Namibia neighbors South Africa has only five and nine-yard cricket club but the team was rubbing shoulders with Elitefrankie Fredericks, renowned sprinter 90s who happens to be an Olympic silver medalist four times, is a legend in Namibia and the country’s most famous sportsmen.
Famous boxer Julius Indongo, world champion WBA, IBF, and IBO Light Welter Division, came second.
In terms of popularity as a sport, football is far ahead; Rugby is not far behind.
Before the World Cup T20 ongoing, names like Gerhard Erasmus, David Wiese, Jan.
Fylinck, JJ Smit and Bernard Scholtz hardly ring a bell to Namibia together.
Cricket, by itself, has very little base in the southern African nation.
Sport largely confined to the capital Windhoek, where five clubs in the Premier Division against.
Namibia national cricket team made up of players from these clubs.
The entire country only has 9 land cricket.
In terms of resources, such as cricket in Namibia arid Namib desert – from which it got its name.
However, Namibia led by Erasmus, inspired by Wiese and Galvanized by their coach Pierre de Bruyn, achieved the unthinkable by entering the Super 12 Stage of T20 World Cup.
They first beat the Netherlands, the team is much experienced in ICC events, and then went on to beat the country to play in Ireland.
Irish victory not only help them qualify for the Super 12, but also ensures Namibia place in the T20 World Cup in Australia next year.
“We are a small cricketing nation, we run a tight ship, and it (into the Super 12) is very meaningful,” Erasmus said in a press conference.
“We are a small country, and a small number of people playing cricket.
We should be proud of ourselves.” Namibia’s first match in the Super 12 stage against Scotland on 27 October.
Then, they will play the famous teams like India, Pakistan and New Zealand in their group.
Coach De Bruyn is a top allrounder in South African domestic cricket in the late 90s and early 2000s.
The 44-year-old players still away from Centurion in South Africa to Windhoek to help the young cricketers Namibia.
“It was finally a dream come true for these players.
They are boys aged seven or six years dreamed of playing against India or Pakistan in the World Cup and it will happen” all they have the past few years till now is to watch these people on TV and dreamed about it.
Now they will wake up in the morning and know that it’s real.
I’m very happy for them, “said De Bruynn.” We are very happy.
We are not an organization with the luxury of a lot of resources around us.
I only got 18 players to choose from in the national squad and I know what they’ve put in the last three years.
“It’s not a feat that means.
Two years ago, Namibia has only four players who are contracted.
Once they secure ODI.
Once they secure ODI status in April 2019, they managed to increase the pool.
Funding from the ICC plays an important role from the standpoint of logistics and resources.
“ODI status is our bread and butter, our livelihood,” said De Bruyny.
“This allows us to go from having four players who are contracted to 17 – overnight we became professional.
“” If we do not enter the Super 12, there is a large amount to lose.
The stakes are high for us, perhaps more than any other team.
We are talking about finances here and a lot of other things, “he added.
By funding the ICC, De Bruyn managed to tie an old friend, Albie Morkel, a krikat white balls over South Africa in his time, as an assistant coach – not surprising in part-time basis.
but the game-changer to get service Allrounder South Africa David Wiese, who is eligible to play Namibia through ancestor.
Dad Wiese was born in Namibia.
Wiese has played six internationals and 20 T20, South Africa.
He even played a few matches in the World Cup T20 2016.
But then, in 2017, signed a Kolpak deal with Sussex which makes it ineligible to represent South Africa again.
Following Brexit, Kolpak registration Wiese stopped and the free and full.
Return to International Cricket and Namibia came knocking.
“I had several conversations good with coach de Bruyn and Morkel.
I feel very fortunate and grateful, “he said.
T20 World Cup: Scant resources but big dreams for Namibia
