Namibia leaves lasting impression

LIMBA MUPETAMIThe Eagles of Namibia downed Netherlands and Ireland on their way to the Super 12 competition; they then went on to claim victory against Scotland and had competitive matches against Pakistan, New Zealand and India.Namibia’s ascension to One Day International status has seen their cricket improve markedly, and they exceeded all expectations in the T20 World Cup.“We came here with expectations, but I think we exceeded that, and with that, the pressure mounted and these players have really announced themselves.“We thought it was a Cricket Namibia story for our country, but it's become a global story where we've inspired not just our kids back home, but globally we have won a lot of hearts,” coach Pierre de Bruyn said.Namibia won their way into the Top 12 the hard way, having to beat both Ireland and the Netherlands in the qualifying stages. Then, in the main draw, they were not overwhelmed by facing some of the biggest teams in the world.They even claimed an emotional win over Scotland and competed hard in every innings that they had against some of the finest attacks in world cricket.De Bruyn added that the team had been made to feel like they really belong in the tournament, by virtue of how they were treated by the opposition.“The Proteas have been really amazing. We stayed in the same hotel as them for a long time,” he said.Other teams have passed on their encouragement at the end of games, reiterating the fact that Namibia is a growing force in the game.Their path to this point is one that ICC Africa hope will inspire other nations to also do more."As ICC Africa, we are thrilled to see Namibia flying the African flag so proudly," ICC Africa regional development manager Patricia Kambarami said."The strides that they have made in the last few years are a great example to other African nations. If you put the structures in place, and then everyone pulls in the same direction, things can happen," she added.“It wasn’t that long ago that they were playing against Papua New Guinea and Canada in the second Division of the ICC, so they have strongly illustrated how quickly things can change with the right attitude.”Namibia finished their T20 World Cup adventure with a match against India, the most supported team in the world. Though they ultimately lost, they were playing under a spotlight that few cricketers get to experience in their careers, as the world looked to see how India would finish their campaign."It is a great reward for these players and for Namibian Cricket as a whole. You don’t get to play against India every day, with hundreds of millions watching everything you do," Kambarami said.

Namibia leaves lasting impression

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Republikein 2025-12-17

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Namibia leaves lasting impression

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