dailynewsnblog
Namibia have named a squad stacked with experience for the T20I tri-series they will host against South Africa and Zimbabwe from later this week. Captain Gerhard Erasmus will lead a side that includes familiar names such as Jan Frylinck, JJ Smit, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Ruben Trumpelmann and Bernard Scholtz. Former South Africa allrounder Justin Kemp, who was appointed Namibia’s Director of Cricket in June, will assist head coach Craig Williams.
There will also be interest in the return of left-handed batter Michael van Lingen, who retired in 2024 but made a comeback in a Cricket World Cup League 2 series in the Netherlands last month. Van Lingen has not played a T20I since the 2024 T20 World Cup and is expected to be used at the top of the order alongside exciting youngster Junior Taanyanda. The 21-year-old batter made his debut for Namibia in June in a T20I tri-series against Hong Kong and Nigeria and finished as the series leading run-scorer.
The series, which is a precursor to an eventual Africa T20 Cup that is expected to be launched next year, sees the co-hosts of next year’s men’s ODI World Cup compete across seven matches, with proceeds going to the Africa Cricket Association. It marks only the second time Namibia will host South Africa, after South Africa travelled to Windhoek to inaugurate the Namibia Cricket Ground last October, and lost a one-off game in front of a packed crowd. South Africa will remain in Namibia after the T20Is to play three ODIs.
Namibia have an outside chance of making the next ODI World Cup and are currently fifth on the CWC League 2 standings (the top four teams advance directly to the qualifier while the remaining four will have to compete in a playoff) and will also have their sights on their progress to the 2028 T20 World Cup. They have not automatically qualified for that event and lost all four matches they played at this year’s tournament.
Since then, Namibia have played seven T20Is and won five, including losing a series 2-1 to Scotland and winning their most recent tri-series. South Africa and Zimbabwe are bound to present sterner challenges, even though South Africa’s squad is largely experimental. Dewald Brevis, Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Kwena Maphaka are the most recognisable names in their touring party.
Zimbabwe have yet to announce their squad.
Namibia squad for tri-series
Gerhard Erasmus (capt), Michael van Lingen, Zane Green, Bernard Scholtz, Ruben Trumpelmann, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, Louren Steenkamp, Malan Kruger, Jack Brassell, Max Heingo, Alex Busing-Volschenk, Junior Taanyanda, Jan-Nicol Loftie-Eaton, JC Balt, Waldo Smith
