New blood selected for T20 World Cup

Cricket Namibia has announced a potent and experienced squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be hosted in India and Sri Lanka. Gerhard Erasmus will captain the FNB Eagles for their fourth consecutive appearance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with stalwarts such as wicketkeeper Zane Green, left-arm spinner Bernard Scholtz, opening batters Jan Frylinck and Malan Kruger, left-arm pace bowlers Ruben Trumpelmann and JJ Smit, right-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Nicol Loftie-Eaton and right-arm pace bowlers Ben Shikongo, Jack Brassell and Dylan Leicher who can all draw on previous T20 World Cup experiences. Head coach Craig Williams’ 16-player squad also includes six members who have not played in a T20 World Cup before, namely Leicher (although he was in the squad to the 2024 tournament in the West Indies), opening batsman JC Balt, right-arm pace bowler Max Heingo (who took two wickets in the last-ball win against South Africa in Windhoek during October), spin-bowling all-rounders Louren Steenkamp and WP Myburgh, as well as the travelling reserve Alexander Volschenk (who was captain of Namibia at the 2024 ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa). Route to the World Cup Namibia sealed their place at the tournament after a commanding run at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Africa Qualifier in Harare, finishing as unbeaten Group A toppers and backing it up with a dominant semi-final victory over Tanzania. A composed recovery with the bat, led by half-centuries from JJ Smit and captain Gerhard Erasmus, powered Namibia to 174 for six before their bowlers took control, with Smit and Ben Shikongo sharing six wickets to limit Tanzania to 111 for eight. The emphatic 63-run win underlined Namibia’s growing consistency at the global stage as they booked their spot at the 2026 tournament in India and Sri Lanka. Their route to qualification offered encouraging signs, particularly through Loftie-Eaton, who was named Bowler of the Tournament at the Africa Qualifier after claiming 10 wickets at an average of 6.40 and an economy rate of 4.92. In the final, Steenkamp’s brisk 40 off 27 balls, alongside a steadying partnership with captain Gerhard Erasmus (38 off 32), highlighted Namibia’s growing balance as they build towards the marquee tournament. Targeting more scalps At their most recent T20 World Cup appearance in the West Indies two years ago, Namibia managed just one victory, edging past Oman in a Super Over, and will be keen to convert lessons from that campaign into stronger returns this time around. Continuity remains a key theme in the squad, with nine players retained from the 2024 edition, providing a familiar core, while the new blood adds fresh depth and options as Namibia look to best their tournament record of reaching the Super 12 phase in the Emirates in 2021, when they beat Netherlands, Scotland and Ireland. Namibia's group fixtures: Namibia are placed in Group A alongside India, Pakistan, Netherlands and USA. February 10: vs Netherlands, Delhi. February 12: vs India, Delhi. February 15: vs USA, Chennai. February 18: vs Pakistan, Colombo. • Squad Gerhard Erasmus (captain), Zane Green (wicketkeeper), Bernard Scholtz, Ruben Trumpelmann, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, Louren Steenkamp, Malan Kruger, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, JC Balt, Dylan Leicher, WP Myburgh, Max Heingo. Travelling reserve: Alexander Volschenk. • Management team Craig Williams (head coach) Justin Kemp (assistant coach) Gary Kirsten (consultant) Evert Laubscher (fielding coach / strength and conditioning) Sean Nowak (physiotherapist) Polly Negongo (team manager) Dr Rudie Jansen van Vuuren (team doctor) Nrupesh Soni (media manager) Timothy Yates (analyst)