The Round 1 games have always been interesting in T20I World Cups. Eight teams, divided into two different groups, compete for a spot in the Super 12 round. Intense competition leads to exciting match-ups and the outcomes are equally surprising. Namibia will be one such team to watch out for when the much-awaited ICC T20 World Cup gets underway in Australia on Saturday.
The Eagles play the opening game of the showpiece event against Sri Lanka, before turning their attention again to the Netherlands and the UAE. If they manage to trump the Asian champions this Saturday, then the way ahead would be a lot easier. And if not, the next two games would likely be make-or-break fixtures.
Besides Craig Williams, most of the Namibian squad remains largely the same. The focus will be also on batters Divan la Cock and Lohan Louwrens who have been added to the mix. 19-year-old la Cock bagged a spot in the squad after showing his class in domestic and 50-over action. On the other hand, ex-U19 World Cup Louwrens captain comes in as the second wicketkeeper.
Namibia also boast a good number of left-arm options with the ball. Ruben Trumpelmann pushes through the quickest and will be backed by Jan Frylinck – termed as the ‘street fighter’ by coach de Bruyn. Next in the fray is Bernard Scholtz whose left-arm orthodox should enjoy the Geelong surface.
The Squad:
Gerhard Erasmus (c), JJ Smit, Divan la Cock, Stephen Baard, Nicol Loftie Eaton, Jan Frylinck, David Wiese, Ruben Trumpelmann, Zane Green, Bernard Scholtz, Tangeni Lungameni, Michael van Lingen, Ben Shikongo, Karl Birkenstock, Lohan Louwrens, Helao (Pikky) Ya France.
Players to Watch out for:
Gerhard Erasmus: The Namibian skipper has been the poster boy for his team’s batting. Despite a broken finger, he played in the tournament last year and his batting spoke volumes about his character. He has an array of shots and strikes at over 130 with an average still well-over 30.
David Wiese: The former South African is the most known face in the entire Namibian line-up. Last year in the UAE, it was Wiese’s first World Cup for Namibia, and he picked up 9 wickets in the tournament. He stands out with his experience against Sri Lanka, the team against which he made his T20I debut back in 2013.
Their Story in T20 World Cup 2021
Namibia ended second on the Round 1 points table with 2 victories in 2 matches and their Super 12 qualification was no less than fairy-tale. However, they weren’t able to open continue the momentum in the next phase. Out of 5 matches, they won only one – against Scotland – and ended 5th on the Group 2 points table.
Fixtures
v Sri Lanka (October 16), Kardinia Park, Geelong
v Netherlands (October 18), Kardinia Park, Geelong
v UAE (October 20), Kardinia Park, Geelong
Key Match: vs the Netherlands
Namibia’s victory against the Dutch was the key to their Super 12 selection last year. The situation hasn’t changed this year too. The sides would again likely need a victory here if they are to progress to the Super 12s. The Netherlands have re-grouped after what was a tumultuous campaign last year and should provide an even tougher challenge this time.
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