup held in Oman and the UAE, and Gerhard Erasmus’ team will be eager to build on their recent gains and prove that 2021 was no flash in the pan.
The Namibian outfit were one of just two associate teams to make the Super 12s of last year’s edition, after defeating both Ireland and the Netherlands in their first-round group.
Namibia has had a heavy schedule leading upto the tournament with multiple international assignments as well as a recent tri-series played with Pakistan’ Lahore Qalanders and South Africa’s Lions domestic teams.
This year, Namibia has been placed in Group A alongside high-riding Sri Lanka, the UAE and the Netherlands. If they can maintain their run of positive form, a second successive Super 12 appearance could well be on the cards.
Much of the squad who impressed in last year’s tournament have been retained for this edition, with top-order batter Divan la Cock, wicketkeeper Lo-handre Louwrens and fast-bowler Tangeni Lungameni being the new faces who will make their T20 World Cup bow.
The team’s bowling attack is dominated by left-armers with Ruben Trumpelmann spearheading an attack that will feature Jan Frylink, JJ Smit and Bernard Scholtz, along with the right-arm medium pace of David Wiese whose exploits with bat in hand were vital in Namibia’s wins in the UAE.
Players to Watch:
Gerhard Erasmus – Leading the side once again, the highly rated 27-year-old is often the backbone of Namibia’s batting order with the ability to rotate strike well and also accelerate towards the back end. He is also the only player in the squad with a T20I century to his name.
David Wiese – An ever-present on the T20 circuit, the former South African all-rounder has been representing Namibia for just over a year and can pose a significant threat to bowling attacks, especially in the death overs. The experience that Wiese brings could make a telling difference in their crucial first-round games in particular. He arrives in Australia in good form following a stint with St. Lucia Kings in the CPL.
JJ Smit - Another all-rounder, Smit is a tall middle-order striker with a T20I strike rate of 146. His left-arm pace could also prove tough to get away in Australian conditions.
First-Round Fixtures:
October 16 vs Sri Lanka
October 18 vs the Netherlands
October 20 vs the UAE
Namibia Squad: Gerhard Erasmus (c), JJ Smit, Divan la Cock, Stephan Baard, Nicol Loftie Eaton, Jan Frylinck, David Wiese, Ruben Trumpelmann, Zane Green, Bernard Scholtz, Tangeni Lungameni, Michael van Lingen, Ben Shikongo, Karl Birkenstock, Lo-handre Louwrens and Helao Ya France.